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(Sidewalk Film Festival) — Salsa so good, you’ll be licking the cup too. (Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema)

On Saturday, May 25, Birmingham-area restaurants and chefs will put their best salsa, guac, queso and specialty dips to the test at the 13th Annual Salsa Showdown—and you’re invited.

About the Salsa Showdown

What: The 13th Annual Salsa Showdown benefitting Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema
Where: Cahaba Brewing Company, 4500 5th Ave S Building C, Birmingham, AL 35222
When: Saturday, May 25, 2PM to 6PM
General Admission Tickets: $20 in advance | $25 at the door | Kids 5 and under enter free
Get tickets

Started in 2011, the Salsa Showdown is the perfect excuse to stuff your face with as many chips & salsa, queso, guac and specialty dips as you can stand.

BONUS: Spice up your salsa experience with a VIP ticket, which includes:

Entry to the event
A Salsa Showdown t-shirt
Two drink tickets
Two tickets to a movie at the Sidewalk Cinema
And more

1. Try salsa, queso, guac + specialty dips from local chefs & restaurants

This sweet n’ spicy event is your one-stop-shop for the best salsa, queso, guac and specialty dips in The Magic City.

Participating restaurants and chefs include:

Condado Tacos
Dos Tequilas Mexican Bar and Cuisine
Hacienda Mexican Grill
La Paz Restaurant & Catering
Margarita Grill
Mexi King’s Grill
Pablo’s Restaurant
Rojo Birmingham
The Current at Cahaba
Uncle Keith’s Red Sauce

Attendees can vote for their favorite salsa, and each will be judged by a panel of jurors that includes:

Comedienne Joy, Bham Eat Drink Ride Food Tour
Joe Lockett, Joe Lockett Radio Show
Joy Service, Spire
Kenneth Moore, JSCC Culinary Institute
Patrick McCown, Land and Sea Cafe
Will Lochamy, Birmingham Mountain Radio

2. Test your limits at the Hot Pepper Eating Contest

Think you can handle the heat? Head over to the pepper stage for the Hot Pepper Eating Contest at 5PM. There, contestants will eat increasingly spicy peppers—including the infamous ghost pepper, one of the hottest chili peppers in the world.

Put your taste buds to the test—or watch your most daring friends try. The “hot pepper survivor” will win a limited-edition shirt.

3. Enjoy live music by DJ Rod Dedrick

DJ Rod Dedrick. (Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema)

What event isn’t made better by live music? Fan favorite DJ Rod Dedrick will be returning to play a banging set.

4. Participate in the 50/50 raffle

How would you like to walk out of the event with fistfuls of cash? From 2PM to 5:30PM, attendees can purchase raffle tickets in $5, $10 and $20 increments.

At 5:30PM, prize money will be counted up and split in two: half for Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema, and half for one lucky winner.

5. Proceeds benefit educational and outreach programs for Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema

What’s the one thing better than an event dedicated to chips and salsa? An event dedicated to chips and salsa that benefits education and outreach, of course!

Proceeds from the 13th Annual Salsa Showdown will help Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema continue their excellent education and outreach programs, such as: