New Lenox Food Fight Back, Hot Sauce Contest Puts Tasters To The Test

NEW LENOX, IL — Ding, ding, ding! New Lenox's Food Fight: Taco Fest is back for round 2, and they've added a little extra heat to this year's festivities.

Set for Saturday, July 20, from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. in the Village Commons, local restaurants and food trucks have been invited to enter the ring with their best taco— traditional, unique, basic, gourmet. Event attendees will be encouraged to try as many tacos as possible and then vote for their favorite. The restaurant with the most votes will be crowned this year's Food Fight champion!

Now in its second year, officials have upped the fun, with a hot sauce contest. Contestants will be challenged through 10 rounds of different hot sauces increasing in hotness level. Short activities will follow every round—"so contestants can sit with the heat," officials said. The contest is set for 7:15 p.m. in front of the Village Commons stage. Registration is same-day only and will be open at the welcome table from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Participation is limited to 15 people, and you must be at least 18 years or older. Anyone with questions should email Annabelle Andrews at aandrews@newlenox.net.

Another full slate of entertainment will be a part of Taco Fest this year. Live music will be provided by Mariachi de Joliet and Y2K. Kid-friendly activities will be available all day, including bounce houses, face painting, crafts, and more. The chihuahua beauty pageant returns, and other fun games and contests will be a part of the day's lineup.

11 a.m.: DJ
3 p.m.: Chihuahua beauty pageant
4 p.m.: Performance by Mariachi de Joliet
5:30 p.m.: Tortilla throwing contest
6 p.m.: Performance by Y2K
7:15 p.m.: Hot sauce eating contest
9 p.m.: Crowning of the winner

Admission to this event is free, but officials encourage donations to the New Lenox Township Food Pantry. At this time, the donations most needed by the food pantry are canned meats, canned vegetables, and canned fruits. A full list of desired items as well as general information on the New Lenox Township Food Pantry can be found here.

Each food vendor on site will offer a featured taco available for sale. Attendees are encouraged to try as many as possible before voting for your favorite. A list of participating food vendors and descriptions of their featured tacos will be available soon

Beverages

Beer and hard seltzer will be available for sale. The Dock on Front Street will be on-site offering specialty margarita sales. Water and non-alcoholic beverages will be available from food vendors. Alcoholic beverages may not be carried into this event.

Parking
A portion of Veterans Parkway will be closed for this event to accommodate the event activities. Limited parking is available on the street.

Parking is available in the south lot of the Village Hall and at Trinity Services. Parking is available at Old Plank Trail Community Bank after 1:00 p.m. and at the New Lenox Public Library after 4:00 p.m. Please help us treat our neighbors with respect by leaving their parking lots open for patrons until these designated times. We appreciate your courtesy.

Specially designated accessible parking spaces for this event will be located behind the New Lenox Public Library.

Additional Policies
No smoking is permitted on the Village Commons lawn during Village events. No pets are permitted in the Village Commons during Village events, with the exception of service animals and contestants in the chihuahua beauty pageant. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome, but please note that for this event a large tent will be set up next to the New Lenox Police Department with picnic table seating available.