Deadline for cooks to mix it up at Salsa Festival

From chefs specializing in haute cuisine to at-home kitchen concocters, the city is looking for people to work their magic with tomatoes, peppers, and all manner of salsa ingredients.

The city’s eighth annual Salsa Festival is scheduled 4 to 9 p.m., March 31 at Pacana Park. 

It doesn’t cost anything to enter, but bring plenty of mixings to make eight gallons on the spot.

There is no limit on the number of chefs who can compete, but anyone up to the challenge needs to apply by Wednesday.

The event is a traditional salsa competition with contestants battling for $1,000 cash prize for Best Overall Salsa. Contestants also will have the opportunity to win $500 cash awards for Best Mild Salsa, Best Hot Salsa and Most Unusual Salsa.

Besides sampling the salsa and voting on their favorites, families can enjoy games, live entertainment and visit the Mercado Zone filled with business and craft vendors, food and drinks.

There will be a free shuttle service to and from the park from 3:30 to 10 p.m.

There is no on-site parking at the event and the city provides complimentary shuttle service from the six locations in the city from 3:30 to 10 p.m. Lots around the park are manned by parking attendants for event vendors with parking permits only.

The six park and ride locations are:

• Legacy Traditional School, 17760 N. Regent Drive
• Santa Rosa Elementary School, 21400 N. Santa Rosa Ave.
• Santa Cruz Elementary School, 19845 N. Costa del Sol
• Maricopa Wells Middle School, 45725 W. Honeycutt Ave.
• Butterfield Elementary School, 43800 W. Honeycutt Road
• Ace Hardware (ADA access), 21542 N. John Wayne Parkway