Got a great chili recipe? Western Days is Begging for HEAT

Join in the spicy fun at Old Town Temecula’s Chili Cookoff Sunday, May 22. Part of the Western Days celebration, May 21 and 22, the chili cook off is both an International Chili Society district cook off and a people’s choice event.


Restaurants can win with the BEST CHILI  during the event. A people's choice voice just for restaurants is part of the fun.

There are three ICS Categories, Red Chili, Chili Verde and Salsa. People’s Choice is for Red Chili and Chili Verde. Cooking begins at 9 a.m. and People’s Choice Chili is available for tasting beginning at 1 p.m. at Town Square at Main and Mercedes Streets. Awards are at 3:30 p.m. Applications are available online at www.temeculacalifornia.com or call (951) 678-1456

Western days includes old west skits, high noon shootouts, western music, calf roping lessons pony rides, stage coach rides, and a variety of costumed characters.

Old Town Temecula's Gun Fighters will host a competition between Southern California gunfight clubs both days. Zany skits of the Old West are performed for prizes and crowd approval. At high noon both days the Temecula Gunfighters treat the crowd to a comical bank robbery featuring dozens of bad guys in a final shoot out with the sheriff and his posse.

Gunfight shows and competitions are hourly at the corner of Fourth and Front Streets. Older than Dirt performs from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Cross Town Cowboys from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday and Judy Taylor and Wild Oats trio, Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.