Aug. 16 – Ten years ago, Bernalillo County created the Bosque Chile & Music Fest to celebrate the food, art, music, culture and, of course, chili that make up New Mexico.
This year, the festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with a two-day celebration from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, August 23, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, at Expo New Mexico’s Villa Hispana, 300 San Pedro Drive NE.
“We are so excited because we are going to be bigger and better than ever,” said Tami Adolphe, senior manager of Bernalillo County. “There will be so much to experience, from the smells to all the things to do and enjoy.”
Since chili is the focus of the event, guests will have the opportunity to sample the many uses of chili in food and drink. From the signature red chili margarita available at two on-site bars to one of the 50 vendors selling items like chili-scented candles, there’s no shortage of the pepper that New Mexicans have come to love.
Ariella Gonzales Lustig, Bernalillo County event coordinator, said the festival “incorporates chili into every aspect” to ensure the event is fully immersed in New Mexican culture.
“Throughout the year, we pay attention to the vendors we see at events,” she said. “We’ve been very careful to offer a variety of unique vendors to our customers. We also want to support local artists, so some will be selling their art and many have made special chili-themed pieces. We have a potter who will be selling chili-themed mugs and plates.”
Other vendors will offer a variety of foods such as chicken wings, fairground fare and traditional New Mexican dishes. Chili roasters will be on hand to roast fresh chiles and teach others how to roast. Various demonstrations are planned to show guests how to make chile-infused foods such as pecans with green chiles and salsa or decorations such as chile ristras. There will be a watermelon eating contest on Saturday to give visitors a chance to cool down their taste buds after a long day of chile-indulging.
“Sellers are handing out samples everywhere,” said Adolphe.
For those interested in learning more about chili peppers, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture will answer visitors’ questions on the subject. The Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University will host a class called “The Science of Spices,” teaching guests the Scoville scale, which measures the heat level of chili peppers. Participants will also learn how to grow chili peppers and get tips on growing better chili pepper plants.
There will be a variety of activities during the event and guests will have the opportunity to participate in public art events led by local artists.
Entertainment fans will be happy to hear that there is an extensive lineup of local artists scheduled during the event, from New Mexico music by Darren Cordova to bands singing of the Jemez Mountains and sunrises in Sandia.
“We made sure they were all local because we know these artists have a huge following,” Gonzales Lustig said. “Darren Cordova alone brings in a lot of people, but we also have some up-and-coming local bands. Even if you haven’t heard their music, you can connect with the music scene because you’re experiencing it every day.”
Bernalillo County has also collaborated with local dance groups to teach various dance styles such as salsa and cumbia and to perform their own choreographed dances.
Bernalillo County plans to continue making the festival a popular event for locals and tourists.
“We want to make it a destination that attracts people from all over the world to experience chili,” said Adolphe. “This festival has something for everyone.”
