Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival kicks off for 27th year

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO)-- After a year of scaled-back events, growers and grillers alike are ready to bring the heat for this year's Chile and Frijoles Festival in the Steel City.

"I’m pretty excited, there’s a lot of people that didn’t come out last year because of the pandemic and I’m hoping to see them all this year, said Dalton Milberger, a second-generation farmer.

Milberger says this festival means a lot to him and his fellow chile farmers. He explained how he's watched the Chile Festival grow over the past two 27 years.

"I remember being a little kid running around with not a care in the world. It just went to the bridge on the River Walk and that was about it," said Milberger.

This year, the Greater Pueblo Chamber and the Visit Pueblo Convention & Visitors Bureau say they're expecting record crowds.

The Chile and Frijoles Festival was created to promote Pueblo’s rich agriculture and encourage the community to buy local fresh products at any of the numerous farm stands and specialty shops available during the festival and year-round.

The event features live entertainment, street vendors, cooking competitions, and chilies, chilies, chilies! The festival draws Pueblo residents as well as people from across the state and around the nation.

The festival kicked off at 3 p.m. Friday in Historic Downtown Pueblo at Union Avenue. At 4 p.m. Governor Jared Polis received the first bushel of the festival at the Chile Roasters in the Rusler Farmers Market.

The Chile and Frijoles Festival schedule is:

• Friday, September 24, 3 p.m. - 12 a.m.
• Saturday, September 25, 10 a.m. - 12 a.m.
• Sunday, September 26, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Below is a schedule of events happening during the festival:

Below is a map of the Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival:

Below is information for the festival:

• Parking:
  • Free parking at the S. Main St. parking garage
  • Free parking off Grand St.
  • Free parking off N. Union Ave. and City Center Dr.
  • Daily shuttle pickup and droppoff at Midtown Parking Lot
  • Handicap paring at Professional Bull Riders Parking Lot, back entrance off Victoria St.
• Concealed carry policy:
  • Conceal Carry accepted with Colorado credentials, no out of state
  • Open Carry is forbidden
• Curbside chile pickup:
  • Curbside pickup will not be available at the 2021 festival. Curbside pickup was born out of a COVID necessity last year and meant to provide a safer buying option to Pueblo Chile lovers. With the current option of fully open outdoor farm stands and festival we want to put the focus back on enjoyment of personally experiencing these fresh local options.
• Shipping Pueblo Chile:
  • Pueblo Chile SHIPS! Pueblo Chile any way you want it and unique Pueblo Chile Products are available year round from many of our Pueblo Chile Growers Association farm stands. The fee is worth it for a year of spicy green goodness!
• Supporting the festival:
  • The Chile & Frijoles festival has many opportunities for Community Partnerships. If your company is interested in participating, consider becoming an Official Chile Fest Community Partner. This entails becoming a Gate Sponsor with benefits that last throughout the year! Contact Ava Deherrera for more information. avad@pueblochamber.net