Things are heating up in Granville County, and it’s not all because of the weather.
Granville County Tourism Director Angela Allen said this weekend’s Hot Sauce Festival is shaping up to be the best one yet.
This year, contestants entering their creations and concoctions have more than 100 categories and sub-categories to choose from, Allen said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9 in downtown Oxford.
Judges will review all different types of sauces, rubs and other products that get slathered on pork, chicken and more. There’s not just hot sauce, she said. There’s mild, hottest hot and verde, just to name a few.
Oxford has become the destination for hot sauce aficionados and foodies on the second Saturday in September. This is the 16th annual festival, and Allen said thousands of folks come to experience the festival, complete with music, arts and crafts vendors and much more.
“There’s a lot of good food,” Allen said. “We’re going to have judges who have this awesome job” of sampling products and deciding which ones get recognized. You can sample many of those products as you stroll along the streets of downtown Oxford, she added.
Of course, there’s a lot more to the Hot Sauce Festival than just hot sauce – Bailey Farms again is sponsoring the pepper eating contest, which begins at 1:30 p.m. Top prize is $1,000.
There will be plenty of live music on a couple of different stages throughout the day, including On The Border, an Eagles tribute band.
Visit www.nchotsaucefestivalandcontest.com for a complete schedule of events and vendor lists.
For those interested in getting the party started early, check out The Orpheum’s “night before” party. Find details at visitoxforddowntown on Facebook.
If the live music performances during the Hot Sauce Festival gets your toes tappin’ for more, head down to Creedmoor on Saturday, Sept. 16 for the Creedmoor Music Festival, now in its 30th year.
The town turns into a multi-genre sound stage to provide a wide range of music, from gospel to bluegrass and beyond.
The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and music will be performed on two stages. There will be plenty of “fair food” fare for listeners, as well as vendors with arts and crafts and a classic car cruise-in.
Those folks who want to create their own music can pop in to The Orpheum in downtown Oxford on Wednesdays at 8 for karaoke.
And if listening is more your thing than making music, visit Oxford Oaks Distillery for dinner and local live music on Wednesdays for “Verdigris Vibes.”
September goes out with a bang on Saturday, Sept. 30 with two events in the Oxford area.
Paws for Granville is an annual fundraiser held at the Granville County Expo Center to benefit spay/neuter projects of the Humane Society of Granville County and the Granville County Animal Shelter. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is a must-attend for animal lovers who want to make a difference.
The Central Children’s Home is hosting a cross-country event from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. that will include fun runs for locals and other track and field events sanctioned by USA Track and Field.
Bring along a can or two of food, because the event also is sponsoring a fundraiser for ACIM, the county’s food bank.
Find more information about these events and more at https://visitgranvillenc.com/
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