I’m a party girl. I love getting fancy, putting on heels and statement jewelry and heading into a crowd to meet new people and learn about new stuff…an opening exhibition of feminist artists! a fundraiser for the Ronald McDonald House! a Pepper Festival!  

My event attire has definitely um, casualized since moving to Chapel Hill from NYC, but that don’t mean my love for a party has toned down. Fortunately this area has loads of great events to raise dollars and awareness for the neat work that happens in this community. And fortunately for this little piggy, many of these events revolve around food. Yum. 

The 4th Annual Pittsboro Pepper Festival takes place in the new community park in Briar Chapel this weekend, Sunday, October 2nd, from 4pm – 7pm. Presented by the Abundance Foundation and Piedmont Biofarm, the event should be the hottest ticket in town this weekend. In their words and exclamation points, “The Pittsboro Pepper Festival aims to go pepper-wild with the greatest local chefs and local beers (including pepper beer!) to spread the superfood power of the plentiful peppers of the Piedmont! Local hotshot chefs are provided a choice of over 60 varieties of heirloom local peppers (everything from sweet to hot) and they serve up their best, most creative pepper dish as an appetizer to the pepper public!” 

That’s a lot of enthusiasm for the pepper. I appreciate that. Talk about a veggie that doesn’t get nearly the props some of its other superfood brethren enjoy.  

I also really appreciate the opportunity to chat with some of the best chefs in the Chapelboro area about the importance of promoting the humble pepper and its heirloom varietals as a significant crop for Piedmont farmers. Celebrating a sustainable crop that brings cash and serious attention to the Piedmont agricultural community…that makes this girl want to put on some dancing shoes. 

I’m psyched to sample dishes like Yeasted Corn Bread with Roasted Peppers from Chickenbridge Bakery (Carrboro Farmers’ Market), Smoked Pepper Soup with NC Shrimp from Glasshalfull (Carrboro), and Spicy Pepper Gazpacho with Cucumber Yogurt from Carolina Crossroads (Chapel Hill). Hope it isn’t too tacky for me to bring my own growlers for those Fullsteam and Triangle Brewing Company pepper beers – that is definitely happening. Already hungry for more? Here’s the full Pepper Festival Menu. 

See you on Sunday, and don’t forget to buy your tickets online in advance…$25 through October 1st and $30 at the door. 

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