PUEBLO — There is a shake-up happening this year at Pueblo's Chile and Frijoles Festival. Regulars know to find all the chile roasters on the diagonal in front of the Vail Hotel. After years at the same location festival organizers mad an executive decision to move the roasting location.
The event keeps getting more popular and there is concern about all people crowding the roasting space in front of the hotel. "Reassess how close the propane tanks are to the actual roasters." Donielle Kitzman with the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce says they work with Pueblo Fire Department every year to make sure the event is safe. This year they decided there needed to be more space where the roasters and festival goers mix. “We needed to spread that out a little bit.”
" You know change is always hard," said Peppers and Petals, owner, Cheri Pullara. She is one of the locals who spends the three days of the festival roasting chiles. Her traditional location is now a thing of the past. Roasting now moves a half block away to the parking lot by the Senior Resource Development agency. Pullar says she cannot yet say if it is good or bad. “They’ll find us. You know, how could you miss the smell of all those chiles and you know, the noise of the roasters in the background.
The Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival runs 20th through the 22nd of September. It is the 25th anniversary year.
