After attending our fair share of food festivals over the past few years, we have learned to appreciate the culture, community and .. hell.. lifestyle that centers around hot sauce. While that may seem over-the-top, we’ve seen, first-hand, the role it plays in perfecting a meal and more, importantly, in nourishing the soul.
So, this post is for all the true connoisseurs out there that make up the thriving hot sauce community! There are some red hot festivals coming up this summer all around the country, so, if you want to go and see some of the latest and greatest in hot sauce recipes, innovation, culture, creativity, and heat then check this calendar below. Prepare your palate because it’s about to get hot this summer!
2019 Hot Sauce Festival Summer Calendar
May Festivals
- Berks Pepper Jam – May 25th-26th, Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania
This food festival is centered around Chile Peppers and will feature delicious creations made with some heat as well as a some choices for the “not–so-hot crowd” There is something for folks of all ages. Peppers, food, drink, entertainment, and contests all weekend.
June Festivals
- Hop Sauce Fest – June 1st, Beach Haven, New Jersey
HopSauce Festival is, at its core, a celebration. Some celebrate amazing food and drink. Others celebrate original music. But for most of us, it’s a celebration of people, an inspiring community that enjoys delicious food from a dozen local restaurants, over 50 craft beers, fantastic headlining bands, and all that we have in common. - Chi Town Hot Sauce Expo – June 29th-30th, Chicago, Illinois
The 2nd Annual Chi-Town Hot Sauce Expo will feature the absolute best hot sauce makers in the world. Craft Beers, Specialty Cocktails, live Music, Wrestling, Spicy Food & So Much More.
July Festivals
- Old Boney Mtn Hot Summer Night Festival – July 11, Thousand Oaks, CA
Join them on a Hot Summer Night and enjoy friendship, live music, hot sauce, and unlimited tastings from the finest breweries, wineries and eateries in the Conejo Valley.
August Festivals
- Portland Hot Sauce Expo – August 17th-18th, Portland, Oregon
High River Sauces presents the 1st Annual Portland Hot Sauce Expo. Witness the insanity of the Stage of Doom, free hot sauce tastings, choose from a great selection of craft beers & specialty cocktails with amazing food vendors from BBQ to Vegan. - California Hot Sauce Expo – August 18th-19th, Anaheim, California
Sunshine, hot sauce, “The Guinness Book of World Records Reaper Eating Contest” and of course, the Spicy Pizza Of Doom Challenge. The CA Hot Sauce Expo will feature 40 of the best Hot Sauce Companies from around the globe. Each Hot Sauce Company will have free Hot Sauce Tastings. - Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival – August 25th, Austin, Texas
27 years strong, the contest awards winners for sauce categories like green, red and people’s choice. Spicy food, music and beer are easily found. - National Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival – August 31-September 1st, Buffalo, NY
For the past 17 years this festival boasts a stadium full of Buffalo Wing loyalty (51,000 people last year). The attractions include live music, various sauce-offs and the crowning of Miss Buffalo Wing. - Hatch Valley Chile Festival – August 31st-September 1st, Hatch, New Mexico
A two-day celebration of our world-famous crop. The festival attracts over 30,000 visitors from all over the United States, including such notables as the Food Network and the BBC. Festival goers can sample famed chile recipes, watch the crowning of the chile festival queen, or toss a horseshoe in celebration of our most famous crop.
September Festivals
- NJ Taco Festival – September 7th, Augusta, New Jersey
Heartbreaking Dawns Artisan Foods and High River Sauces have teamed up to bring New Jersey the Ultimate Taco Party, featuring the absolute best in Taco Crafters, premium Tequilas, Beer, Music, Contests and Entertainment. - Fiery Foods Festival – September 8th, Pasco, Washington
The Fiery Foods Festival is multicultural event for the Downtown Pasco Development Authority. It is a place where you can bring the entire family, shop local vendors, taste exciting food, listen to great music, and spice up your day! - North Carolina Hot Sauce Contest – September 14th, Oxford, North Carolina
The NC Hot Sauce Contest brings thousands of people to downtown Oxford to interact with friends, merchants, fans, artisans and vendors. In 2018, we topped 18,000 visitors. North Carolina’s finest hot sauces and barbeque sauces, along with breweries and wineries spice up the blends and texture of downtown’s historical streets. - I like it Hot! Festival – September 14th-15h, Largo, Florida
The Largest Gourmet Hot Sauce Festival in Florida! Always on the second weekend of September. You’ll find all kinds of hot sauce and spicy foods challenges and competitions! Will the food be hotter than the Florida sun? Go find out for yourself. - The Pepper Festival – September 14th, Auburn, California
A Family-Friendly Food, Music, Fun…and Peppers! Raising funds for children’s charities. Featuring a Hot Pepper Eating Contest, Hot Cars Show, Salsa Dancing Lessons and more! Located at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn, CA. See more here: - Texas Hot Sauce Festival – September 21 & 22, Houston, Texas
Hot sauce, salsa, chips, dips, peppers, spices, marinades, rubs, jams/jelly, pickled products, condiments, soup mixes, chili mixes, wing sauces, … chunky, spicy, smooth, garlicky, sweet, fruity, peppery, smokey… HOT and MILD! Hundreds of hot and spicy products to try out from around the country. There is also plenty of food and cold beverages, ongoing stage entertainment, a chile-dren area (including some free and some ‘pay as you go’ activities for the kids), retail vendors, arts & crafts and pepper merchandise. - Chile Pepper Festival 2019 – September 29th, Brooklyn, NY
Save the date for New York’s hottest fall tradition! Brooklyn’s end-of-summer blowout sets the Garden ablaze with scorching bands from around the world, dozens of fiery food artisans, and hours of chile-chocolate debauchery.
Find your hot sauce festival!
So get out there and choose one the hot sauce festival nearby you because this summer is going to get hotter than Small Axe Ghost Peppers sauce!