Loaf 'N Jug Chile & Frijoles Festival

Pueblo will celebrate the harvest of the Mira Sol Chile at the 16th Annual Loaf ‘N Jug Chile & Frijoles Festival, September 24-26, 2010.

The Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce created the festival as a fun fall event designed to promote the area’s agriculture, especially its home-grown chilies and pinto beans, as well as to display the works of many talented artisans and craftsmen. In the past years, the festival has grown from a few thousand people to over 100,000. The festival will take place in downtown Pueblo, on Union Avenue between 1st and “B” Streets. Festival hours are Friday, 3pm-11pm; Saturday, 10am-11pm; Sunday, 10am-6pm. For the safety of your pets, NO animals please!

Kaiser Permanente Chile Pepper Express Shuttle Service
Beat the parking hassle with the Kaiser Permanente Chile Pepper Express shuttle service! Park at the Midtown Shopping Center (1000 W. 6th Street) and catch the shuttle to the 16th Annual Loaf ‘N Jug Chile & Frijoles Festival. The shuttle will drop riders at Grand & Victoria right next to the Farmer’s Market. The shuttle will run Friday the 24th from 5-11pm, Saturday the 25th from 11am-11pm and Sunday the 26th from 11am-6pm every 15 minutes.

Continuous Live Entertainment
The 16th Annual Loaf ‘N Jug Chile & Frijoles festival will feature continuous live entertainment throughout the 3 day festival. Four entertainments tents will be filled with local dance groups and local bands. A fifth tent, sponsored by the Colorado Meth Project, will host a Battle of the Bands. Music aficionados can expect to sample genres including rock, folk, R&B, blues, tejano, original, pop and more in the lineup that will feature more than 40 local bands. Local favorites including the Haunted Wind Chimes, Bad Habitz, Martini Shot, the Atomic Fireballs, Triple Nickel, Overton Road, the Austin Johnson Band, Family Juls and many more bands will be on hand, sure to get festival goers on their feet! Entertainment tent sponsors are Wells Fargo, Jack Daniels, Pueblo Performing Arts Guild (PPAG) and the Colorado Meth Project.

Chili & Salsa Showdown
The 16th Annual Loaf ‘N Jug Chile & Frijoles Festival will heat things up with the Chile & Salsa Showdown. The food competition will be held at the Pueblo Convention Center. The commercial competition will take place on Saturday, September 25, 2010. Winners of each category for the commercial entries will receive $500 along with bragging rights. Non-commercial will take place on Sunday, September 26, entries will be awarded prizes for the top three places; first place will receive $100, second place will receive $50 and third place will receive $25. Both commercial and non-commercial have three categories that will be judged including the best red chili, green chili and salsa. Click here for a Commercial Entry Form, click here for a Non-Commercial Entry Form. For more information please contact the Chamber at 719.542.1704.

El Pueblo History Museum Presents the “Song of Pueblo”
While in Pueblo for the Chile and Frijoles Festival, come enjoy the historic adventure of Pueblo and Southern Colorado's history in song, narration and dramatic photos as the El Pueblo Ensemble takes you from the early Spanish/Mexican influence to the flood of 1921. The courage and flexibility of Pueblo's citizens is remarkable. You'll leave with a new appreciation of the history of our area. The music, created by Daniel Valdez, is performed by Tom Munch, David Ecke, Linda Amman and Johnny Watson, four of the finest musicians in this part of the state. The production takes place inside at El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union Avenue, Saturday, August 25 at 4:00pm and 7:00pm and Sunday, August 26 at 1:00pm and the cost is only $15 per person. Call for reservations ahead of time as the performance area is intimate. For reservations call 719-583-0453. www.historycolorado.org

Farmers Market
In the fields east of Pueblo on Business Hwy. 50, you can find every kind of pepper imaginable - from bell peppers to yellow wax peppers, sweet and hot Anaheim to jalapenos. But the most flavorful of them all is the Mira Sol Chile or Pueblo Chile as the locals refer to it. The Loaf ‘N Jug Chile & Frijoles Festival is the perfect place to experience the flavor of these award winning peppers as the farmers fire-roast their Chile and sample their products. While the Pueblo Chile is the star of the farmers’ market you can also purchase a wide variety of farm fresh produce while taking in the sights and sounds of Pueblo’s premier fall festival.

Hot 2 Trot 5K Run & 2 Mile Fun Walk
The “Hot to Trot” 5K Run & 2 Mile Fun Walk starts and finishes at the Gold Dust Saloon, 217 S. Union, on Sunday, September 26, 2010.  The course weaves through the Historic District, the Riverwalk and the Arkansas River trail.  Entry fee is $20 if received by September 20, $25 if received September 21-24 and $30 if received on race day.  Online registration is available at www.active.com until noon on September 24th.  The Kiddie K will be back this year and is a one mile race starting at 7:30am for children 11 years and under. All entrants of the 5K Fun Run and 2 Mile Walk will receive a 2010 Chile & Frijoles “Hot to Trot” t-shirt, plus breakfast at the Gold Dust Saloon immediately following the awards ceremony. All run & walk finishers are eligible for one of five $50 bills or merchandise donated by Historic District merchants. Drawing for these prizes will be held at the awards ceremony.  click here to download a Hot 2 Trot Race Entry Form. For more information call Ruth McDonald at 719.251.3189.

Jalapeno Eating Contest
HOT! HOT! HOT! That is what participants of last year’s annual Jalapeno Eating Contest are saying.  This year during the 16th Annual Loaf 'N Jug Chile & Frijoles Festival things are sure to be just as hot.  Individuals interested in competing in the Jalapeno Eating Contest can pick up entry forms at the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce booth at the 16th Annual Loaf ‘N Jug Chile & Frijoles Festival.  $1 entry fee per person, 1st place wins a $100, second place wins $50 and 3rd place wins $25. The competition will be held Sunday, September 26 at 4:00pm in the Wells Fargo Entertainment Tent.