Join us for our hottest tasting event of the year! Findlay Market’s annual Chili Fest is back on Sunday, January 12th from 10 AM – 4 PM. You’ll be warm from the inside out as you taste spicy samples from participating Merchants in and around the Market House. Plus, we’ll be hosting our second annual Red Hot Rumble, a friendly hot sauce competition between Merchants, live music from local artists, family-friendly activities and more.
Participating Merchants
The Arepa Place - Spicy Mini Cheese Arepas
Babushka Pierogi - Lentil Cincinnati Chili Pierogi
BanaSun Smoothie Bar - Immunity Shot
Barlion’s Seafood & Poultry - Smoked Turkey Chili
Bouchard’s Pasta - Pasta Chili
Chai For - Extra Spicy Ginger Chai
Churchill’s Fine Teas - Spiced Chai Rooibos
Dats Ole School Cookin’ - Chicken Chili or Veggie Chili (vegan)
Dean’s Mediterranean Imports - Chickpea Chili
Eckerlin Meats - Harvest Chili
Eliza Jane’s BakeShop - Spicy Mocha Tres Leches
The Empanadas Box - Cinci Chili Empanada
Gibbs Cheese - Cheese Flight featuring Mild, Hot, and Sharp Cheese Samples
Gramma Debbie’s Kitchen - White Chicken Chili
Harmony Plant Fare - Sample TBD
Jane’s - Mexican Hot Cocoa Mole
Jose Madrid Salsa - Salsa
Joyously Sweet - Mini Corn Bread Cupcake: Cornbread Cupcake topped with Garlic Cheddar Mashed Potato “Buttercream”, Fried Popcorn Chicken and Hot Honey from Chamaele
Juniper Seed - Vegan Cincy Style Lentil 3-Way (vegan & gluten free)
Kiwavi Exchange - Nati Turkey Chili
Makers Bakers Co. - Mango Habanero Cheesecake or Cheddar Jalapeño Focaccia
Mama Lo Hizo - Mexican Style Chili served with Chips, Chili, Jalapeños, & Cheese
Maverick Chocolate - Spicy Hot Chocolate made with Fahrenheit 513 Dark Chocolate Bar
Neil Luken Meats - Damn Good Chili
OTR Bagel Bar - Bagel with Carolina Reaper
Queen Tequenos – Cheese Tequeno with Spicy Garlic Sauce
Pet Wants - Chili Themed Dog Treat
The Rhined - Rhined Chili Mac
Sabor Alaniz - Frijoles Charros
Taste of Belgium - Belgium Chili
Tablespoon Cooking Co - “Sweet Heat” Brown Butter Cookie and Hot Gold Crunch Snack Mix
uGOgelato: Chili Chocolate Gelato and Lemon Tahini Chili Sorbet (vegan)
Urbana Cafe: Spicy Hot Chocolate
Tickets
Tasting event tickets are sold in bundles. One ticket = one sample. Ticket pricing is as follows:
8 for $20
18 for $40
Red Hot Rumble Hot Sauce Competition
1 - 2 PM
PLUS, we will be hosting the Red Hot Rumble Hot Sauce Competition at Jane's! It’s a battle between Merchants and the best hot sauce chef wins a homemade trophy and bragging rights until 2026. The sauces will be judged by Local Heroes on the following three categories – taste, heat level, and uniqueness.
Participating Merchants
More to come!
Programming
Canned Food Drive on Saturday, January 11 from 2 - 3 PM and Sunday, January 12 from 10 AM - 4 PM
We will be collecting canned food items throughout Chili Fest for Our Daily Bread, a Market neighbor and Cincinnati’s largest soup kitchen. Donate a canned good at Jane’s at any time during Chili Fest Weekend to receive a raffle entry for your chance to win 8 tasting tickets to Sweet and Savory Stroll on February 16, 2025. A winner will be chosen Tuesday, January 14th and will be notified via email. One can equals one raffle entry, so donate away!
Click here for a list of most-needed items to donate.
“Hot Pepper Hideout” from 10 AM - 3:30 PM
Select Merchants will hide a chili pepper in their space. Guests who find the pepper and tell the Merchant will receive a pepper to turn into Market staff at the ticket tent to claim a prize.
Prizes Include:
Findlay Market Cookbook
Free Drink at Jane’s (2 winners)
Findlay Market T-Shirt (3 winners)
Free General Tour for up to 10 people (2 winners)
8 Tickets to Sweet & Savory Stroll (2 winners)
Participating Merchants:
Music: Tracy Walker performing at Jane’s from Noon - 3 PM
Split the Pot
For just $5 (or 5 for $20), you could win half of the pot, with the other half going to Findlay Market's vital food access and food entrepreneurship initiatives. So what are you waiting for?! Test your luck today!