Main Street Spices Up for PepperFest

What’s hotter than summertime in North Carolina? PepperFest weekend in Pittsboro! Named North Carolina’s largest local food festival, PepperFest will line Main Street in Pittsboro on Sunday, September 22nd from 3 – 6 p.m. Order your tickets in advance to guarantee a taste of all that the day has to offer.

Listen to live music, savor local food and fresh drinks, visit the Kid Zone or the Electric Vehicle Show. All of that and more is in store at Pittsboro’s PepperFest!

About PepperFest:

If you are a local to the Chatham County area, you are familiar with the excitement that comes along with this annual celebration. Presented by Abundance NC, PepperFest celebrates sustainable agriculture, farmers and the culinary concoctions of the area’s top chefs. Every year, over 3,000 attendees fill the streets to experience the tasty creativity piled into a variety of pepper-themed dishes. Of course, all of those peppers were grown right here in North Carolina!

Ever tasted pepper ice cream? What about pepper gumbo? Now is your chance! To cool off those taste buds, visit the cash bar for a microbrew, some of which have peppers on their list of ingredients!

Once you’ve determined your favorite dish or beer, stick around to see if they win in the Best Dish Awards or the Best Beer Awards!

Food, Food and Food:

A lot of thought and creativity went into the design and innovation of these dishes. You’ll be able to taste it in the first bite. Walking around, you will recognize many names local to Chatham County. Of the many vendors present that day, you may decide to visit The Belted Goat, Blue Dot Coffee, Fiddlehead Farm, Little River Eco Farm or the Pickle Jar Cafe, just to name a few.

No matter where your palette makes a stop, it is a guarantee that you will be experiencing sustainable agriculture and farmership at its finest.

Get the full list of vendors here.

Sounds of PepperFest:

Sure, you may hear lots of “mmming” at various booths throughout the day, but you’ll also want to stop and here some live music along the way! Celebrate in the streets with 8-Track Minds, a walking 70s dance party! You’ll recognize top hits such as “Lady Marmalade,” “I Will Survive” and “American Pie.”

The Up and Up, Raleigh’s newest funk band, will also take to the stage to deliver a fusion of funk, soul, jazz, blues and rock and roll – sounds for everyone!

Electric Vehicle Show:

PepperFest’s newest addition is a Drive Electric Week Meetup, hosted with the help of the Triad Electric Vehicle Association, Chatham County Climate Change Advisory Committee and EVHELP Guy, Gary Thompson. Experts will be onsite to answer your questions about owning and operating an electric vehicle.

Visit with volunteers and their energy-efficient cars throughout the day to learn more! You can find them in the parking lot located northwest of the Chatham County Courthouse.

Get Involved:

Whether you are a chef, a vendor, a sponsor or a volunteer, PepperFest wants YOU to be a part of all the action in September. Learn more about how you can optimize your PepperFest experience: here.