KMEG 14 - News, Weather, Sports for Sioux City and Siouxland | Winter Games Mean Warm Chili at Iowa Great Lakes

Winter Games Mean Warm Chili at Iowa Great Lakes

It hasn't really felt like winter so far in Siouxland, but that doesn't mean folks can't still have fun at the 32nd annual Winter Games in Okoboji this weekend.

From broomball to bowling, it's all still going on over the next couple of days.

Over the course of the weekend organizers are expecting anywhere between 35 to 40,000 people at the winter games, and things really got started tonight with a chili cook-off.

The them of the night: rock and roll; Around 40 businesses were preparing their spiciest chili for folks to try.

Around 2,000 people were expected to chow down.

The prices weren't bad either, $4 for a cup and $6 bought folks a mug; Everything was all you care to eat.

There was even some singing to go along with all of that food, and a few lucky folks even had some Lady Gaga look-alike's serving up the chili.

"We just put everything in it," said Patty Manwarren, the Food Services Manager for Lakes Regional Health Care, and Lady Gaga look-alike. "We put pork and beef and all kinds of vegetables and it's just got everything in it, so we call it "Monster Chili" I guess."

"I didn't eat all day just so I could have some chili, so I mean you can't beat four bucks for a cup and as much chili as you want," said John Wallace of Ruthven, IA, as he was eating chili Friday afternoon.

"Mother Nature" might not be cooperating this year, but there's still a lot going on over the weekend at the Okoboji Winter Games.

In fact, because of the warmer winter we've been having, only the snowmobiling events have been canceled, because it's just unsafe to be on that ice...

If you'd like a full schedule of events, you can find one here: http://www.uofowintergames.com/calendar.html