The chefs will be cooking in Eastern Maine Community College's Johnston Gymnasium. EMCC invites local celebrities and food critics to judge the competition.

The chefs will prepare a three-course meal, cooking for a set amount of time. There is a ton of local produce available for them to choose from, but each have to incorporate a secret ingredient. To give you a sense of the scale of the challenge, last year's ingredient was Moxie.

'Some used it in a sauce, some [dishes] were savory,' said Mumford. 'The most interesting part is to see how they'll use it.'

Mumford said the judges focus on taste, creativity and presentation something that may sound familiar to fans of Iron Chef.

The competition is housed in the Johnston Gymnasium, but the gym undergoes a complete transformation for this event. Students and faculty all pitch in to make it really classy.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting MaineChefChallenge.kintera.org and clicking on the 'purchase tickets' link. There are two tiers of tickets, premium seating where you can watch the contest up close for $35 and general seating for $25. There are currently discounts available if you buy two or more, and donations are encouraged.

EMCC is still looking for sponsors of this fundraising event. Individuals or businesses are encouraged to contact them if they want to get their name in front of a captive audience of nearly 500 people.

For more information email Katrina Mumford at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit MaineChefChallenge.kintera.org.