Reflections from a Collard Green Cook-Off

There’s nothing quite like the scent of simmering collard greens, earthy, and smoky, with a hint of vinegar and spices. This is the smell that drifts through the Joseph Walker Williams Recreation Center, last July, during the 2nd annual Collard Green Cook-Off. As a food writer with a lifelong love for Black culture, I can say that last year’s event wasn’t just a cook-off, it was a revival.

I remember stepping onto the park’s grass under the hot smoldering July sun, where the air was thick with the mingling aromas of smoked turkey necks, sautéed onions, garlic, cornbread and that green-leaf fragrance that instantly felt like grandma’s kitchen. It wasn’t just the fragrance that wrapped you like a hug, it was the sights and sounds: Black women swapping stories of family recipes and kids licking their fingers laughing between slurps of the juice.

This year, the 3rd Annual Collard Green Cook-Off returns on Saturday, July 26, 2025, from 2 PM to 6 PM at Chandler Park, a full-bodied celebration of Detroit’s Black culinary heritage.

What makes this event so special, is how it bridges generations. Last year, I met a father stirring a pot of vegan greens next to her wife and son. They cooked together under the guidance of Khary Frazier’s Detroit is Different, the community group that hosts the event. Through this stable dish in so many Black families, the Collard Green Cook-Off is telling a story of legacy, and love. “This isn’t just about food,” says Khary Frazier, Founder, Detroit is Different. “This is about honoring legacy, building community, and reclaiming joy. Collard greens connect generations, neighborhoods, and histories. Through this event, we’re using food as a bridge.”

Khary Frazier, Collard Green Cook-Off Host and Producer of 'Detroit is Different' Podcast

This year, the 3rd Annual Collard Green Cook-Off returns on Saturday, July 26, 2025, from 2 PM to 6 PM at Chandler Park. This year’s competition features a lineup of local Collard Green Chefs: including Harriette Brown, Kenyatta Brown, Josmine Evans, Lavon Jones, Ms. Kisha’s Kitchen and Chef Moe Vito. 

Supporting the chefs in competition are Detroit-based Collard Green Growers; Latrina Conaway, Donald Jones, Mama Jerry, Willie Patmon, and Romondo Woods II. And judging the competition this year’s are judges: Orlando Bailey of Outlier Media, comedians Howie Bell and Coco as well as, business owners, Ederique Goudia of In the Business of Food, and Mikiah Glynn of Brix Wine. 

Guests stand in as tasters, critics, judges, storytellers, and carriers of the culture. The live Detroit Is Different podcast recording and cypher-storytelling-circles let me bear witness to the creativity that defines Black Detroit. You will leave the event full and fortified.

The 3rd annual Collard Green Cook-Off is more than a competition, it’s a cultural communion with greens juice as its elixir.