World Food Championships return to Indy with more on the menu
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The 2025 World Food Championships at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Photo: Arika Herron/Axios
Indianapolis will continue to make its case as a top food city with an expanded World Food Championships lineup that puts Hoosier flavors front and center.
Why it matters: The international cooking showdown has quickly become a fall fixture at the State Fairgrounds. Local leaders consider it a major fourth-quarter event and are working to retain it long-term.
Driving the news: The championships run Thursday–Sunday with hundreds of chefs battling for more than $400,000 in prize money.
- Founded in 2012, the championships have previously been held in Las Vegas, Dallas, Florida and Alabama. This is the event's third consecutive year in Indianapolis.
- More than 300 teams are expected to compete across 10 categories, including barbecue, burgers, bacon, desserts and seafood.
How it works: Competitors earn their spots through qualifying events, followed by timed cooking challenges judged on execution, appearance and taste.
- Preliminary rounds take place Thursday and Friday. Category championships are decided Sunday.
Flashback: Indiana chefs cooked up some major wins during the last two Indy-based competitions.
- Cunningham Restaurant Group chef Collin Hilton won the noodle category in 2024, that season's overall World Food Champion title and a $150,000 prize at the Final Table in March 2025.
- Circle City Sweets owner Cindy Hawkins won the 2025 dessert championship.
- Ivy Tech culinary instructor Daniel McDonald won the 2025 bacon championship.
Plus: An experience called Taste of Indiana is making its debut this year, giving Hoosier food producers the chance to share their latest products.
Zoom in: Here are five more things to know about this year's event.
💪 Former White House chef Andre Rush will appear throughout the festival, including Saturday's Stars & Stripes Showdown for veterans, active-duty military personnel and first responders.
🏫 Saturday's School Food Showdown will challenge five chefs, working with student assistants, to create nutritious, affordable school lunches that could realistically feed 100 students.
🐟 Chef, author and sustainable seafood advocate Barton Seaver will make several appearances Friday. He'll demonstrate salmon preparation, cook seafood over live fire in the Tailgate Zone and help judge the seafood championship.
🎸 Fan attractions to show up hungry for include a Burger Battle at 6:30pm Thursday, the Dessert Smash at 6:30pm and the Ignite BBQ & Music Party from 6-9pm Friday.
🚂 Purdue hospitality students will help run the event, gaining hands-on experience in event management, marketing and guest relations.
What they're saying: "WFC is much bigger than what happens inside the competition kitchen," founder and CEO Mike McCloud said in a Monday announcement about the Purdue partnership.
- "It touches agriculture, food science, nutrition, technology, sustainability, hospitality and business."
If you go: Tickets start at $15. General admission includes access to Kitchen Arena, all the demo stages, the kids zone and tailgate areas.
- Premium experiences cost extra, and advance single-day parking is $10.
- See the full schedule here.
What's next: Opening rounds begin at 10am Thursday, and the championships run through Sunday's awards show.