Cookoff to be held Saturday

The Saints’ Roost Museum will hold its 26th annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff this Saturday, September 26.

With most cookoff’s around the country being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Clarendon’s cookoff has drawn more participation than normal from chuckwagon teams. Fifteen teams are confirmed to be competing Saturday.

Tickets for the cookoff are still available, according to museum officials. Although admission is free, a $20 meal ticket is required to enjoy the authentic chuckwagon chicken fried steak dinner.

Other activities at the museum Saturday including live entertainment and the Western tradeshow. The Museum itself will be closed to visitors due to the pandemic.

The wagon teams will arrive Friday with a junior cookoff being held that afternoon. The junior competition pairs kids, ages 8-17, with mentors on participating wagon teams to learn the ropes of cooking over an open fire.

The tradeshow Saturday starts at 10 a.m. Local and area entertainers will also be performing.

The authentic wagons will serve at 1 p.m. with the traditional chicken fried steak dinner, and other activities will include a hay auction and the Goodnight family reunion.

To purchase tickets ahead of time, visit the Museum or Every Nook & Cranny in downtown Clarendon. Some tickets may also be available at the gate the day of the event.