The North Market is looking to spice things up with its annual Fiery Foods Weekend, featuring a variety of vendors, contests and attractions with a kick.

The event will take place Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 19 and 20, beginning at 10 a.m. each day.

  “We have been putting on the Fiery Foods weekend every year since I started here six years ago, and it is always a big hit with residents,” says North Market Director of Marketing Mary Martineau.

In addition to the regular merchants set up at the North Market, 12 outside vendors will set up shop in the market’s upstairs kitchen to show off their spicy cuisine.

“I regularly participate in Columbus’ North Market Fiery Foods show, which I have done each year,” says Chuck Evans, owner of Chuck Evans’ MONTEZUMA Brand.  “I am the only surviving exhibitor left from the very first Fiery Foods show ever held in 1988 in El Paso, Texas, the predecessor to the world's largest fiery foods show in Albuquerque, N.M.”

Chuck Evans’ MONTEZUMA Brand is one of the oldest specialty salsa manufacturers in the country and the oldest in Ohio, Evans says.

The first day of the festival begins with a guacamole contest, and also features a chef chili challenge and an amateur chili contest. Sunday’s food contests include amateur hot sauce and salsa contests.

“Folks looking for an opportunity to challenge their taste buds and try some great hot food need to come out,” says Jeff White, proprietor of festival participant Mudflats Brands LLC. “We will also be entering the in the chili contest with our Mudflats Chili, so people need to make sure they come out for a good hot time.” 

Tickets to sample the chili from both the chef chili challenge and amateur chili contest can be purchased for $5 the day of the contests. 

The amateur contests require signup in advance, and a few still have spaces available, Martineau says.

The weekend will also include several fiery foods eating competitions to put those taste buds to the test. Those who can stomach the pain will have the opportunity to compete in fiery cornbread, jalapeno, hot ice cream sundae and hot wing eating contests.

“With the jalapenos, after about 10 or so, it typically just turns into an endurance competition of who can stand the most pain from the peppers,” Martineau says.

  Fiery Foods Weekend offers fun for the whole family, with live music playing throughout the weekend, face painting on Saturday and the Mark Wood Fun Show on Sunday, featuring cowboy magician Mark Wood.

New to the Fiery Foods Weekend this year will be the chile pepper art contest, which will feature multiple media of work based on chile peppers and will be judged on Sunday.

“People should come out to enrich their taste buds of the variety of ethnic and flavorful foods available throughout the world,” Evans says. “Flavorful, spicy and fiery foods encourage the exploration of new combinations to enliven a bland diet.”

There will also be a fiery foods brunch on Sunday at 10 a.m., offering food from six chefs with mild and vegetarian options. Reservations for the brunch can be made for $12 online at www.northmarket.com.

Registration for fiery foods eating contests will take place in person on the day of those contests. Registration for all other contests is available by e-mailing Martineau at .

The event is free to attend for all ages and requires a $5 fee to sample the chili from both contests.