27th Annual Chile Pepper Festival heats up Maxatawny

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Things are getting spicy in Berks County. If you’re one of the many who love a kick to your taste buds, you might want to head to William DeLong Memorial Park in Maxatawny for the 27th Annual Chile Pepper Festival

You can get your hands on the best sauces from all over the country at the event, which takes place Friday, Sept. 8 and Saturday, Sept. 9.

“We are selling craft hot sauces, wings, Sriracha, two hot maple syrups, a hot honey,” said Adriana DiSaverio with The Spicy Shark. “It’s a great lineup of heat from a mild to wicked hot, and then two super hots.”

Owners of hot sauce companies come from all over the country. Michael Laviolette traveled from Columbus, Ohio. He showed 69 News one of his best sellers.

“This is called ‘Little Monster Under the Bed,’ because when you were a little kid, you always had that little monster under the bed,” Laviolette said. “This is actually a green Sriracha-style sauce.”

It will be Laviolette’s fifth year at the festival, showcasing his Flavor & Fire company. He says the festival is worth the hike from Ohio.

“This is probably one of the best festivals that we do around the country, and we’ve been as far out at Albuquerque, New Mexico,” he said.

For many vendors, it’s a chance to catch up with friends and meet new people.

“It’s a lot of fun,” said DiSaverio. “It’s a great experience and tons of smiles and great vibes and energy, so it’s something to look forward to each year.”

And after tasting all that hot sauce, you’ll need to cool down your mouth.

That’s where Carl Bales can help. He owns Chuck Wagon Old Fashioned Soda.

“We have old-fashioned soda — the sarsaparilla, the root beer, orange cream, vanilla cream, black cherry — the stuff you don’t get at a regular soda truck, and it’s really good soda,” Bales said.

There will be live music performances throughout both days as well.

Source: Wfmz