Heirloom Farmers Markets is kicking up the heat with the 17th Annual Chile Festival from Wednesday, September 12 – Sunday, September 16.
This year’s festival celebrates the roasting of fresh Arizona-grown green chile and other fresh produce with a beer garden, activities for children, live music, and a chef demonstration by Erika Bostick of Seis Kitchen over four days and five locations.
The event begins Wednesday, September 12 at Green Valley Village Farmers & Artisans Market, skips over Thursday, and picks back up on Friday, September 14 at Trail Dust Town. It continues the next day on Saturday, September 15 at the Oro Valley Farmers Market and Rincon Valley Farmers & Artisans Market, then concludes on Sunday, September 16 at the Rillito Park Farmers Market.
“Our annual Chile Festival is the event our customers and vendors look forward to each year,” says the Director of Operations, Nick Szumowski. “The aromas of fresh roasted Hatch chile fill the market and our vendors always impress with offering chile-themed foods for the weekend.”
Additionally, this is the first year there won’t be a separate Roasted Chile Festival. Since taking over marketing for Rincon Valley Farmers & Artisans Market, Heirloom Farmers Markets has combined the 17-year-old chile festival with its annual Chile Festival to bring you something bigger and better.
Chile Festival Schedule
8 a.m. – noon on Wednesday, September 12
- Green Valley Village Farmers & Artisans Market
- Live Music by Gabriel Francisco
- Fresh roasted chiles and specialties
- Chile-themed specials
8 a.m. – noon on Friday, September 14
- Trail Dust Town
- Live Music (TBA)
- Fresh roasted chiles and specialties
- Chile-themed specials
8 a.m. – noon on Saturday, September 15
- Oro Valley Farmers Market
- Live Music (TBA)
- Fresh roasted chiles and specialties
- Chile-themed specials
8 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 15
- Rincon Valley Farmers & Artisans Market
- Live Music by John Grant & The Guilty Bystanders
- Local craft beer garden
- Fresh roasted chiles and specialties
- Chile-themed specials
8 a.m. – noon on Sunday, September 16
- Rillito Park Farmers Market
- Live Music by Mariachi Estrellas de Tucson
- “Chef at the Market” demo with Seis Kitchen
- Fresh roasted chiles and specialties
- Chile-themed specials
If you can’t wait any longer and need your chiles pronto, Red’s Roasters is taking pre-orders now until Wednesday, September 12. Call (520) 409-3406 to place an order.
For more information on the days, times, and locations of the festival, call (520) 882-2157 or visit heirloomfm.org.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
