September is here, green chile season is underway, and that can only mean one thing in Pagosa Springs: the Mountain Chile Cha Cha is right around the corner.
This year’s celebration of 20 years of tradition will take place Sept. 26, rain or shine, at Yamaguchi Park, bringing together everything the event has become known for over the years — green chile, margaritas, salsa, Latin music, dancing and plenty of community spirit.
At the center of it all is the 18th annual Patty Aragon Green Chile Classic, and there is still time to get your chile into the mix.
Whether you have a longtime family recipe, a restaurant favorite or a pot of green chile your friends insist is just too good not to share, every entry helps make the public tasting possible — and entering is easier than you might think.
Home cooks can compete in Meat, Meatless, or both, with first place in each category receiving $300 and a trophy, and second- and third-place winners receiving medals. Commercial meat and meatless entries are judged together, with $300, a trophy and a special prize going to the winner.
And every chile entered — home or commercial — is automatically eligible for People’s Choice, with another $300 and a trophy up for grabs.
Entry is $15 for home cooks and $35 for commercial cooks. Entrants receive free admission to the Mountain Chile Cha Cha and a special participant gift, and volunteers handle the serving. In other words, make the chile, bring the chile — and then enjoy the Cha Cha.
But green chile is only part of the flavor.
Local restaurants will also show their skills in two separate competitions: the Salsa Competition and the always-popular Margarita Tasting. Salsa entries will compete for top honors, while margarita entrants serve their creations for festival-goers to sample and vote for their favorites.
There will also be plenty of music to keep the park moving. Back by popular demand, Sangre Joven and Str8 Shot will return to the Cha Cha stage for an afternoon of Latin music and dancing.
Add food vendors, green chile roasting, a beer garden and kids’ activities, and you’ve got a full afternoon of fun at Yamaguchi Park.
The mission of the Mountain Chile Cha Cha is to build community in Pagosa Springs and the Southwest by celebrating and preserving Hispanic cultural heritage through culinary and musical arts. Event proceeds help support local youth and scholarships while also sustaining the Mountain Chile Cha Cha.
The gates will open at noon, with chile tasting beginning at 12:30 p.m. General admission is $10, and children 12 and under are free. Chile tastings and margarita tastings are sold separately inside the event.
If you make a great pot of green chile, don’t just come hungry — come with an entry. Register for the Patty Aragon Green Chile Classic and find event information at ilovegreenchile.com.
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