All of my exes live in Texas. That’s why I live in Queens!
Don’t worry. I still get the great food, though, as the Texas Chili Cook-Off 2025 is at Pig Beach NYC in Astoria on Sunday, May 18, from 1 pm to 6 pm.
Maybe I’ll bring my exes. After all, this 56th annual event features all-you-can-eat fare with about two dozen chili-and-queso teams and a five-hour open bar serving Lone Star favorites like Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Shiner Beers, Austin Eastciders, and Garrison Brothers bourbon.
Prices run from free to $158.12.
In a nod to the biggest sport in Texas, there will be a tailgate party zone with a live band, DJ, and video highlights of certain college football games, such as the 2006 Rose Bowl. (Spoiler alert: The University of Texas Longhorns beat the USC Trojans 41-38 in a thriller.)
This year’s Chili Cook-Off is also a fundraiser supporting scholarships for New York students to attend the University of Texas. Out-of-state tuition is more than $40,000 a year, so local Longhorns need all the help they can get.
Pig Beach NYC is located at 35-37 36th St. The 28,000-square-foot venue features dozens of wide-screen televisions, three premium bars, and a backyard beer garden outfitted with a 28-foot jumbotron, live music stage, and picnic table seating for hundreds. Good thing because more than 800 people are expected to attend this event.
So maybe my exes will get lost in the crowd.
Images: Texas Chili Cook-Off 2025