Big Dam Food Fight: A Food Competition
*NEW LOCATION! VFW POST 1341 BULL SHOALS*
The Big Dam Food Fight: A Food Competition - Oct. 25, 2025
Come show off your cooking skills!
📅 Date: October 25
📍 Location: VFW Post 1341, 1206 Central Blvd, Bull Shoals, AR (Moved indoors due to possible rainy weather.)
Do you make the kind of chili that clears the room—in a good way? Is your pulled pork the stuff legends are made of? Maybe your cornbread, cobbler, casseroles, or sweet treats always have friends and family coming back for seconds. If so, the Big Dam Food Fight is calling your name!
Hosted by the Bull Shoals Chamber of Commerce and located down the road from the iconic Bull Shoals Dam in the Bull Shoals VFW Post 1341 at Dam Site Park/Campground, this deliciously fun competition is your chance to show off your culinary skills, win bragging rights, and take home cash prizes. From savory to sweet, locals and visitors alike will be bringing their best dishes to the table—and only the tastiest will triumph.
Whether you’re cooking, cheering, or just coming to taste, the Big Dam Food Fight promises bold flavors, friendly competition, and a Big Dam good time.
👉 Think you’ve got what it takes to win? Sign up below and join the fight!
Event Schedule
- 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Setup
- 1:00 PM | Public sampling begins
- 3:00 PM | Judging
- 4:00 PM | Awards Ceremony (Category Winners + People’s Choice)
- 5:00 PM | Cleanup
Event Highlights
- LIVE MUSIC
- KID'S COSTUME CONTEST & TRICK OR TREATING
- TASTE RECIPES FROM THE BEST COOKS IN THE WHOLE DAM AREA
- ONE ATTENDEE ENTRANCE FEE = DINNER & ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE AFTERNOON ($15 Adults, $10 kids 8-12, ages 7 and under are free)
Competition Categories & Entry Fees
- Chili – $50
- Pulled Pork – $50
- Cobbler – $25
- Cornbread – $25
- Casserole – $25
- Cakes & Cookies – $25
Rules & Agreement
- Minimum dish sizes for sampling:
• Chili – 5 gallons
• Pulled Pork – 12 pounds - Cobblers, cornbread, casseroles, cakes, and cookies should be prepared in quantities sufficient for sampling. Recommended 4 9x13” pans.
- All samples will be portioned in 2 oz cups. Plan for at least 100 samples for community voting.
- Each contestant/category must also provide 3 samples for judging.
- Dishes may be prepared off-site and brought ready to serve.
- Power and water hookups will be available at campsites.
- 2 oz cups, spoons, and napkins for sampling will be provided
- Judging will be done by a panel; prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each category.
- In addition, a People’s Choice Award will be given based on community voting.
Online Registration Form
Event Sponsorship
Thank you to all of the sponsors for this event! If you would like to be a sponsor, download the form below and mail in your sponsorship, or pay online
Online Sponsorship Submission
