The Sauce, Rub and Salsa Contest

1. Fill out the entry form listing the category with 1 sample bottle for the sauce to be judged. 
2. The top 3 contestants in each category will be called to the Baily Farms Pepper Eating Stage where the Champion for each listed category will be announced. 
3. A cash prize of ($500) will be given to each category Champion and medals will be awarded to the 2 runner-ups in each category.
4. Sauces entered by mail AND not present at the day’s festival are limited to 1 entry per contest year Mail to: NC Hot Sauce Contest, 300 Williamsboro Street, Oxford NC 27565
5. First place Champions will receive a jpg “winner” seal in recognition as a 2025 NC Sauce Winner to add to labeling providing that sauce winner the much-deserved bragging rights as a 2024 NC Hot Sauce Winner!​   
6. Winners will be announced from the Julia Overton Main Stage. 

We will NOT accept ANY product "privately labeled" outside of North Carolina for a named NC Company or any sauces containing "pepper extract".

• All entries MUST be PRE-REGISTERED by 08/01/2025
• All entries MUST be produced in North Carolina 
• All entries MUST have a professionally labeled bottle (ready for retail)  
• Each entry MUST fill out an entry form with contact information and check the “category” for entry judging  
• No entry will be accepted if “pepper extracts” are used in the ingredients
• ALL Sauce Contestants  must pre-register each bottled sauce and mail it to NC Hot Sauce Contest, 300 Williamsboro St. Oxford NC 27565 by August 1, 2025, to qualify for "blind" judging