Register for the CMI SalsaFest Challenge Amateur Salsa Making Competition at SalsaFest!

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Chelsea Stephens, left, took home Best Table Display for her “The Hot Dogs, Halloween Display”.

Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: Chelsea Stephens, left, took home Best Table Display for her “The Hot Dogs, Halloween Display” at last year’s SalsaFest. It’s once again time to sign up for the salsa-making competitions.

Contributed Article/Courtesy Graham County Chamber of Commerce

SAFORD – The Graham County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the community’s upcoming Amateur Salsa Making Competition at this year’s SalsaFest. We invite all salsa makers to showcase their culinary talents and compete for cash prizes on Saturday, September 28th. Whether your specialty is red, green, or specialty salsas, there is award money for you!

Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: Don’t judge a book by its cover. This picture shows a grandmother helping a boy with his salsa recipe.

Event Schedule:

Morning Salsa Competition:

  • 7 a.m.: Check-in Begins
  • 7:30 a.m.: Mandatory Food Safety Meeting
  • 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 am: Salsa Preparation
  • 10 a.m. – 11:00 am: Salsa Packaging and Cleanup
  • 11 a.m.: Red Salsa Chip Sales Begin

Awards Ceremony:

  • 8 p.m.: Awards Show at Safford City Hall Lawn, 717 W. Main Street, Safford, Arizona 85546.
Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: SalsaFest Spicy 17 People’s and Judge’s Choice winner Doreen Grove holds up one of her checks with her husband, Eddie, by her side with presenters from CMI.

Competition Details: Participants must register by Friday, September 27 on Eventbrite. Entry fees are $10, payable via Eventbrite. All competitors must be amateur salsa makers. If you sell your salsa commercially, you may participate in the Taste of the Trail competition.

Judging Criteria:

  • Taste
  • Texture
  • Wow Factor

Prizes:

  • Best Overall Salsa: $1,000
  • Best Red Salsa: $500
  • Best Green Salsa: $500
  • Best Specialty Salsa: $500
  • Best Table Display: $200

Public Participation: The public is welcome to purchase bags of chips and sample the competing salsas.

Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: Table presentation from the 2023 event.

The competitions are proudly sponsored by CMI, and we thank them for their generous support. We are looking for additional sponsors to help with the prize money.

Contact Information: For more details and to register, visit Eventbrite. For additional inquiries contact Saralou Bigler at the Graham County Chamber of Commerce via email at saralou@grahamchamber.org.

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Event attendees sample the salsa at the 2023 event.

Take this chance to taste some of the best salsas in the region and support your local culinary talent. We look forward to seeing you there!