Craving a little spice in your life? Maybe some Pueblo chile? Satisfy that craving at the 25th annual Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival, September 20-22, at the Union Avenue Historic District in Pueblo.
Food vendors line the streets with a variety of cultural foods featuring Pueblo chile along with the farmer’s market where you can buy fresh Pueblo-grown produce. The Culinary Arts Department of the Pueblo Community College offers chile cooking demos four times a day featuring Pueblo Chile 101, how to preserve the Pueblo chiles you bought, and new ways to use Pueblo chile in cooking.
The festival fires up with the Jalapeño Eating Contest and the Chili and Salsa Showdown. In the Jalapeño Eating Contest, contestants have 10 minutes — with a 1-minute water break in the middle — to eat the most Pueblo-grown jalapeños. The Chili and Salsa Showdown gives bragging rights for the best red chili, green chili, or salsa in divisions for commercial entries and non-commercial entries. The entries are judged by celebrity judges.
Adding some sass to the festival, the Chihuahua Parade features Chihuahuas dressed in costumes. There is also a “Wanna-be Chihuahua” category for the non-Chihuahua dogs.
Music and family entertainment is another draw to the festival. Five entertainment stages feature more than 50 live bands over the three days.
Dates: September 20-22
Times: Friday, 3 pm to Midnight
Saturday, 10 am to Midnight
Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm
Location: Union Station Historical District in Pueblo
Admission: $5 daily admission for adults, children 12 and under free
For more information, visit festival.pueblochamber.org