Pieces of ash crackle into the sky, when music can’t be heard laughter echoes through the streets, and the signature aroma of Pueblo chilis roasting fills the air. It’s once again time for the annual Chile and Frijoles Festival in Pueblo, Colorado.
What started as an event with 150 attendees in September of 1994 has now developed into a unique event with global presence. Today, the Chiles & Frijoles Festival attracts upwards of 150,000 attendees and proves to have a profound impact on the community and its economy year by year.
“They are eating our food, they’re eating our Pueblo chili, and spending their dollars here, this is a great economic boost to the city of Pueblo,” said Danny Saenz.
Saenz is the director of membership and development at The Greater Chamber of Commerce, he spoke with The Today at the Chile & Frijoles Festival Saturday Sept. 20, 2025 about the motivating factors that keep the festival alive. Attendees are welcomed with a variety of activities to choose from that expand each year. Food is the heart of the event, but it is surrounded by live music, vendors from all over showed up, and small businesses across Union Ave. set up tents and opened their doors to share their part in the community.
“We couldn’t do it without our volunteers, which is just under 600 strong,” said Saenz.
In more recent years, the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce has added drone shows and a hot air balloon festival that brings a new experience to the community. The balloon festival also serves as a partnership to generate extra revenue for the city. Sponsors purchase packages of varying tiers up to $10,000 to have their name displayed on a balloon. Those packages also include guest rides in a balloon, entry to the festival, and unique branding opportunities.
“This festival of its kind in the United States, it’s one of the largest. We attract people from not only the United States, but all over the world.” Saenz explained that the data acquired from POS systems informs the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce exactly where those visitors come from.
“From Farm to Flames.”
Although drones light up the sky, the Pueblo chile is always the star of the show. The Chile & Frijoles Festival culture is all about the creative food innovations that incorporate the harvest that is unique to Pueblo. Street food options look different from what would normally be expected from a festival or fair, attendees can find “Pueblo Chile” kettle corn, the Pork-chop Lady selling a pork chop and roasted chilis wrapped in a tortilla, even drinks like Pueblo chile lemonade are crafted to fit the community.
The “mirasol” pepper (translates to “looking at the sun”) is the variety of pepper that was farmed and modified to be the Pueblo chile, it stands out from other peppers due to its tendency to grow upwards towards the sky, rather than hanging down like most do. It is believed that the local hot and dry climate encourages a thicker and more flavorful pepper that is seen as ideal for roasting purposes. Those roasted peppers have proven to be a common staple in households throughout southern Colorado.
For decades farmers have been crafting many variations of the Pueblo Chile, with the festival serving as a common place for them to share their yearly harvests with the world. Those dedicated farmers were at the center of this year’s theme, “From Farm to Flames.”
The Musso family in particular has been serving the Pueblo community for five generations. Reporters were invited to get a behind the scenes look at Musso Farm’s chili roasting tent and to speak with the Founder and CEO Joey Musso.
“Look at this line,” he said. “People stand here ready to wait like they would for a ride at Elitch’s (a theme park in Denver).”
Piles of bags filled with hundreds of peppers, each decorated the area behind the tent, and a line of customers waited eagerly to purchase their supply for the year. Though the line was long, Musso’s turned up the heat and set the bar for customer interaction.
Visitors passing by were often caught off guard by the sight of flying peppers. Somewhere between running back and forth for another bushel to throw in, and the manual labor of operating the large metal cages rolling over the open flame, those tending to the tent were playing catch with people passing by.
They stopped right in front of the action to take their chance at claiming one of the bright red and green chilis being launched into the crowd. Children were playfully jumping past one another in competition, and men reached high above to grab a pepper they would then give to their wives, seemingly as a token of affection.
“We’re all Musso,” Musso said, referring to the tent of employees. “We love to put on a show, I want my guys and our stuff right in front of people so they can see and interact.”
The annual Chile and Frijoles Festival breathes life (and fire) into the city and its economy, inviting room for growth each year. Anticipation starts building in early September as thousands of bags of peppers begin to fill grocery stores and farmer’s markets, waiting to be roasted and then taken home where they are bagged and frozen to last until the next harvest, and the next celebration of Pueblo’s pride, the Pueblo chile.
