Rocklin's Hot Chili & Cool Cars event turns 30

It's a big year for Rocklin's Hot Chili & Cool Cars. The beloved Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce event turns 30 this year. The giant community celebration is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 16, on nearly 17 acres of downtown Rocklin. Quarry Park and a portion of Rocklin Road will be shut down for the event. The annual event is a favorite for residents, visitors, classic car enthusiasts and chili aficionados. Free to attend, the event features 200 classic cars and fierce chili cooks competing for bragging rights in the classic car show and chili cook-off competition. There are nine teams competing in the chili cook-off, and attendees can help select the best batch by purchasing chili kits and voting for their favorite. Chili kits cost $10 and include nine sample cups. The event uses a text voting system for the People's Choice award. The classic car show will line up along Rocklin Road. The cars compete in many categories, but all vie for the coveted Best in Show award. Tiffany Neilson, vice president of operations for the Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce, said cars come from all over the area, and some from as far as the Bay Area and Reno. The event features 130 vendor booths scattered throughout the park. The booths feature local businesses and non-profits. There is also a specific kids area with booths featuring free activities for the younger crowd. The will be a selection of food to purchase, including popcorn, hot dogs, pizza and more. The fun also includes a cake walk sponsored by Nothing Bundt Cakes. The festivities for the fun-filled day actually kick off the night before with a car show parade. The route begins at Front Street and weaves throughout Rocklin, ending at Ansel Park Senior Living, which hosts an event at the conclusion of the classic car drive. The following morning, before festivities officially begin, Cub Scout Pack 29 hosts a breakfast featuring pancakes, eggs, sausage, fruit and coffee or juice. Price for a plate is $10. Neilson said the event is filled with community participation – from local businesses to school-aged musical performances. The event officially kicks off with the Whitney High School Marching Band and ROTC Color Guard. Throughout the event, the amphitheatre at Quarry Park features performances from John Adams Academy, Bach to Rock, Studio 65 Dance Company, WHS Jazz Band, Arias to the Pointe, Fusion Elite and the Rocklin High School Marching Band. "My favorite part is just seeing the community and how they show up," Neilson said. "I love the way the event brings people together." The event is a labor of love and more than 100 volunteers come together to make it a reality each year, Neilson said. "It really is a tradition," Neilson said. "Rocklin is a very tight-knit community and the small-town feeling of Rocklin is still here. I think people like to gather and feel that sense of community." For more information or to purchase chili kits in advance (through Friday), visit rocklinchamber.com/hotchilicoolcars.html.