Annual Chili Feed and Raffle: Saturday, November 9, 2024

Friday and Saturday November 8 & 9
11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

For over 35 years the Deschutes County Historical Society has been serving up “Millie’s Chili” over Veteran’s Day weekend. This fundraiser supports programming year-round at the museum. But why is it called Millie’s Chili? Who is Millie?

This story goes back to the opening of the Deschutes Historical Museum in 1980, when several women from the historical society were looking for ways to fund the newly opened museum. Millie Rastovich Chopp was one of the original organizers. After a not-so-successful attempt with chicken soup, the answer was found in Millie’s family chili recipe and, as they say, history was made.

Millie’s daughter, Susie Chopp Penhollow, kept the “Rastovich Recipe” and carried on the tradition of the chili in the Chili Feed. Susie was born and raised in Bend and has fond memories of her time spent playing on her grandparents’ farm. When her mother, Millie started the Chili Feed, Susie started volunteering at the Deschutes Historical Museum. When Millie passed away in 1994, Susie stepped in to keep the tradition going. Susie passed away in May of 2024, and we carry on the tradition. The Chili feed has become the Museum’s longest running fundraiser to date.

Although a tightly kept secret, the recipe does have another family connection. The locally raised Barley Beef used in the chili comes from the Rastovich Family Farms, the only official working Century Farm in Deschutes County. Here’s a fun fact: the farm which started operations in 1919 has a barn cellar which was once used to store alcohol during Prohibition. Today the farm’s cattle are feed with spent grain from breweries across Central Oregon.

This year the Annual Chili Feed and Raffle is held November 8 and 9, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.  Chili, pie, and hot beverages will be sold to enjoy on-site and are available to go. Admission to the museum is free during the two-day event, with available off-street parking.

In addition to lunch, tickets for our raffle are available with a chance to win gift baskets, selected from local businesses. Tickets are $1 each, 6 tickets for $5, or 25 tickets for $20,
The winning Raffle Ticket will be drawn at the end of Saturday’s event. Winners need not be present.