For as long as he’s been alive, Dave Horn, 38, and his rather large extended family have gathered for Thanksgiving dinner at his grandparents’ former cottage on Oak Lake, located just north of Havelock, Ont. The annual event, which draws upwards of 30 family members and friends, is dubbed “chili fest.” Dave says it was his grandparents who picked chili to feed the growing crowd, but these days, the meal often also includes hot dogs, corn bread, and chicken wings. As far as large outdoor cottage gatherings go, it’s about what you would expect: paper plates balanced on knees, plastic chairs crowded around the firepit, and at least one hot dog lost to the dirt or the dogs roving the property.
Recipe: beer and cheese cornbread
And then, of course, there’s the star of the show. “Everyone usually brings a pot of chili each, so we end up with at least four or five different types,” says Dave. “My uncle does a venison version and, typically, somebody does a white chili—I don’t even know what’s in it.” Post-dinner involves a game of manhunt in the forest, a tradition that Dave has now passed down to his daughter, Sophia, 10. “We still play with the little kids, but it usually doesn’t last that long because we’re all old and sore now,” he says. Since the other family members also have cottages on the lake, the adults stick around until midnight, talking around the campfire.
Dave expects that chili fest will continue for years to come. But, this fall, there will be another reason to gather and celebrate: he and his soon-to-be wife, Sarah (who he met at chili fest in 2012) are getting married at the lake this September.
This article originally ran in the Sept/Oct 2024 issue of Cottage Life.
Related Story Locals hold funeral for iconic Bala, Ont., Beer Store ahead of closure
Related Story 5 incredible summer dishes you can only cook outdoors
Related Story Get outdoors and celebrate the changing seasons