Fire up your taste buds: Fiery Foods Festival planned Saturday in Pasco

Prepare your taste buds: the popular Fiery Foods Festival returns to Pasco this weekend.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in the downtown area.

“Our community has a really cool, exciting food tradition that’s starting to build,” said Luke Hallowell, executive director of the Downtown Pasco Development Authority, which coordinates the festival.

“We want people to enjoy the food our community has and position downtown Pasco to be the center of that,” he said. “We’re trying to build downtown Pasco as a great place to come and eat.”

Festival organizers are hoping for a slight reprieve this weekend from the smoky conditions that have been plaguing the Tri-Cities in recent days. But they’re also looking at tweaks they might need to make for the outdoor event, Hallowell said.

About 20 food vendors will be on hand, offering their flavorful takes on everything from Indian to Mexican fare.

A salsa competition — billed as the largest in the region — also is planned, with festival-goers voting for the tastiest salsa made by local chefs and eateries.

Musical acts will entertain the crowd, including Kennewick native Jai Kelli, a West Coast Records artist who’s taking the internet by storm.

Local officials and celebrities will once again face off in a pepper eating contest. Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins is among those signed on. He tied for first place in the contest last year.

The festival also includes a food truck face off, dancing, a beer garden and activities for kids.

Admission to the event is free. For more information, go to fieryfoods.org.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 6:32 PM with the headline "Fire up your taste buds: Fiery Foods Festival planned Saturday in Pasco."