By STEPHANIE BRUMFIELD / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – The second annual Tri-County Wild Game Cooking Championship and Hunting and Fishing Expo is returning to Montevallo Sept. 14 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. in front of Tractor Supply in Montevallo.

Local hunting, fishing, sporting and food vendors will have booths set up in front of Tractor Supply while cooking teams will serve dishes featuring wild game from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The expo is free to attend with lunch tickets costing $10. All lunch tickets give visitors access to all dishes made in the cook-off and also earn visitors a chance to win more than 50 door prizes, according to Montevallo Chamber of Commerce member John Roper. Winners of the cooking championship and drawing will be announced at 1 p.m.

Roper, also the owner of Huddle House, one of the event’s sponsors, has been helping coordinate the event, which he said was put together by the chamber “to help increase awareness of businesses on (Alabama) 25.”

“This year is going to be even bigger (than last year),” Roper said. “We have more cook teams this year, and we started planning a little bit further ahead.”

Roper said the University of Montevallo bass fishing team and the Montevallo High School archery team will be in attendance, and other vendors will showcase boats, campers, duck calls, turkey calls, knives, kettle corn and other items.

He also said there will be bluegrass music all day long, and Montevallo chainsaw artist Andy Cummings will carve trophies for the winners.

Cooking teams must be registered by Sept. 11 and can include a group up to four people. Entries should feature wild fish, fowl or game. For registration information, email montevallochamber@gmail.com or call 665-1519.