Snowmass Kicks off Summer with Spicy Chili Pepper & Brew Fest June 9-11

Chili Pepper & Brew Fest heats up the mountains to scorching with three days of chili and microbrew competitions and the hot music of Jonny Lang, Medeski, Martin & Wood and others.

Snowmass Village, CO (PRWEB) June 4, 2006 -- Snowmass kicks off its summer of smokin’ festival fun June 9-11 with the return of the third annual Chili Pepper & Brew Fest. Boasting hot music, hotter chili, and icy cold microbrews, the Chili Pepper & Brew Fest draws crowds of over 3,000 to this scenic mountain town for its inaugural weekend of the summer.

“This festival melds three popular festival elements into one amazing weekend,” says Snowmass Marketing Director Susan Hamley. “You won’t find better music, chili or microbrews for the value anywhere in the mountains.”

The Snowmass Chili Pepper & Brew Fest offers up music by renowned musicians such as Jonny Lang, International Chili Society district level cook-offs, and some of the nation’s top microbreweries vying for the title of Best Summer Ale. Festival attendees get to sample both microbrew and chili over two days.

The ICS holds Chili Red, Chili Verde, and Chili Salsa competitions on Friday and Saturday with the winners qualifying for the ICS world championship finals in Las Vegas this fall. Last year Colorado per capita had more entries into the world championships than any other state in the U.S., and these Snowmass district championships offer one of the best places in the nation to sample the experts’ favorite recipes. “Chili Steve” Tomasek estimates the festival goes through over 400 gallons of chili and says the winning recipes include a blend of spices with no one flavor dominating. “It’s got bite, but not killer bite,” he says. “A winning chili is one that when the bar closes up, you’d want to take it home with you.”

When the bite gets a bit much, head over to where over 50 microbrews will be available for sampling during the Seasonal Ale Competition and Tasting on Friday and the Grand Tasting on Saturday. Elite microbrewers such as Tommyknocker, Stone, and New Belgium Brewing will be on hand along with others like The Boulder Beer Company, Ska Brewing, Breckenridge Brewery and Flying Dog.

Music is the festival’s third component, which this year boasts a phenomenal line-up. Jonny Lang in his first Colorado appearance of the summer performs music from his long-awaited forthcoming album. Medeski Martin & Wood, the Wood Brothers, and talented up-and-coming musicians Trevor Hall, Sean Costello, Little Hercules, and Waste Deep perform on the main outdoor stage on Fanny Hill. When the main venue closes down each night the music moves indoors to the Blue Door for late night partying.

“From Leftover Salmon and Pato Banton in year one to Keller Williams and Michael Franti & Spearhead last year to this level of performers in 2006 shows an amazing progression of talent and a true dedication to bringing spectacular music to Snowmass for a reasonable price,” says Event Director Josh Behrman. On Sunday the party continues for free with an amateur chili cook-off judged by the people, a first-ever home brew competition, and the music of Waste Deep.

Chili Pepper & Brew Fest tickets are only $15/day on Friday and Saturday or $25/day for a party pass that includes chili and microbrew samplings. Lodging specials abound for the weekend and start at $49.50/per person per night including a weekend party pass. For more details, a complete schedule or to purchase tickets, visit www.snowmasschiliandbrew.com.

For media interviews with artists or media information and photos, please contact Allison Johnson at aj@snowmasspress.com.

Snowmass Village, Colorado, is located in the heart of the Elk Mountains 9 miles from Aspen, Colorado. Snowmass is accessible via four regional airports: Aspen, Eagle, Grand Junction, and Denver and recently announced new direct summer jet service from Aspen to Salt Lake City on Delta and Aspen to Los Angeles on United. For a summer media guide of this popular mountain destination, please visit www.snowmasspress.com.

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