For New Mexicans who are addicted to capsaicin, it marks the start of hot weather like our own version of Groundhog’s Day. People across the country call it “The Hottest Show on Earth.” Starting this Friday, Feb. 28, the 2025 National Firey Foods and Barbecue Show is back at Sandia Resort and Casino (30 Rainbow Rd. NE). The show has vendors representing spicy foods from around the entire planet, but there are also sweet and savory snacks and ingredients that will merge smoothly with any taste palette.
Mark Masker, the show’s owner, says there was a waitlist for exhibitors this year so they opened two additional conference rooms to make more room and they’re letting the general public into the show with the buyers at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
“We did that last year, and the exhibitors loved it,” Masker says. “The buyers and industry attendees were okay with it and it made a nice smooth flow instead of that big, gigantic 11 a.m. rush that turns into a line going out the door, so we shouldn’t have anything like that.”
The event that locals proudly call “the chile show” has grown from 47 exhibitors and 500 attendees in 1988 to a gathering of tens of thousands of people featuring over 1,000 smoking-hot products to purchase — but more importantly — to sample. Practically every single booth will be dishing out free portions of everything from traditional salsas and hot sauces to sugary baked goods and candies. Like most events featuring hot peppers and barbecue, booze is part of the event. So for those ages 21 and over, there are plenty of beers to cool off those taste buds and spirits — chile-infused or otherwise — to numb them as well.
For a list of featured exhibitors click here.
There are always surprises, so don’t think everything the show has to offer will be advertised online because many vendors whip up concoctions just for this show. You might want to go early to get your hands on the really popular stuff that sells out quickly. On the other hand, some of the pros like to hit the floor during the last few hours for very good deals. The event runs until 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Get your face melted or just chill and do some cool people-watching — it seems like half the city comes out for the spectacle that offers more than just the hottest peppers on earth. Even the toughest-tongued chile connoisseurs who think they have something to prove will suffer immensely if they don’t heed the warnings from certain vendors. If you can handle the first dose, many of the stands have a secret stash of the really hot stuff hidden away. Surely someone will be serving ice cream, right?
Sandia Resort and Casino has been hosting the scorching hot party for the good part of the last decade, so as usual you can make a whole day out of the event. See what else there is to do at the resort here.
It might be hard to miss the 12-foot-tall skeleton wearing the Firey Foods Show skull and crossbones t-shirt, but keep an eye out because he’s promoting daily giveaways such as a free disk grill at the end of the show. Check the website for a QR code and scan it to enter.
For tickets and tons of info about the show click here.
The National Firey Foods and Barbecue Show
Feb. 28, 3 p.m. – March 2, 6 p.m.
Sandia Resort and Casino
30 Rainbow Rd. NE
$16