Chile Pepper Fiesta

Really disappointed with the vendors, and lack of vendors this year. For $ 20 per adult unless you’ve a BBG pass or some corporate benefits, it’s simply not worth it. THANK GOD FOR CORPORATE BENEFITS for getting us in for free.
Where did all the vendors who sold fresh chile peppers go this year? There use to be another small section just for these guys, but today, there was only one vendor and that one vendor was basically hidden in the same section as the hot sauce and chocolate guys. And to top it off, they didn’t even sell any exotic spicy peppers.
Onto the sauces and such — there’s a few that I recall from the last two years such as the kimchi stand, some bbq sauce stand, and mikes honey — but none of them outstanding to me. Actually, nothing stood out today, but to each their own. It’s sad to say the thing I most enjoyed today was my watermelon soda with? Chile pepper from Brooklyn Soda Works.

it was my first time here, and I throughly enjoyed it! I loved that they separated the hot salty and sweet side into its individual section. I liked the different chocolate vendors they had which ranged from chili ice cream to Mexican hot sweets! My favorites were the chocolate bar vendors like Taza and Cacao Prieto. They were nice and informative about the chocolates they made and were generous with their samples. I also liked New Yorkina’s offering which had a range of Mexican goodies. I eventually snagged a chili/​sugar lollipop for $ 3. I was pretty satisfied with all of the samples I had so wasnt even deterred by the lack of food trucks or offerrings there.
Def would recommend going!
I also went through the garden which was a plus afterwards! so beautiful!

Try everything first then at the end buy the ones you like!
Every year Botanical Gardens has the Chili Pepper Festival… Which is basically all different vendors, mom and pap shops, chefs, and people with hobbies come together and show off their ingredients that is related to pepper. You have people with seasoning, sauce, chocolate, appetizers, and drinks that has pepper in it… !
I take my mother cause we are both fattys that likes to try new things and we look and try all the vendors products, we questions like which pepper is in it and what kind of pepper did you use and what can you put the sauce on, is it organic… Basic question.
My favorite vendors were the guys who were selling whiskey with and hint of jalapeño pepper… Delicious!

PRO: Nice time of year, the Bands, The beautiful setting
CONS: Not enough food, hot sauces or beverage vendors, The watering down of what this event used to be.
This is brief. This used to be a wondrous event where one could taste many varieties of talented hot sauce creators (and other heated products) plus, demonstrations by chefs, an eclectic mix of cultural bands world wide, and an also cultural array of food vendors (Burritos, hot rice dishes, chili etc.)
However as the years went on, the amount of hot sauce vendors depleted. Now you have more chocolate vendors or people selling mediocre at best (hot oils, rubs and very bland sauces and salsas) They only had ONE Beer vendor (which of course made a half hour line to get to the beer itself) and ONE food vendor. Which of course made that one food vendor a monopoly monger god, charging $ 10 for a coffee cup of chili and a small dinner roll. The Botanical Garden is always a beautiful setting, and I did like the change that (when you finally got your beer) you were able to walk around the WHOLE garden with it, as opposed to the past when you were restricted to drink within a small fenced in food/​band court. The bands are still great and make the whole event worth spending a cover charge for (maybe not $ 20 a head but…) After going a number of times, I will not go back again until I hear from others that it has improved (which means, goes back to the way it was)

Held annually at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG), 2012 marked the 20^th Chile Pepper Fiesta. This was my first attendance at a festival that should have been a part of my heat-​loving adult life, to be rectified by attending here on out. Those who love the fire of chilies, whether from a flavor enhancement or masochistic point of view, will have something to enjoy.
The Chile Pepper Fiesta is divided into a few events (vendors, farmer’s market, workshops, musical performances) tied, sometimes loosely, to the theme. Each located in a different section of BBG, but decent signage to help folks get around. Entry on the day of the event, whether to visit the garden or the event, will be at the higher admission fee ($ 15 vs $ 10), which primarily supports the proceedings.
For me, the highlight was the vendor section, this year in Osborne Garden at the Eastern Parkway entrance. Purveyors of spicy sauces and snacks mingle side by side with like-​minded chocolatiers. The majority offer samples of their goods, either as direct tastings or on crackers and the like. The sampling is free, with products for purchase, often at prices lower than retail and without tax. The representation is fantastic; many are not widely available in retail settings, offering a great opportunity to try unfamiliar products. Vendors, especially those where the creators manned their own booths, were very friendly and accessible. My favorite, far and away, is Redhead Hot Sauce. Cindy List was there to represent her sole, but phenomenal product, and she has me sold me as a regular customer; 2 weeks post-​fiesta, my jar is already ¾ done! Among the food products being offered were a bonanza of hot sauces, plus chutney, salsa, mayonnaise, pickles, kim chi, tea, honey, and pepper.
The «Chocolate Debauchery» section sported chocolates both spicy and not, along with other sweets. The ever reliable People’s Pops set up shop, with refreshing peach habanero popsicles as their highlight item. A mariachi band strolled through the area during the first hour of the event, simultaneously incongruous and appealing, followed by background music provided by DJ.
Elsewhere, full music performances took place at a large, tented area in the Cherry Esplanade. The shows were diverse, this year featuring sounds from Bulgaria, Africa, Korea, and Peru, plus blues and a circus performance. Here, also, food and beer were offered. Selection was small but with a few options for meat-​eaters and vegetarians alike, although I ended up choosing not to eat here. An adjacent fenced-​in area was available for picnic-​style dining.
Rounding out the events were a market with a few stands selling an assortment of chilies, including the world’s hottest chili of all (ghost chile), baked goods, drink, and jewelry. Nearby, a few chili-​themed workshops were offered for children.
All in all, a fun event with lots to try and buy. Never got tremendously crowded. It is well worth following up the event by exploring the beautiful garden grounds. I’ll be back next year!
Some tips:
1. Bring a tote bag. Most vendors use a universally available small and weak plastic bag, and if you love this stuff, do expect to buy something.
2. Bring a bottle of water.
3. Bring a picnic blanket if you plan on eating at the hot foods venue and don’t want to sit directly on grass.
4. For those who can’t take heat, not everything being offered for sampling is spicy (although most are). But on the chocolate side, the majority of items are not spicy, and even those that are just have a spicy note, not a full-​on heat wave.