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VTC’s North Country Chili Cook-Off Fundraiser Begins
Sunday at Tri-County Restaurants Leading Up to In-Person Event March 14th
in Watertown
Published: January 31, 2026
at 09:00 a.m.
By: Press Release from Volunteer Transportation
Center
North Country Chili Cook-Off Begins Sunday at
Tri-County Restaurants
Competition Leads up to In-Person Event in Watertown
on March 14
 WATERTOWN, NY – The Volunteer
Transportation Center will mark the 27th anniversary of its Annual North
Country Chili Cook-Off this week with a hybrid format that again promotes
participation among local restaurants and its in-person event at the Dulles
State Office Building.
“We’re excited
for the return of the North Country Chili Cook-Off, starting with the
competition among restaurants across Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence
Counties,” said Jeremiah S. Papineau, Director of Communications and
Foundation Director for the VTC. “This has been very popular and a great
way to shine a spotlight on local businesses.”
Earlier this
month, the Volunteer Transportation Center announced a date change for the
in-person event at the Dulles State Office Building, 317 Washington St.,
Watertown, due to a scheduling conflict. Originally slated
for Saturday, Feb. 28, the new date of the in-person event will be
Saturday, March 14. While the date of the in-person event will change, the
dates of the restaurant-to-restaurant competition will remain the same.
Restaurants across Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties will offer up
chili for voting Sunday, Feb. 1, through Wednesday, Feb. 25. Participating
restaurants and businesses will make available samples of their chili
entries during regular hours of operation during that time
and the public will be able to vote for their favorite entries.
The following
restaurants have signed up to compete:
• The Dockside Pub, 11 Market Street, Alexandria Bay
• The Brick Oven Inn, 9595 Main Street, Beaver Falls
• Hillbilly Inn, 35419 South Lake Road, Carthage
• Jreck Subs, 210 State Street, Carthage
• The Church Street Diner, 107 Church Street, Carthage
• Zero Dock Street Restaurant & Bar, 130 Canal Street, Carthage
• The Cottage Inn, 9794 State Route 12, Copenhagen
• Silver Leaf Diner, 3231 U.S. Route 11, DeKalb Junction
• Meme’s Diner, 31606 State Route 3, Felts Mills
• Jreck Subs, 7596 East State Street, Lowville
• Lloyd’s of Lowville, 7405 Utica Boulevard,
Lowville
• Squishy’s BBQ & Catering, 6218 Number Four
Road, Lowville
• The Bateman Draft House, 7570 South State Street, Lowville
• The Elm, 5422 Shady Avenue, Lowville
• JJ’s on the River, 54 East River Street,
Ogdensburg
• Jake’s on the Water, 5726 State Route 56, Potsdam
• The Whiskey Coop, 214 1/2 West Main Street, Sackets Harbor
• Tavern230, 4173 West Road, Turin
• Jean’s Beans, 259 Eastern Boulevard, Watertown
• Jreck Subs, 1218 Arsenal Street, Watertown
• Jreck Subs, 525 Mill Street, Watertown
• Jreck Subs, 605 State Street, Watertown
• Panera Bread, 21872 Towne Center Drive, Watertown
• Pete’s Trattoria, 111 Breen Avenue, Watertown
• The Grille at Hilton Garden Inn, 1290 Arsenal Street, Watertown
• The Whiskey Coop, 133 North Massey Street, Watertown
Those wanting to
cast votes will be able to do so in person by paper ballot or online
through the VTC website beginning Feb. 1. The participating business with
the most votes will receive a plaque denoting them winner of the People’s
Choice Award for the tri-county competition. In addition, participating
locations will again be able to compete for the Top Fundraiser Award by
collecting donations for the Volunteer Transportation Center Foundation.
The participating team with the highest amount raised will receive this
special recognition. Winners of both awards will be recognized at the
in-person event at the Dulles State Office Building on March 14.
“We’re looking
forward to seeing the competition among the local restaurants and seeing
the competition at the Dulles State Office Building in March,” said Mr.
Papineau. “Each year, we continue to build upon the history of the cook-off
and each year, we are grateful for the community’s support as we evolve and
strive to make this event bigger and better.”
The North Country
Chili Cook-Off has historically been a one-day event at the Dulles State
Office Building, held on the first Saturday in February. However, the event
was modified during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 to focus on hosting a
month-long competition among participating restaurants and businesses in
Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties throughout February. That format
repeated in 2022 while large gatherings were still
frowned upon and, in 2023, the VTC merged the two formats, with nearly 30
restaurants in the tri-county area participating and 17 teams competing at
the Dulles State Office Building.
“We’re
overwhelmed by the participation from our local restaurants,” said Mr.
Papineau, “and we’re once again looking forward to the return of our
in-person portion of this event, which features amateur and professional
chefs competing for top bragging rights.”
The in-person
competition on March 14 will begin at 11 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. when
awards will be presented. Each entry at the in-person event will be scored
by a panel of local judges, with winners taking home plaques and cash
prizes. Attendees will be able to sample chili from each participant.
Admission will be $6 for adults and $2 for children 12 years and younger. A
family pass admission will be available for $15. This event is supported by
Operation Yellow Ribbon, a volunteer-based committee that promotes visible
signs of support for Soldiers and families. Therefore, military ID holders
will receive a discount on admission.
The 27th Annual
North Country Chili Cook-Off is supported by “Underwriting Level Sponsors”
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Watertown Savings Bank, Stewart’s Shops,
United Food Service Operators, Advanced Business Systems, WWNY-TV
7News/Fox28/MeTV, Tunes 92.5/Intrepid Broadcasting, NNY360/Watertown Daily
Times, Victory Promotions, and The American Legion Family.
Proceeds of the
North Country Chili Cook-Off will benefit the Volunteer Transportation
Center, which provides essential rides to health care appointments, grocery
shopping, and other destinations for residents with no transportation
alternatives. Funds raised through the cook-off are earmarked to provide
transportation to veterans and their family members, which make up roughly
one-third of those transported by volunteer drivers through the
VTC.
For more
information about the 27th Annual North Country Chili Cook-Off, contact Mr.
Papineau at 315-303-2590 or via email at jeremiah@volunteertransportation.org.
Additional information is available on-line atwww.volunteertransportationcenter.org/chili-cook-off.
ABOUT THE
VOLUNTEER TRANSPORTATION CENTER
The Volunteer
Transportation Center, Inc. (VTC), established in 1991, drives thousands of
miles each year assisting community members in Jefferson, Lewis and St.
Lawrence Counties and beyond. Over the last 30 years, this essential
non-profit organization has provided rides to health care appointments,
food sources and other critical needs destinations for residents.
In 2025,
volunteer drivers provided 25,533 charitable trips over 783,845 miles in
Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties. Of those miles, 294,999 helped
those in Jefferson County, 80,033 in Lewis County, and 408,813 in St.
Lawrence County. That equated to approximately $391,923 in mileage
reimbursement for our volunteers. That’s why the community’s help is so
important.
The staff, boards
of directors and volunteer drivers look forward to a time when
transportation to community activities and services is accessible to all
North Country residents regardless of economic or specialized needs. But
for now the mission drives on — striving to
provide transportation to health, wellness and critical needs destinations
utilizing volunteers and mobility management for anyone who has barriers to
transportation.
For more
information about how you can help the Volunteer Transportation Center,
about its upcoming events, or to become a volunteer driver, contact the
agency in Jefferson and Lewis Counties at 315-788-0422, in St. Lawrence
County at 315-714-2034, or Western New York at 585-250-5030. Volunteers
drive their own cars, set their own hours and receive mileage reimbursement
but, more importantly, make a difference in the community. To learn more,
visit www.volunteertransportationcenter.org.
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