If you love hot and spicy food, you won’t want to miss the annual ZestFest in Irving TX where everything sizzles! Can you take the heat?
One of the largest events of its kind in the country, ZestFest brings together fans of the hotter things in life for three days of zesty food and entertainment.
I went to ZestFest as part of a press trip so I thought I’d share a little of what you can expect from the hottest festival in Texas.
Mark Your Calendars: May 24-26, 2024 in Fort Worth, Texas
Read Next: The Star: Dallas Cowboys Tour Highlights
What to Do at ZestFest
Feed Your Fire
Aisles and aisles of the ‘hottest’ products available on the market were lined up in one big room for attendees to taste and buy, and some of them were winners in ZestFest’s Fiery Food Challenge which took place earlier in the week.
The prestigious Golden Chile Award is the most coveted prize (after three days of competition), but there are 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each category.
Look for the award ribbons when you’re browsing the displays. Those are the definite must-tastes!
I sampled kicked-up versions of everything from salsa and BBQ sauce to peanuts, toffee, chocolate and jelly. The explosions of heat and flavor ranged from mild to “hot damn” and I bought a bunch of my favorites to take home and share.
Atomic Wing Challenge
Dozens of brave (or foolish) souls raced to be the first to finish eight boneless wings bathed in Wingstop’s famous Atomic’ly hot habanero sauce and it was a definite sight to see.
Those vying for prizes (a big screen TV or WingStop gift cards) in the Atomic Wing Challenge had to sign a waiver before hitting the stage and they had to make it through a qualifying heat before getting to the final round.
That meant eating a basket of fire more than once!
And not everyone was up to the challenge.
They all started out fine but once the capsaicin kicked in, things got real. Eyes started watering, tears started flowing and fully grown adults turned into whimpering babies.
I was totally rooting for this guy (below) who won his qualifying round with ease.
But there was another guy who didn’t flinch from the fire and was even faster — Brandon Clark (aka Da Garbage Disposal), a professional competitive eater.
He plowed through those wings and took home the grand prize in 27 seconds.
Need more heat? There’s also a PuckerButt Pepper Eating Challenge and an even hotter Melt Your Face Challenge.
Celebrity Cooking Demonstrations
I could have watched cooking demos all day long but then I wouldn’t have been able to taste as much. Priorities.
But I did catch Shaun O’Neale, MasterChef Season 7 winner and author of the My Modern American Table cookbook. He prepared Nashville hot chicken while telling stories and answering questions about his MasterChef experience.
Fun fact about MasterChef: When the pantry produce is starting to lose its freshness, the crew can “grocery shop” and take it home so it won’t go to waste.
Eddie Deen’s Pig Roast at ZestFest
Limited tickets are available for a dinner of whole roasted pig, BBQ ribs, brisket and a variety of side dishes. Tickets also include a beer or soft drink. It’s a very popular event and usually sells out.
The food was incredible!
ZestFest takes place over the weekend so each day offers varied entertainment. If you love all things tangy, this is the festival for you!
Get your tickets for the next ZestFest!
Need a hotel in Irving, Texas near the convention center? I stayed at The Texican Court directly across the street from the festival and loved it.
If you’re into outdoor sculptures or have time to see a live production, check out the Irving Arts Center while in town and connect with the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau for more info on the area.
Comments & Reviews
Wow. This does look like a fantastic event to be in. I like spicy food, but I can only eat so much before my belly hurts. I would love to have watched the eating competition. I can’t believe that man was able to win it in 27 seconds. His tongue must be immune to the heat.
This sounds like such a fun event! My oldest just found a new love of spicy foods!
Wow, this looks like an amazing event for foodies who love spice. I like to walk on the mild side myself..haha.
I could see some of my boys entering an eating contest when they get older. LOL. What a fun event.
I love such celebrations like this one! Though I simply cannot withstand the burning power of hot peppers, I love this event!
I could never have done that, but I bet the event was fun. I would love to attend and watch. I think it would be interesting to see everyone eating.
This is an event my husband and father-in-law would love to attend. The hotter the better for them when it comes to spicy foods.
Wow! That was a lot of fun! I would like to attend such kind of event!
I’m not a fan of spicy but my husband is, I’d still love to go thou!
These photos were downright hilarious. I enjoyed seeing all the faces of the people trying things and also the booth setups.
I love spicy foods. So does Travis. Sometimes we kick it up too much, for the kids. They still love us.