Listed below is a schedule of most of the major national and regional fiery foods trade shows, conventions, hot sauce events and chile pepper festivals in North America. If you know of any industry
Hops n Hot Sauce Festival
January 11th, 2020 11am-6pm
www.hopsnhotsaucefestival.com
SpindleTap Brewery
10622 Hirsch Road
Houston, Texas 77016
ZestFest 2020
Friday, January 24, 2020 10:00-1:00 TRADE ONLY
Friday, January 24, 2020 1:00-6:00
Saturday, January 25, 2020 10:00-6:00
Saturday January 25,2020 6:00- 8:00 Dinner at ZestFest
Sunday, January 26, 2020 10:00-5:00
Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas
500 W Las Colinas Blvd.
Irving, TX 75039
Annual spicy food show hosted by Spicy Food Productions featuring cooking demos, live music and more. For more information on booth reservations for Zestfest 2019 or entries into the Fiery Food Challenge, please contact Gregory Bagarozy at 845-661-3616 or pd*****@ea*******.net.
www.zestfest2011.com If the website changes it should take you to the new one.
32th Annual National Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show
February 28, 2020 to March 1, 2020 hosted by Sandia Resort and Casino, I-25 and Tramway NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Friday, February 28
11am-4pm, trade only
4pm-8pm, trade and general public
Saturday, February 29
9am-11am, trade only
11am-7pm, trade and general public
Sunday, March 1
9am-11am, trade only
11am-6pm, trade and general public
FREE PARKING!
For more information, call Emily DeWitt-Cisneros at 505-873-8680.
Website: CLICK HERE+
11th Annual Pinella’s Pepper Fest
Saturday April 4, 2020 – 10am til 5pm
Sunday April 5, 2020 – 11am til 4pm
Held at the England Brothers Band Shell Park
5010 81st Avenue North
Pinellas Park, FL 33780
Phone: 727-423-8433
Hosting an amateur salsa competition and Intensity Academy’s Lick-a-Thon Lollipop licking contest. Plus live music and other fun.
Website: www.pinellaspepperfest.com
The 21st Annual Indiana Hot Luck & Fiery Foods Marketplace
April 10-12, 2020 at the Thomas Family Winery in Madison, Indiana.
Hot Luck on Friday 7pm-??? is where people bring a spicy dish to the event to share with each other.
On Saturday from noon-6pm they have a marketplace with vendors and cooking demos.
Sunday is the newest annual event, the Chileheads Sunday Brunch featuring spicy foods prepared by the flamboyant Hoboken Eddie!
For more information contact winery owner Steve Thomas at 1-812-273-3755 or for their website:
http://indianahotluck.us
NYC Hot Sauce Expo 2020
April 18-19, 2020
Saturday April 18, 2020 10am-7pm
Sunday April 19, 2020 10am-6pm
Live Presentation of the Hot Sauce Hall of Fame Ceremony & the Screaming Mi Mi Awards
Brooklyn Expo Center
79 Franklin St.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
www.nychotsauceexpo.com
Contact: Steve Seabury – se*******@op*******.net
Berks Pepper Jam
May 30, 2020
94 Park Avenue
Sinking Spring, PA 19068
Family Fun, Entertaining, Educational & Mouth Watering. Experience for all! There will be amateur salsa and chili judging as well as People’s Choice Award for the best hot sauce.
$5.00 Admission Per-Person – 15 & under are FREE
FREE Parking – Special Section for Handicap Parking
www.berkspepperjam.com
Facebook: CLICK ME
6th Annual Hop Sauce Fest
May 30, 2020 11am-7pm at Beach Haven, NJ
Address of event:
Taylor Ave, Beach Haven, NJ 08008 (at the Ballfield behind Bay Village)
Contact:
Regina Lotito, Spice It Up
Email: in**@ho**********.com OR re****@sp**********.com
Phone: 609-492-1240
www.hopsaucefest.com
Facebook: CLICK ME
contact for in**@ho**********.com or re****@sp**********.com
A gathering of craft beer and spice enthusiasts. There will be live music, kid activities, and it is at the bay and 2 blocks from the beach. More information will be forthcoming including website.
Contact: re****@sp**********.com
2nd Annual Chi-Town Hot Sauce Expo
June 29-30, 2019 10am-6pm
Toyota Park
7000 Harlem Ave
Bridgeview, IL 60455
Email: in**@ch*****************.com
https://www.chitownhotsauceexpo.com
26th Oxnard Salsa Festival
July 25-26, 2020 (11am-7pm) – Plaza Park, Oxnard, CA
Plaza Park is between Fifth and “B” Streets, in historic downtown Oxnard.
This annual event is everything “salsa” – the food, the music and the dance. Spicy food, contests, and lots of entertainment. Event highlights include Main Stage entertainment with the region’s
hottest Salsa and Latin Jazz bands; the Salsa Tasting Tent, featuring over 50 different
salsas; an eclectic vendor marketplace; authentic international foods; kids zone
attractions, a salsa recipe contest and more. Event admission and parking are free. Main
stage seating is just $5.
website: www.oxnardsalsafestival.com
Contact Info:
Email: ve********@ox*****************.com
Phone: 805-535-4060
Portland Hot Sauce Expo
August 17-18, 2019
Hot Sauce, Craft Beers, Spicy Foods & Wrestling. What else could you ask for?
OMSI Bridge Lot
1945 SE Water Ave
Portland, OR 97214
Email: in**@pd*************.com
Website: http://www.pdxhotsauceexpo.com/
Columbus Fiery Foods Festival
August 8-9, 2020
John F. Wolfe Columbus Commons
160 South High Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
FACEBOOK: CLICK ME
CONTACT: Mike Gallicchio at mi**@mi***************.com
Join the inaugural Columbus Fiery Foods Festival. The event will benefit the children’s charity CD102.5 for the Kids and showcase the fiery side of life with restaurants, hot sauce and salsa vendors, and exhibitors from around the country.
North Hudson Pepper Festival
August 21-23, 2020
Pepper Fest Park
400 7th Street N,
Hudson, WI 54016
Pepper Fest is a family-friendly event! Besides great food and entertainment, Pepper Fest also has events specifically for kids. The Amusement Rides and Games run all weekend. On Saturday, join us for the Pepper Fest Grand Parade at 11:00am and enjoy the Spaghetti and Hot Pepper Eating Contests. Sunday is Pepper Fest Family Fun Day. Start the morning with the 1 Mile Family Fun Walk/Run where the finish line brings you right to the Pancake Breakfast and Craft Sale. At 11:00am is the kids Mini Medallion FAB Quest (kids 12 and under) and the Tractor Pull at 11:30am. Future Queens, Princesses and Pepper Kings will enjoy the Queen Coronation on Sunday at 3:00pm.
28th Annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival
Sunday, August 30, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m
Fiesta Gardens
2101 Jesse E. Segovia St.
Austin, Texas 78702
Popular regional festival, featuring vendors, contests, music and more.
Contact Info:
Sarah K. Wolf
Marketing Director
The Austin Chronicle
Phone: 512.454.5766
Website: austinchronicle.com
2019 Hatch Chile Festival
Sept 5-6, 2020 – Hatch, NM
The large spicy foods festival which boasts over 30,000 annual visitors from all over the United States every Labor Day Weekend (Saturday & Sunday only)
Contact Info:
Tina Cabrales: 575-267-1095
Miguel Silva: 575-993-9393
Website: www.hatchchilefest.com
2019 National Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival
Labor Day Weekend
Saturday, September 5, 2020 – 12pm–9pm
Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020 – 12pm–7pm
Coca Cola Field
275 Washington St
Buffalo, NY 14203.
This is the biggest wing event in the world, and filled with a lot of events throughout the weekend. www.buffalowing.com
25th Annual Chile Pepper Food Festival
Sept 11-12, 2020
William Delong Park
233 Bowers Rd
Bowers PA 19511
Large festival in eastern Pennsylvania featuring eating contests and more. .Website: www.pepperfestival.com for details.
13th Annual North Carolina Hot Sauce Festival
Sept 12, 2020, 11am-6pm
Regional hot sauce festival occurring in downtown historic Oxford, NC, taking place on Main St., College St. and Hillsboro St. Come sample and purchase hot sauces, barbecue sauces, beers, wines and special foods all made in North Carolina. The pepper eating contest winner… receives $1000 and the NC Sauce entry winner wins $400 and bragging rights as the sauce division winner.
Website: www.nchotsaucecontest.com
Contact: Mary Yount
Downtown Development Director
City of Oxford
300 Williamsboro Street – P.O. Box 506
Oxford, North Carolina 27565
Phone: (919) 603-1164
2018 NJ Taco Festival
September 8, 2018, 10am-8pm
Sussex County Fairgrounds
37 Plains Road
Augusta, NJ 07822
(646) 957-3484
in**@nj************.com
http://www.njtacofestival.com
A celebration of the all mighty taco. There will be taco eating contest, amateur salsa and guacamole contests, Chihuahua Costume Contest, and even Lucha Wrestling.
19th Annual I Like it Hot! Festival
Saturday September 14, 2019 – 10am til 5pm
Sunday September 15, 2019 – 11am til 4pm
Minnreg Hall
6340 126th Ave No.
Largo, FL
Regional event with hot sauces, chile peppers, contests and more.
Website: www.ilikeithotfestival.com
Pasco Fiery Foods Festival
Sept 8th, 2018, 4pm – 10:00 pm
Downtown Pasco, 4th Avenue and Lewis Street
Anyone who appreciates the hotter things in life is invited to indulge in Downtown Pasco’s Fiery Foods Festival – a combination of bold flavors, exciting cultures and an explosive celebration of music, fun and food.
http://fieryfoodsfestival.com/
Phone: (509) 546-1304
Email: mg****@do***********.com
Texas Hot Sauce Festival
September 21-22, 2019
Saturday 21 11 am – 6 pm
Sunday 22 Noon – 5 pm
Admission is $10 in Advance, $15 at the door
Children 12 and under FREE
FREE PARKING…NO Pets…NO Coolers
Bayou City Event Center
9401 Knight Road
Houston, Texas 77045
For Details contact Carol Bourge at (281) 558 – 3518 or ca***@te*******************.com
Website: www.texashotsaucefestival.com
The popular hot sauce/spicy foods show for the Houston, TX area, and one of the biggest spicy events in the country.
Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival
Sept 20-22, 2019
The 3-day Festival averages 140,000 every year.
Friday Sept 20 3pm-midnight
Saturday Sept 21 10am-midnight
Sunday Sept 22 10am-6pm
Need more information?
Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce
Phone: (719) 542-1704
Email: in**@pu***********.net
Website: www.festival.pueblochamber.org
Easton’s 8th Annual Chile Pepper Festival
September 15, 2018 – Centre Square, Easton, PA
www.eastonfarmersmarket.com
ma***********@ea*****************.com
as**************@ea*****************.com
26th Annual Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta
SEPTEMBER 22 – 29, 2019
551 W. Cordova Road #723,
Santa Fe, NM 87505.
Phone: (505) 438-8060
Email: in**@sa*****************.org
Website: www.santafewineandchile.org
2019 Open Fields
“Somewhere in Central Indiana” Friday September 27th through Sunday September 29th.
This location is going year to year because of the impending freeway that will be eventually build through the fields. This is the Chileheads version of Woodstock. Camp out for days, and share spicy food and drink with others of your ilk. Open Campfire at night to warm your footsies. Charity Auction to be held on the 30th for Step it Up for Charity. Please come and see what you were missing!
Contact Jim Campbell for details with “Open Fields 2019” in the subject line at ji*@wi********.com
Phoenix Chile Pepper Festival
Sept 29, 2018 5pm-11pm – LOCATION: Roosevelt Row Arts District Phoenix, AZ 85004
http://www.chilepepperfest.org
The Chile Pepper Festival is a local food, music & talent event hosted by Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation (CDC). By presenting some of the best local restaurateurs and chefs in Phoenix, our goal is to highlight the most delicious chile pepper cuisine our city has to offer. Onsite chile roasting, cooking demos, live music, salsa dancing, activities for kids, a talent show hosted by Lawn Gnome Publishing, a Beer Garden presented by Deschutes Brewery AND a gourmet margarita station by 3 Amigos Tequila will all be on the menu! Announcement of the Festival’s best chile pepper dish winners and crowning of the year’s Chile Pepper Champion will culminate the festivities. Admission is FREE! Food and beverages are available for purchase.
2019 Jungle Jim’s Weekend of Fire
October 5, 2019 – October 6, 2019
Oscar Event Center at Jungle Jim’s International Market
5440 Dixie Highway
Fairfield, OH 45014
Phone: 513-674-6055
Website: CLICK ME
The popular hot sauce/spicy foods show for the Cincinnati, OH area. The popular hot sauce/spicy foods show for the Cincinnati, OH area. Also features Heartbreaking Dawns’ Ghost Pepper Brownie Brawl Buster and other great contests.
2020 Hot Pepper Festival
October 24th, 2020 10am-6pm
Palestine Main Street
Main Stage located at:
300 W. Oak Street
Palestine, Texas 75801
The “Hottest Little Festival in Texas” has something for everyone throughout the streets of Historic Downtown Palestine!
FREE Parking & Admission
FREE Live Music
FREE Interactive Activities for the Entire Family