4 fiery food contests coming Saturday at Pasco festival
The Fiery Foods Festival is back this weekend at Peanuts Park in downtown Pasco. This year will pack a punch with four different eating contests.
Saturday’s event will include a pepper-eating contest, a hot wing-eating competition and taquito-eating contest, all taking place at a stage near the corner of 4th Avenue and Columbia Street where attendees can watch. Hot wings are being provided by the Pasco Wingstop.
There also will be a pepper contest between local VIPs from different organizations. Competitors will eat peppers that become gradually hotter.
- 12:15 p.m. VIP Pepper Gauntlet
- 2 p.m. Cluckin’ Hot Wing Challenge
- 4 p.m. Community Pepper Gauntlet
- 5 p.m. Taquito-Eating Contest
To be selected for the pepper or wing contest, submit your email online to be entered into a drawing for one of the ten spots on the panels. You can only register for one challenge.
Adults ages 18 and up can sign up online for the taquito-eating contest.
Contest registration closes at noon on Thursday, Sept. 11.
Expect crowds. Attendance in 2023 was more than 5,700, a huge uptick from 4,800 attendees in 2022.
All food vendors are encouraged to serve at least one item on their menu that brings the heat, including tacos, fruit sprinkled with Tajín seasoning and even spicy lemonade.
The festival also will include food trucks, live music performances, pony rides and a Kids Zone with a paint area.
Local bands and performers will set up at the main stage on the north end of the farmers market pavilion at Peanuts Park.
Entertainment includes:
- Maddysen Hope
- Grupo 3 Herencias
- Neon Madmen
- Curtis Nettles
- Fonozis
- Paso Firme
The Fiery Foods Festival is at 11 a.m.-7 p.m on Sept. 13. Attendance is free and open to the public. More information is available on the city’s website.
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
