Festivalgoers hit the hot sauce lines in 2019 at Fiesta Gardens Credit: photo by John Anderson

Due to safety concerns over the spread of coronavirus, we’ve sadly had to cancel the in-person iteration of our annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce, the largest and longest-running event of its kind. But that doesn’t mean we’re not celebrating 30 years of hot saucin’.

We’re still working out what a virtual fest looks like – and what we (and you!) can do to keep supporting our longtime partners at Central Texas Food Bank – but in the meantime, we want to hear from Hot Sauce Fest fans. Do you have any favorite stories from past festivals you’d like to share? Did you meet your partner there? Stumble onto your new favorite band? Discover firsthand that hallucinogens and hot sauce don’t play well together?

Drop us a line at food@austinchronicle.com – subject line “Hot Sauce memories” – and we might include your story in our upcoming anniversary issue. Send photos to the same address.

And keep an eye on the Food daily feed for more info on our anniversary celebration, including this year’s commemorative merch.

Are you a commercial bottler interested in participating in a virtual fest? Contact hotsauce@austinchronicle.com.

This article appears in July 10 • 2020.

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A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Kimberley has written about film, books, and pop culture for The Austin Chronicle since 2000. She was named Editor of the Chronicle in 2016; she previously served as the paper’s Managing Editor, Screens Editor, Books Editor, and proofreader. Her work has been awarded by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for excellence in arts criticism, team reporting, and special section (Best of Austin). The Austin Alliance for Women...