ABOUT DUTCH CHILI FEST
LA FIESTA PICANTE
Dutch Chili Fest is the only Dutch festival entirely dedicated to the chili pepper. This versatile fruit vegetable sets your taste buds on fire, yet sometimes surprises with unexpected sweetness. Our tribute to this spicy little pepper translates into a day filled with spicy food and various forms of entertainment.
Professionals and amateurs alike offer their hot peppered products at the market, where you can find everything related to urban gardening. There are competitions to determine who can handle the greatest amount of spiciness, cutting-edge music performances, and of course, an extensive selection of delicious food and drinks.
Even the youngest visitors have a blast thanks to our special activities tailored for children at Dutch Chili Fest.
HOT RODS & HOT SAUCE
Herald Coolbergen, founding father of Dutch Chili Fest, came up with the idea for a festival dedicated to the chili pepper while at a rock festival in 2012: “There were hot rods on display and hamburgers for sale. Hot sauce was really the missing element, I decided.”
It formed the starting point for Dutch Chili Fest. In just 3 months the first edition was a fact. “It soon became clear that many more people were working with chili peppers in their free time or in a professional capacity. I brought those people together.”
After 5 successful editions, it was time to pass the torch to Leo Hoeksema, founder of Zwaardvis Music. With Dutch Chili Fest Leo combines his two greatest passions: music and (spicy) food! In 2022 the team expanded with Bas van Baal and Stefan School. They were all involved since the first edition of the festival.
FOODprint
Dutch Chili Fest not only pays tribute to the chili pepper but also to the earth and nature from which this special fruit comes. We are in the middle of the climate crisis and more than 1 million plant and animal species worldwide are threatened with extinction. As a festival, we have the opportunity to inform and inspire our audience about topics that play a role in this in order to bring about change together.
We therefore do our best to reduce the festival's footprint as much as possible. We therefore use green energy, which is partly generated by the solar panels on the roof of the Klokgebouw. We think in terms of resources instead of waste. That is why we do not use disposable plastics but reusable cups and other alternatives and we ask exhibitors and caterers to do the same.
We also limit suppliers' transport kilometers by purchasing locally as much as possible and ask our visitors to come on foot, by bicycle or by train. After all, the festival is a 1-minute walk from Eindhoven Strijp-S train station.
We make the biggest impact by taking a critical look at our FOODprint and adapting the offering to a future-proof menu. That is why we are increasingly offering plant-based food and motivating our caterers to serve organic and local meat. Eating a piece of meat should be special and not self-evident. A delicacy, enjoy and eat it in moderation!