BREMERTON — The month-long Armed Forces celebration hosted by the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce kicks off with a bite Saturday, May 7, with the culinary arts competition.

“It started out as a chili cook off and has become quite an event,” said Frank Gentile, with the Chamber. “These military culinary specialists have become quite talented at what they do.”

What started as a simple chili cook off more than 20 years ago has turned into a full-blown competition, with an expected 25-30 military culinary specialists submitting dishes in multiple categories. The categories include barbecue ribs, chicken wings, pies, chili, garnish, hors d’oeuvres and a secret-ingredient category, which no competitor knows until the start of the competition, after which they’ll have an hour to prepare a dish with that.

“There’s never been a bad item,” Gentile said. “Some of the garnishes are quite exquisite. What these men and women are able to carve out of radishes — it’s amazing.”

Each category is judged based on taste and presentation. There is an addition prize for the overall best in show.

“We normally get culinary specialists from all the way down to JBLM (Joint Base Lewis-McChord) to the local area here to Whidbey Island,” Gentile said. He added that members of all branches of the military are welcome to participate.

The competition is a free, public event anyone can attend from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at the student union center at Olympic College. After the official judging takes place, the public will be invited to taste the dishes themselves.

Gentile said this event is “to thank our active-duty military members for the sacrifices them and their families make every day.”

Other Chamber events celebrating the Armed Forces include the Pepsi Armed Forces Golf Tournament on Friday, May 13; the Ambassador Program, which awards winners of the three judged events with scholarships; and the 68th Annual Armed Forces Day Parade on Saturday, May 21. After the parade, there will also be a Hero’s Barbecue, which gives out free hot dogs, chips and soda to current and former members of the military and their families.

To learn more about the Military Culinary Arts Competition or other Armed Forces Festival celebrations in Bremerton, visit bremertonchamber.org.