Hot Sauce and Salsa Contest Sponsored by Frost Bank Boerne

Annual Hot Sauce and Salsa Contest

Sponsored by Sonora Bank Boerne

What You Need to Know About the Event

Green, red, hot or mild—it’s up to you! Put your favorite homemade recipe to the test and enter the Kendall County Fair Hot Sauce & Salsa Contest on Friday, September 4, 2026. Just remember—the judges need to be able to taste it, so don’t make it too hot to handle!

Entry Rules & Requirements

• Contest is open to all residents of Kendall County and must be prepared by the exhibitor as entered.
• A $5.00 entry fee per exhibitor is required and is non-refundable.
• Only the first 20 entries will be accepted for judging.
• Hot sauce/salsa must be homemade from scratch. All entries will be refrigerated until judging and People’s Choice judging.
• Participants may enter more than one hot sauce/salsa into the contest as long as a different recipe is used for each entry.
• All hot sauce/salsa entered must include the recipe used. The recipe must be typed or legibly handwritten or printed on the Ingredient List Form. The entrant’s name must not be listed on the Ingredient List Form.
• All hot sauce/salsa entries must be submitted in clean pint Mason jars. Lids must be rust-free.
  • One pint for Main Judging
  • One pint for People’s Choice Judging

    Applicants are required to bring two (2) pint Mason jars of hot sauce/salsa:

    All Mason jars will be returned to competitors after the close of contest judging. For food safety reasons, all entries not consumed during People’s Choice judging will be disposed of. Only the Mason jars will be returned to competitors.

• All hot sauce/salsa entered for Main or People’s Choice judging will be labeled with the entry number only.

Entry Check-In Date, Time & Place

• Friday, September 4, 2026 
• Check-in will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. No entries will be accepted after 12:00 noon.
• Entry check-in will take place at the Homestead Heritage Exhibit Hall at the fairgrounds.

Judging & Awards

• Judging will be closed and conducted in a private area where only the judges are allowed. Judging will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2026. Winners will be announced immediately following judging.

  The Kendall County Fair Association will select a panel of judges to evaluate entries based on aroma, color, flavor, heat and texture. Judges will use a scoring scale of 1–5, with 5 being the highest, for a possible perfect score of 25 points. Scoring will be the sole responsibility of the judges, and their results will be final. Judges’ score sheets will be available to competitors upon request after the contest is over and winners have been announced.

• All winners are required to attend a photo shoot after the contest.
• Placement Awards:
  • First Place — $75.00 + Rosette Ribbon
  • Second Place — $50.00 + Rosette Ribbon
  • Third Place — $25.00 + Rosette Ribbon
• All competitors who do not place will receive a participation ribbon.
• The judges’ decisions on winning entries are final.

People’s Choice Judging & Awards

Tasting chips will be provided to individuals participating in the People’s Choice judging.

• People’s Choice judging will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 4, 2026, and is open to the public. Judging will be held in the Homestead Heritage Exhibit Hall.
• Each individual participating in People’s Choice judging will receive one ticket to cast a vote.
• Tickets will be counted at the end of the allotted judging time, and the winner will be announced.
• The winner will receive a Rosette Ribbon and $25.00 cash award.
• In the event of a tie, individuals will receive another ticket for an additional round of voting between the tied entries. Only tied entries will qualify for the additional round.
• The decision of the People’s Choice winning entry is final after the panel of judges tabulates the votes.
• The winner is required to attend a photo shoot after judging is completed.
• Award: $25.00 Cash + Rosette Ribbon

Hot Sauce/Salsa Ingredients List Form (PDF)
Rules and Regulations (PDF)