Live entertainment, pepper eating competition on tap
By Tara Fischer
Staff Writer
(Aug. 20, 2026) Berlin residents and visitors can test their spicy food tolerance this Saturday at the town’s second annual Chili Pepper Festival.
The Berlin Chamber of Commerce is hosting the spicy-foods event on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 3-8 p.m. in downtown Berlin. Entertainment will include tunes from the Hot Sauce Band. The musical act is slated to play from 3-4 p.m., 5-6 p.m., and again from 7-8 p.m.
Also in the lineup is a pepper-eating competition at 4 p.m. Berlin Chamber of Commerce President David Fitzgerald said the contest will begin with mild chili peppers and gradually increase in heat.
“They’ll go from a low heat, and gradually as they eat each one it’ll go to a hotter scale,” Fitzgerald said.
Six participants may compete in the spicy chili pepper tournament. As of Tuesday afternoon, two had signed up. Fitzgerald said those interested in the eating contest should register in advance by emailing info@berlinchmaber.org.
Competition will continue to heat up throughout the day with a wing-eating and trivia challenge scheduled for 6 p.m. The chamber president said prizes are available for both contests, including a trophy and gift certificates.
Additionally, aligned with the day’s spicy theme, vendors will be selling chili peppers, hot sauces, foods and crafts.
“Everything that relates to hot chili peppers,” Fitzgerald noted.
Chamber of Commerce representatives said that the Chili Pepper Festival was created last year to promote those involved in the chili pepper space, including farmers who grow peppers, vendors who make products with chili peppers, local business owners who offer these items, and restaurants who serve them.
“It was successful last year, so we wanted to continue and improve the event,” Fitzgerald said.
The event will take place primarily in the evening to avoid an unbearably hot, weather-wise, festival, encouraging attendance among visitors and residents.
“We did change the time to 3 to 8 p.m. so it’ll be cooler, and we don’t have many evening events in Berlin, so we wanted to try another evening event,” Fitzgerald noted.
