The Home Builders Association of Kankakee will be holding an inaugural “Sporting Trap Shoot Classic and Chili Cook-off” on Saturday, Oct. 10.

The Sporting Trap Shoot portion of the day begins at 1 p.m. Beginner shooters are welcome, and instruction will be available. Prizes are yet to be determined, but they’ll be awarded in several categories: Champion, Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner, Junior (age 12-16) and best “Family” team. Side games will include three-man flurry, charcoal poppers and archery. The games are $10 per 3-person team.

The dinner portion of the day is the chili cook-off. If you have a chili recipe that your friends and family rave about, this is your chance to see what strangers think of it. Prizes have not been determined.

Cost for the day is $35 per person, which includes 50 targets; pop, water and snacks; and dinner.

Everything happens at Exline Sportsman Club (4800 E. Exline Club Rd.) in Kankakee.

Click here to download the rules and registration form.

For more information, contact Sally at the HBAK office at (815) 482-4131 or by email.

EVENT SCHEDULE:
12:45 p.m. Registration Begins
1:00 p.m. Beginning Shooter
Safety/Instructional Mtg.
1:15 p.m. Shooter Safety Meeting
1:30 p.m. Sporting Trap Shoot Begins
Side Games
4:00-8:00 p.m. Bar Open
5:30 p.m. Chili Cook-Off & Dinner

X-Line Sportsman’s Club in Kankakee is holding their annual chili cook-off on April 26, and there’s still time to enter.

It costs just $10 to participate, and all the money will be redistributed as first-, second- and third-place prizes. I’m not sure if last year’s winners (Rich “Bones” Huffman of Bradley, Nick Monacelli of Kankakee and Leanne Provost of St. Anne) will be returning to defend their titles, but the more competitors there are the more fun it is. To enter, call LeRoy Smith at (815) 935-2700.

The cooking starts at 9 a.m. and concludes at noon, when the judges will do their thing. Then, as in past years, the public can enjoy the fruits of the competition. $5 gets you a trip through the line, where you can sample any or all of the entries, or grab a hot dog. The public tasting will go until 4 p.m.

Brendan and I have gone the past two years, and I would love to go again, but the 26th happens to be my due date. If the baby hasn’t arrived yet I will try to get out there, but if I don’t, have fun without me!

P.S. If you’ve never tried adding Fritos to your chili, I highly recommend it. I almost can’t eat chili anymore without some of the corn-flavored chips crumbled and mixed in. (It’s kind of like not being able to eat eggs without hot sauce. Once you try it, you’re hooked!)