NC Hot Sauce Contest & Festival

06/15/2026

🔥 It's going to be HOT... and we're not just talking about the sauce! 🔥

The heat, the crowds, the flavor, the fun—it's all coming back to downtown Oxford on September 11-12, 2026. 🌶️and we have one question...

👀 Carpe— are you coming back this year?

06/14/2026

The Hurricanes are bringing the HEAT this Stanley Cup Final! 🔥🏒

We’re channeling that fiery spirit all the way here in Oxford, NC. As the Canes head off to cause a storm in Las Vegas, we’re getting ready to experience a flavor storm at the North Carolina Hot Sauce Contest & Festival! From mild breezes to Category 5 Scoville levels, we’ll have enough spice to make even the toughest fans break a sweat. Don't miss out!

Join us as we celebrate one of Carolina's hottest teams and one of Carolina's hottest events. 🌶️🏆

Make it happen.

06/12/2026

A HUGE thank you to all of our Sponsors!!

06/11/2026

Registration is now open for the 2026 NC Hot Sauce Contest & Festival Friday Night Cruz-In! Join us on Friday, September 11, 2026, and showcase your classic car, truck, muscle car, hot rod, or custom ride as part of one of North Carolina's hottest festivals.

📅 Friday, September 11, 2026
📍 Downtown Oxford
📝 Register your vehicle here: https://form.jotform.com/261315272198054

Help us kick off the 20th Annual NC Hot Sauce Contest & Festival with an evening full of classic cars, community, and fun. See you there! 🌶️🚘

Please click the link to complete this form.

06/11/2026

Things are heating up in Oxford! 🔥 Get ready for some scorchers! These jokes are on a whole other Scoville level 🌶️

06/10/2026

🚨 SCAM ALERT 🚨
Protect Yourself from Fraudulent Vendor Registrations

The ONLY official ways to register for the NC Hot Sauce Contest & Festival are:

🌶️ Through our official website

📞 By calling the City of Oxford at 919-603-1101

❌ Do NOT send payments to individuals through social media, private messages, or unofficial websites.

❌ The City of Oxford will never ask vendors to register through personal Facebook accounts or third-party payment apps.

✅ If you have any questions about vendor registration, contact us directly before making a payment.

City of Oxford
📞 919-603-1101

Stay Safe. Register Smart. Verify Before You Pay.

06/10/2026

What would a hot sauce festival be without a pepper-eating contest?

Sign up for the Bailey Farms Hot Pepper Eating Contest at the NC Hot Sauce Festival in Downtown Oxford, NC, on Saturday, September 12, 2026.

🌶️ Think you can handle the heat? 🌶️

Sign-up for the Bailey Farms Hot Pepper Eating Contest!

At the NC Hot Sauce Festival in Downtown Oxford, NC, on September 12, 2026. We can't wait to see who takes on the challenge!

🔥 Sign up today and get ready to bring the heat! 🔥

06/05/2026

The NC Hot Sauce Contest & Festival wouldn't be possible without the incredible support of our sponsors. Their commitment to our community helps make this one of the largest and most anticipated events in North Carolina year after year.

A huge THANK YOU to our 2026 sponsors:

🔥 Inferno Title Sponsor
Bailey Farms

🌶️ Ghost Pepper Gold Sponsors
Benchmark Community Bank
Granville County
Granville Health System

🌶️ Jalapeño Jubilee Sponsor
Oxford Credit Union

🔥 Chipotle Champion Sponsors
Duke Energy
Lewis Electric of Oxford
Altec

🌶️ Thai Chili Thrive Sponsors
WLUS 98.3 FM
Concrete Pipe & Precast (CP&P)
Food Lion
Fidelity Bank
Granville County Chamber of Commerce
Capital Vacations
Carolina Heat Athletics
Bragging Rooster

🌶️ Pepper Patron
Bail Bonds by Kendra

Thank you for helping us bring the heat to Downtown Oxford on September 11-12, 2026! Be sure to support the businesses and organizations that support our community and make this festival possible.

06/03/2026

The countdown begins! The 20th Annual North Carolina Hot Sauce Contest & Festival is in 100 days! Start building up your spice tolerance now!
Vendors, don’t forget to apply for a spot at North Carolina’s #1 Hot Sauce Festival: https://www.eventeny.com/events/20th-annual-nc-hot-sauce-festival-contest-29025/

05/11/2026

🔥 A HUGE thank you to our amazing sponsors for helping make the 20th Annual NC Hot Sauce Contest & Festival possible! 🌶️

Because of your support, Downtown Oxford will once again be filled with incredible food, live entertainment, local vendors, and thousands of festivalgoers celebrating all things HOT!

We are so grateful for each business and organization that choose to support NC Hot Sauce Contest & Festival. Thank you for helping us turn up the heat in Oxford, NC! ❤️🔥
Bailey Farms, Inc.
Benchmark Community Bank
Visit Granville County NC
Granville Health System
Oxford Credit Union
Duke Energy
Lewis Electric of Oxford, Inc.
Altec Inc.
US983
CP&P, A CMC Precast Business
Fidelity Investments
Carolina Heat Athletes
Granville County Chamber of Commerce
Bragging Rooster Beer and Mead
Bail Bonds by Kendra