About the NC Hot Sauce Contest

The NC Hot Sauce Contest & Festival attracts more than 25,000 visitors to Downtown Oxford and Granville County each year and has consistently been recognized as one of the best festivals in the county. It is also North Carolina’s #1 hot sauce festival and ranks among the largest hot sauce festivals in the United States.

This two-day event features live entertainment, local performances on the Community Stage, the Bailey Farms Pepper Eating Contest, and the opportunity to watch the competition heat up on the Hot Sauce Live Contest Stage as North Carolina’s best sauces are judged.

Festivalgoers can enjoy dozens of food and merchandise vendors, exciting contests, and fun activities for the whole family. We can’t wait to see you in Downtown Oxford!

HISTORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA HOT SAUCE CONTEST

Years ago, Julia Stovall Overton, Owner of Stovall's Gifts located at 100 Main Street in historic downtown Oxford, hosted an event in her store, Stovall's, promoting North Carolina, specifically hot sauces. From that event, the NC Hot Sauce Contest was born and has grown to encompass 16 city blocks in downtown Oxford. In recognition of the event and its success, the North Carolina General Assembly on March 19, 2009, adopted the 2nd Saturday in September as North Carolina Hot Sauce Day sponsored by Representative Crawford. Each year the Hot Sauce Contest grows and adapts to the changing and growing community adding craft brews, arts/crafts, and area food-truck adding to its rich and flavorful history. In 2019 Julia Overton announced her retirement with the main stage being named in her honor. OxForward and the City of Oxford recognize the "Hot Sauce Contest" as an important economic driver of Downtown Oxford's current and future economy.    

Bailey Farms is the "Pepper Eating Contest" exclusive sponsor and the largest pepper producer/distributor on the eastern seaboard. 

North Carolina’s finest hot sauces and barbecue sauces, along with breweries and wineries spice up the blends and texture of downtown Oxford's historical streets. Capture all the "cool" history of Oxford by visiting the Granville County Museum while Downtown, open from 11:00 - 5:00 pm on hot sauce day. 

Downtown Oxford offers a variety of local shop owners waiting to greet you and show off their unique fun inventory. Locally owned restaurants are ready to serve you in their "cool" dining rooms... don't miss Granville County's only historic Downtown and Designated Main Street Community.

It's Happening in Downtown Oxford!