Kiss Country Chili Cook-off

After a week of polar vortex weather, it was a shining Sunny and 75 at the 99.9 Kiss Country Chili Cook-off this past weekend. Country fans came from all around the greater Miami area to listen to some great musicians and eat some hearty chili at C.B. Smith Park.   

It was a day filled with boots, booze and bands while people set up their tailgates starting at 7:30 a.m. with pick-up trucks and tents donning American flags, and yes—even some South Floridians flew the Confederate flag to show their deep southern pride.

“I love country festivals,” said country music lover, Claire Zimmerman. “This is my third year at Chili Cookoff and I just can’t get enough. You automatically think about the music and all the great people in the lineup, but then you forget about the amazing chili until you get there!”

Pictured: Claire Zimmerman 

“The crowd’s another great part of it. You see enough cowboy boots and hats to last you a lifetime,” she said.

The artists included in the lineup were Cassadee Pope, Joe Nichols, Brantley Gilbert, and Thomas Rhett. The show closed with the renowned Country Music band, The Rascal Flatts. Some fans were hesitant about the lineup saying last year’s would be hard to beat.

“I came to the cook-off last year soley because of Luke Bryan and the Zac Brown Band,” said Jen Kesten. “It’s my fourth time here, and I was a little worried the lineup wasn’t as strong. Honestly, Brantley Gilbert put on a great show, and you can never go wrong with the Rascal Flatts."

Pictured: Jen Kesten and Friends

“It’s such a cool change up coming to a festival like this. I’m used to upbeat concerts in Miami, or sometimes clubs, but this is a different change of pace,” she said. “Country is a genre people all ages can appreciate together. There was even a 60-year-old man square dancing next to our tailgate!” 

The atmosphere was southern, relaxed, and the whole park was completely over taken with country pride and most of all American pride. At the end of the day, I didn’t even care about my sunburn from the glorious weather, or the blisters from my cowboy boots. As Joe Nichols likes to say, take me somewhere sunny and 75!