Out in the depths of small-town Pennsylvania lies an incredibly hot surprise – the brilliant Chile Pepper Festival in Bowers, PA.

Over two days, this small historic town hosts a festival celebrating all things chile pepper! Vendors come from far and wide to sell their unique and crazy hot sauces, chutneys, salsas, pickled goods, and dips. You could happily make a meal out of all the free samples on offer, and it’s a wonderful family day out. Just careful of the #StupidHot salsa. I cried.

The best bit of the festival is a trip to the pick your own pepper fields, where we enjoyed (carefully!) picking hot peppers, tomatoes, and the most varied selection of aubergines/eggplants I’ve ever seen! Here are some photos from our festival picking experience– including one of my sister, the grasshopper whisperer!

The festival runs every year in September over a Friday and Saturday, and you can find out more information about it here.