More than 20 all-you-can-taste options await guests of the Buellton Wine and Chili Festival. Sampling every different chili will give festivalgoers more than their money’s worth, but nobody’s gonna stop anyone from going all-in on their favorite.
“You get to walk around and try everyone’s chili. If you really like a chili, you can keep trying it over and over again,” said Andres Nuño, co-owner of En Fuego Events, the organizer behind this year’s festival. “With your ticket, you get unlimited samples of chili and salsa. It’s a lot different than a traditional wine fest, where all you get is alcohol.”
The popular annual one-day event will be held on Sunday, March 20, at the Flying Flags RV Resort in Buellton. Nuño described the outdoor gathering as one of a kind because it offers “a little bit of everything for everyone, regardless of how old you are,” he explained.
“It’s a pretty unique event in that it’s also family-friendly, right? So mom and dad could come out and bring the kids with them, and they can eat all the chili and salsa they want. And the parents are also getting to sample some wine or beer or whatever else they want,” said Nuño, who added that the festival carries seltzers, kombucha, ciders, and spirits as well.
Guests can also look forward to live entertainment throughout the festival, provided by The Paradise Kings, The Real Doug Lane, and DJ FIU. Local artisans and crafters will be on-site during the event as well, selling their wares—but that’s outside the ticket price of course. General admission covers many things, but free jewelry isn’t one of them.
Despite a hefty lineup of vendors so far, Nuño said there is still time for chefs, winemakers, and other hopeful participants to sign up, roughly until about a week before the event. Food and drink vendors can also register to compete with their peers for prizes during the festival.
“We still have spaces available. We are still looking for chili cooks,” Nuño said. “We do run out of room, there is limited space. We do give priority to anybody who is making a chili or salsa or serving alcohol. The other street fair vendors are kind of the third in line.”
The Solvang Brewing Company, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company, and Firestone Walker Brewing Company are among the featured restaurants scheduled to serve chili and beer, while participating vintners include Flying Goat Cellars, Camins 2 Dreams, Pali Wine Co., Buttonwood Winery and Vineyard, and several more.
“Most people associate chili with beer. But what we found was, actually, there are a lot of wineries that make wines that go great with chili,” Nuño said. “We are so lucky to be on the Central Coast because there’s so many good wineries. … You have people coming from all over the place because they know that this event is going to have a lot of those wineries.”
Proceeds from the Buellton Wine and Chili Festival will be used to benefit a handful of local causes, including college and high school scholarships and community programs designated by the Buellton Chamber of Commerce. Nuño’s company was chosen by the chamber to organize the festival, as the company primarily handles event management for large fundraisers.
“We love being able to come in and help a nonprofit make money because it’s so important for them to raise funds at these community events. It’s something that we take pride in,” Nuño said. “It’s a big reason that we want to do our best to make sure we put on a great event that people want to go to, and that sponsors want to sponsor, and people want to participate in.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood needs a bowl of chili, immediately. Send comments to cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 10-17, 2022.
