Breckenridge Texan

Breck Trade Days will get a little bit spicier in August with the introduction of the Fresh Homemade Salsa and Guacamole Contest.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 18, at the monthly Breck Trade Days, held just south of the Breckenridge City Park.

“We’re always looking for new ideas to add something to the Trade Days event to draw people in,” said Breckenridge City Manager Andy McCuistion. “We did the chili cook-off in December, and we decided August would be a good time to have a salsa and guacamole contest.”

The contest will be open to anyone and will feature several different categories. Salsa may be entered in the categories of hot, mild or sweet/fruity. Guacamole may be entered in the categories of traditional or most unusual. Each contestant may only have one entry in each category.

The salsa and guacamole must be prepared on-site. Electricity will be provided.

“We want most of it prepared on-site. We’d like to watch people make it,” McCuistion said. “But, there are some things you can do off-site. If you need to marinate stuff, if you need to grill stuff or smoke it, you can do those things off-site, if you need to.”

Contestants must provide tables, equipment and ingredients. For the judging, contestants must provide a minimum of one pint of salsa. There will also be a People’s Choice Award, so extra salsa/guacamole for the public to taste may be necessary.

Tortilla chips will be provided.

The judging will be based on appearance, taste and texture. There will be a top prize of $50 awarded in each category.

The contest will start at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, and judging will begin at 11:30 a.m.

Entry forms are available at the City of Breckenridge office, 105 N. Rose Ave. For more information, call Pam Wright at 254-559-8287.

Cutline, top photo: Contestants prepare their entries at the Breck Trade Days chili cook-off in December. Next month, Breck Trade Days will host a Salsa and Guacamole Contest. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)