The 17th Annual Pinellas Pepper Fest happens April 13-14, 2024 at England Brothers in Pinellas Park, Florida. Credit: Photo via Pinellaspepperfest/Facebook

Each spring for the past 17 years, lovers of spice (and heartburn) take over England Brothers Park for the annual Pinellas Pepper Fest, a two-day celebration of fiery eating competitions, local hot sauce vendors, food trucks, live music and more.

Spicy competitions include its Lolli Lick-A-Thon, where heat-seekers take on the “world’s hottest lollipop,” and a jalepeño pepper eating contest, while folks can take some of their own spice home via locally-made hot sauces, seasonings, spice rubs and salsas.

Organizers describe the Pinellas Pepper Fest as a “painfully delicious, hot n’ spicy food show that’s big on flavor and cooked up to be one of the hottest events of the season.” And if your spice tolerance caps at black pepper, don’t fret, because this foodie fest has a wide variety of non-spicy eats, from tacos and smoothies to ice cream, sandwiches and boba teas.

This annual event is both kid and pet-friendly, but just make sure they’re not eating any stray jalapeños that may have fallen on the ground.

There’s no cover for the 17th Annual Pinellas Pepper Fest happening Saturday-Sunday, April 13-14 at England Brothers in Pinellas Park.
Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

This article appears in Apr 4-10, 2024.