Bristol Pepper Fest

Bristol heats up with the 5th Annual Bristol Pepper Fest Saturday, September 23rd, from 11 AM – 4 PM. Located on 6th Street in Downtown Bristol, this free event, coordinated by Believe in Bristol, will feature culinary demonstrations, hot pepper plant sales, sauces, food trucks and other “spicy” vendors, a beer garden, live music, and appearances from the 2nd Annual Miss PepperFest Pageant winners (more on that here: https://www.facebook.com/events/669566858503599).

Bristol PepperFest will also include a cornhole tournament fundraiser for Believe in Bristol. Registration for the double elimination tournament is a minimum donation of $25 per team and teams must register online in advance of the event at www.believeinbristol.org/pepperfest.

Also returning this year, Quaker Steak & Lube presents their Triple Atomic Wing Challenge.

Love wings? So do we. Like ‘em hot? We like ‘em hotter. We’re looking for the most extreme wing eaters in Bristol to participate in our 5th Annual Triple Atomic Wing Eating Contest sponsored by Quaker Steak and Lube — Bristol! First they take meaty wings and cook them to perfection. Then they coat them with an unholy union of scorpion pepper venom and concentrated capsaicin (the stuff that makes hot peppers hot). They add a touch of slightly sweetened juicy wildberries, just to convince your taste buds that you’ve got their best interest at heart. Make sure to boost your heat-eating tolerance by visiting our hometown Quaker Steak and Lube and having a few practice rounds. There is no entry fee. All contestants must be at least 18 years old and sign a waiver prior to participating. Registration is first-come/first-serve, and is filling fast!! 

 Calling all hot pepper enthusiasts! Do you have what it takes to eat your way through our extreme hot peppers and be the last one standing? Only Burns Twice Chili Peppers will also have a deck of 10+ ultra-hot peppers for another set of contestants to sweat during the Ultimate “Beat the Heat” Pepper Eating Competition. There is no entry fee. All contestants must be at least 18 years old and sign a waiver prior to participating. Registration is first-come/first-serve, and is filling fast!! 

Pre-registration is currently open for both eating competitions at www.believeinbristol.org/pepperfest.

Leading up to Bristol PepperFest, visitors downtown will have a chance to win prizes by participating in the Bristol PepperFest Spicy Scavenger Hunt, hosted on the GooseChase app. This digital scavenger hunt will have participants hunting down a variety of spicy menu items available from Downtown Bristol restaurants and bars and snapping a selfie at each stop. To play, individuals can download the GooseChase app, login or create an account, search for Bristol Pepper Fest, and start collecting!

“We’re really excited about how this event has grown over the years,” says Believe in Bristol Executive Director, Maggie Elliott. “We created it as a way to grow our food experience downtown strategy and are really proud of the positive reception the event has received and the partnerships that have come out of it. Our organization is truly community driven and this event is a great example of how important it is to have the community be part of everything we do.”