A major change is coming to one of the most colorful traditions at the Original Terlingua International Championship Chili Cook-Off. The Tolbert Chili Organization announced that starting with the new chili year on October 1, 2025, it will no longer track Show Team results or sanction Show competitions leading up to Terlingua.
The 2025 Terlingua Show Championship will still feature sanctioned teams and individuals under the existing rules. But beginning in 2026, the Show will return to its freewheeling roots of the late 1960s and early 1970s, when it was strictly “just for fun.”
According to Tolbert Organization President Kathleen Tolbert Ryan and Treasurer Paul Ryan, the 2026 Show competition in Terlingua will be open to anyone who wants to participate. Rules will be minimal, based only on the judging sheet guidelines — such as keeping noise levels down and prohibiting nudity. Trophies will still be awarded to standout teams.
For other Tolbert-sanctioned cook-offs throughout the year, local organizers will have the option to host Show competitions if they wish. They may award trophies, but the Tolbert Organization will no longer sanction or track points or qualifying standings for Show teams.
“This is how Show began,” the announcement stated, “and in 2026 Terlingua Show will be open to anybody.”
The decision marks a cultural shift for the legendary event, aiming to preserve its spirit of creativity, fun, and community while focusing official sanctioning on chili competition itself.
