Black and white logo with bold text reading "Squamish Days" above "Est 1957," with lines and a small circular design below the text.
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A hand holds a small cup of food garnished with green sauce and a wooden fork, along with a paper ballot for voting on a favorite dish.

LUMBERJACK CHILI COOK-OFF

  • Thursday 6 PM
  • Squamish Valley Golf Course, 2458 Mamquam Road
  • Presented by [2027 Sponsors To Be Confirmed]
  • $5 cash or $6 by card to taste and vote

A hot night. A tough crowd. And chili that is so worthy of its own trophy that we carved out a spoon.

While competitors fire up their axes and build blazing fires for the Kettle Boil Challenge, another kind of heat is brewing just a few steps away.

At the Lumberjack Chili Cook-Off Invitational, select local restaurants are invited to serve up their boldest, smokiest, spiciest chili to the Squamish Days crowd – and you get to decide who deserves the bragging rights.

For just $5 cash or $6 by card, you’ll receive a taster cup, a spoon, and an official voting ballot. Taste each entry, judge fairly (or play favourites – we won’t tell), and vote for your pick. The chili with the most votes wins. Simple as that.

Photo credit Indigo Lemay-Conway

Three people standing outdoors, smiling at the camera. The person on the right is holding a colorful award plaque. The background has green trees and a building. All three are casually dressed.

Past competitors have included

  • Fergie’s Café
  • Sea to Sky Gondola
  • Backcountry Brewing
  • Outbound Station
  • Squamish Legion
  • Locavore
  • And defending champions... Squamish Valley Golf Club

Can they defend their title? Or will a newcomer rise to the top?

Ready to Taste? Just Show Up

No tickets, no pre-registration. Bring $5 cash or $6 by card, grab your taster cup, and get ready to judge. Come early enough to taste them all – and don’t forget to cast your vote!

Want to enter your chili next year?

If you’re a local restaurant interested in being part of this invitational in future years, we’d love to hear from you.

While you're tasting chili, don't miss the action heating up at the Kettle Boil Challenge

See the flames fly
A man wearing ear protection and a cap uses a chainsaw to cut through a log, with wood chips flying, during a lumberjack competition before a large outdoor crowd.
A large outdoor lumberjack competition with people in the stands and on the field, surrounded by trees and mountains under a sunny sky. Logs, poles, and equipment are set up on the grassy arena.
A man wearing a harness and gloves climbs a tall wooden pole using a rope in bright outdoor sunlight. He looks upward with focus, and greenery is blurred in the background.
Two men compete in a lumberjack event, using a large crosscut saw to cut through a thick log, while another person kneels behind the log. Wooden poles and a bullseye target are visible in the background.
A large crowd sits in bleachers watching a lumberjack competition set up on green grass, with logs and equipment in the foreground and tree-covered mountains in the background under a blue sky.
A person stands on a red block labeled "24," swinging an axe overhead to chop a log beneath them during an outdoor wood-chopping competition, with spectators and trees in the background.
A man climbs a tall wooden pole using climbing gear at Squamish Days, with trees, a Canadian flag, and a sign reading “Squamish Logger” visible in the background under a blue sky.
Two men outdoors in gray shirts use a large two-man saw to cut through a thick log. Wood chips fly as they work together during a lumberjack competition, with spectators and trees in the background.
Two men compete in a lumberjack event, using a large handsaw to cut through a horizontal log while a crowd watches them outdoors on a sunny day. One man applies lubricant to the saw.
A young girl prepares to chop a log with an axe during a wood-chopping competition, while a large crowd watches from bleachers in the background on a sunny day.
Two people are climbing side-by-side up tall wooden poles using safety harnesses and climbing gear against a clear blue sky.
Two women compete in a lumberjack sawing contest, using a large crosscut saw on a log, while a crowd of spectators watches from the stands on a sunny day.
A man competes in a wood chopping event, swinging an axe at a large vertical log outdoors. Event banners, spectators, and trees are visible in the background.
A man throws an axe at a wooden target during an outdoor competition, with a crowd watching in the background near a building labeled "Rotary Beef BBQ.
A man wearing a backward cap and a t-shirt swings an axe to chop a large, upright log outdoors, with blurred green trees in the background.
Tall wooden poles are lined up vertically for a logging event, each marked with numbers and letters. Workers and machinery are present, with trees and mountains in the background. A sign reads “Squamish, British Columbia.”.
A man wearing safety gear uses a chainsaw to cut a large log outdoors, with wood chips flying and a crowd watching in the background.
A woman stands on a large log, swinging an axe overhead during a wood-chopping competition outdoors, with wood chips scattered on the grass and trees and spectators visible in the background.
A woman intently uses a large two-person saw to cut through a thick log outdoors, wood shavings flying as she works with another person. She is wearing athletic clothing and appears focused on the task.
A large outdoor event features tall wooden poles arranged in rows, a water pool in the foreground, and a crowd of people in bright shirts standing and watching, with trees and a blue sky in the background.