30th annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival this weekend, concert Thursday and Balloon Fest on Friday!

PUEBLO, Colo. (News Release) -The Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce and Visit Pueblo would officially like to invite you to attend the 30th Anniversary of The Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival Presented by T-Mobile Fiber! The Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival was established 30 years ago in 1994 to promote the purchasing of local & fresh produce, to not only individuals within our community, but within our state and region. Here, we encourage our festival goers to not only support our farm stands, but the hundreds of other local small businesses that take part in the festival.

This year, The Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival Presented by T-Mobile Fiber stays in rhythm by offering 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 & drink vendors, a kids corner, firework display, Pueblo Chile Balloon Fest as well as contests and of course our famous roasted CHILES! All bar tips raised this year will be allocated to scholarships to support agriculture and business students of Colorado FFA, CSU Pueblo and Pueblo Community College.

Taking residency along the entirety of Union Avenue in Downtown Pueblo, the Chile Festival has become a staple for Pueblo, CO, reaching individuals from every direction of our beautiful state. Admission costs are as follows; $8.00 per adult at the festival and online digital tickets are available at pueblochilefestival.com Active Military with a valid ID and children under 12 years of age are free.

Festivity events will kick off Thursday, September 19th at 9:15 am 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 1:15 p.m. Winners will be announced at the Credit Union of Colorado Chile Academy Stage (Union & D Street) on Friday, September 20 at 6 pm.

New this year will be A Kickoff Concert Party celebrating the 30th Annual Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Fesitval. This Kickoff Concert will take place Thursday, September 19, from 6-10 pm in 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 .

Celebratory Fireworks brought to you by Colorado Front Range Roofing and EDF Renewables will also take place Saturday, September 21 at 8:00 pm. Join us near Union and City Center Dr. as a 30th Anniversary Firework display lights up the sky!

Gates will open Friday, September 20th at 3:00 pm. Fresh roasted Pueblo Green Chile can be found in the Rusler Produce Farmers market located on the corner of Grand and Union Street in front of the El Pueblo History Museum.

The third annual Pueblo Chile Balloon Fest Launch will kick off the morning of Friday September 20 featuring 30 hot air balloons. The 30 Balloons will Launch at 6:45 am-Friday-Sunday September 20-22. at 24th & High St. (East of Langoni Fields). The Pueblo Chile Balloon Fest Glow will happen Friday & Sat, September 20&21 at 7:00 pm on the Pueblo Riverwalk at Alan Hamel Ave & S. Main St. *All events weather permitting.

Take part in the action by registering to compete in the Chihuahua and Friends Parade Presented by XCEL Energy, Sunday September 22 at 11:00am, on the Credit Union of CO Chile Academy Stage. Online registration is open now. In-person registration and check-in starts at 10:00am day of.

Witness the Jalapeno Eating Contest Presented by the Colorado Lottery. The Jalapeno Eating Contest will be Sunday September 22nd at 3:30pm located in the Xfinity Entertainment Tent. In honor of the 30th Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival, 30 contestants will have 10 minutes to eat as many jalapenos as possible, in hopes to take home a cash prize! Registration is closed and at capacity.

We will have complimentary shuttles running from 6th street Midtown Shopping Center Parking lot 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 of operation are as follows:

Friday 3:00pm - 12:00am

Saturday 10:00am - 12:00am

Sunday 10:00am - 5:00pm

&