The 17th annual Chili Pepper Festival, founded by John Bixler and Chris Markey, took place Sept. 7 and 8 in Bowers.

There were rows of vendors and food stands with everything connected to chili peppers that anyone could imagine. Most of the foods offered contained chili peppers.

Butch Imhoff's Acoustic Road Show provided entertainment for people strolling around, eating and taking in the sights.

The variety of music played was for everyone's taste, as long as you liked country.

The music, by a variety of entertainers could be heard all day, everywhere.

The bleachers by the stage were occupied all day, as many people sat a while to listen and then moved on.

Hot, Hot, Hot! The food was hot, the peppers in the Jalapeno Eating Contest were hot and the weather was hot.

The weather stayed hot until right before the pepper-eating contest on Saturday.

At 3:30 p.m., the heavens opened up and it rained buckets.

Letting up a little right before the contest began at 4 o'clock, the rain did not discourage people.

They stayed for the contest and weathered the downpour.

Twenty contestants registered, so they competed in two heats of 10.

If a contestant spit out the peppers (a large waste can was behind the contestants) or threw up, they would be disqualified, said Mike Hoster, who ran the contest.

Each contestant had their choice of milk, water, soda or whatever they wanted to wash the peppers down or ease the burning in their mouth.

Contestants were not allowed to leave the stage until their mouth was completely empty.

Placing first was Gary Breshers, who consumed 125.7 grams of peppers. Breshers also won in 2008.

Placing second was Chris Craig, who ate five peppers.

Craig said this was his first time entering the contest.

Placing third was Chris Mills, who consumed four peppers weighing 113 grams.