30th Annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival this weekend, concert on Thursday and balloon festival on Friday!

PUEBLO, Colorado (Press Release) – The Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce and Visit Pueblo would like to officially invite you to the 30th Anniversary Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival presented by T-Mobile Fiber! The Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival was created 30 years ago in 1994 to promote the purchase of local and fresh produce not only for individuals in our community, but also our state and region. We hereby encourage our festival attendees to support not only our farm stands, but also the hundreds of other local small businesses that participate in the festival.

This year, the Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival presented by T-Mobile Fiber keeps the rhythm going and features four live entertainment tents presented by Xfinity, American Family Insurance (Brandon Ferris), Mission Foods and Blue Federal Credit Union, over 200 street vendors including both food and beverage vendors, a kids' corner, fireworks, the Pueblo Chile Balloon Fest and contests and of course our famous roasted CHILES! All tips collected at the bar this year will go toward scholarships to support agriculture and business students at Colorado FFA, CSU Pueblo and Pueblo Community College.

Held all along Union Avenue in downtown Pueblo, the Chile Festival has become a staple in Pueblo, CO, reaching people from all parts of our beautiful state. Admission is $8.00 per adult at the festival grounds. Digital online tickets are available at pueblochilefestival.com. Military members with valid ID and children under 12 are admitted free.

Festivities begin on Thursday, September 19th at 9:15am with the start of our commercial round of the Chili & Salsa Showdown presented by Mission Food at the Pueblo Convention Center. A non-commercial round will follow at 1:15pm. Winners will be announced on Friday, September 20th at 6pm on the Credit Union of Colorado Chile Academy stage (Union & D Street).

New this year is a kickoff concert party to celebrate the 30th Annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival. This kickoff concert will take place on Thursday, September 19th from 6-10 p.m. at the Pueblo Convention Center & Expo Hall. VIP tickets are $35 and general admission tickets are $18. Tickets can be purchased at //puebloconventioncenter.com/event/2024-chile-fest-kickoff-party.

A celebratory fireworks display by Colorado Front Range Roofing and EDF Renewables will also take place on Saturday, September 21st at 8:00 p.m. Join us near Union and City Center Dr. and watch a 30th anniversary fireworks display light up the sky!

Gates open at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, September 20th. Freshly roasted Pueblo green chiles are available at the Rusler Produce Farmers Market on the corner of Grand and Union Streets in front of the El Pueblo History Museum.

The third annual Pueblo Chile Balloon Fest Launch will begin Friday morning, September 20th with 30 hot air balloons. The 30 balloons will launch at 6:45 am on Friday and Sunday, September 20th-22nd at 24th & High St. (east of Langoni Fields). The Pueblo Chile Balloon Fest Glow will be held at 7:00 pm on Friday and Saturday, September 20th and 21st on the Pueblo Riverwalk at Alan Hamel Ave & S. Main St. *All events weather permitting.

Get in on the action by registering to participate in the Chihuahua and Friends Parade presented by XCEL Energy on Sunday, September 22nd at 11:00 a.m. on the Credit Union of CO Chile Academy stage. Online registration is now open. In-person registration and check-in will begin at 10:00 a.m. on the day of the event.

Experience the Jalapeno Eating Contest presented by the Colorado Lottery. The Jalapeno Eating Contest will take place on Sunday, September 22nd at 3:30pm in the Xfinity Entertainment Tent. In honor of the 30th Annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival, 30 contestants will have 10 minutes to eat as many jalapenos as possible in hopes of taking home a cash prize! Registration is closed and the number of participants is limited.

We offer free shuttles from the Midtown Shopping Center parking lot on 6th Street to the festival. All shuttles are handicap accessible. Our shuttle sponsors are: Alpine Ford, Albertsons Safeway, Cypress Creek, Papa Jose's Three Corner Connector, Tigre and CS Wind America.

The 30th Annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival hours are as follows:

Friday 3:00 p.m. – midnight

Saturday 10:00 – 12:00

Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

FOR THE FULL SCHEDULE, TICKET SALES AND ONLINE REGISTRATION, VISIT PUEBLOCHILEFESTIVAL.COM.

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