Home of the Patty Aragon Green Chile Classic
Event Details
About the Cha Cha.
The Mountain Chile Cha Cha is a ticketed festival. Tastings are part of the fun, but they are sold separately inside the event.
Our Mission
The mission of the Mountain Chile Cha Cha, officially the Patty Aragon Green Chile Classic, is to build community in Pagosa Springs and the Southwest while celebrating Hispanic cultural heritage through local cuisine and music.
Event Admission
$10 entry fee at the gate. Kids 12 and under get in free.
Advance admission tickets may be available through Eventbrite once ticket sales open.
Event Tastings
Green chile tasting trays are $15. Salsa tasting is sold separately inside the event. Margarita tasting tickets are sold separately inside the event, with pricing based on the number of tickets purchased.
No pre-sales for tastings. Arrive early because tastings can sell out.
What’s Happening
- Green Chile Cook-Off and tasting
- Commercial Salsa Competition and tasting
- Margarita Contest and tasting
- Beer Garden
- Live Latin Music
Family and Festival
- Kids Fun Corner
- Local vendors
- On-site green chile roasting
- Food, drinks, dancing, and community
Schedule
- Gates open at 12:00 PM
- Chile, salsa, and margarita tastings start at 12:30 PM
- Live music runs 12:30-5:00 PM
Giving Back
A portion of proceeds from the event support the Patty Aragon Memorial Fund, helping sustain the Mountain Chile Cha Cha while preserving and celebrating our Hispanic cultural heritage through local cuisine, music, and community traditions. Funds also support youth programs, school activities, and other community initiatives.
Event Notice: Dogs are not permitted under the tent during the chile cook-off. No outside liquor is permitted.
Ready to Enter?
Event Registrations
Choose the form that matches your entry. Contest registrations are separate from event admission and tasting tickets.
- Public tasting starts at 12:30 PM.
- Green chile, salsa, and margarita tastings are sold separately inside the event.
- No pre-sales for tastings. Arrive early because tastings can sell out.
Patty Aragon Green Chile Classic
Bring your best green chile and compete for cash, trophies, medals, and bragging rights.
The Green Chile Classic is the heart of the day, with home cooks, commercial entries, public tastings, and People’s Choice favorites.
Home Cooks
Compete in meat or vegetarian categories. Judges select First Place Meat and First Place Vegetarian winners, each receiving $300 plus a trophy. Second- and Third-Place receive medals and bragging rights.
Commercial Entries
Judges select the best commercial green chile entry. The first-place winner receives a trophy and a full-page ad in the Pagosa Springs Dining Guide, valued at $700. Second and Third Place receive medals.
People’s Choice
The public votes for the favorite home cook and commercial entries. People’s Choice winners receive $300 plus a trophy. Second and Third Place receive medals.
Entrants do not need to stay with their chile. Volunteers serve, chile judging is blind, and every cook receives complimentary event admission and a thank-you gift.
Live Latin Music
Sangre Joven and Str8 Shot are back by popular demand.
Starting at 12:30 PM, these two powerhouse New Mexico bands will take the Cha Cha stage with Rancheras, Cumbias, Corridos, Polkas, Valses, and high-energy variety hits to keep the crowd dancing until 5:30 PM.
Put on your dancing shoes, bring your appetite, and join us for an unforgettable day of food, culture, and community.
Sangre Joven
A multi-award-winning band from Las Vegas, NM, performing El Estillo Del Norte De Nuevo Mexico and carrying forward Rancheras and traditional Northern New Mexico music.
Str8 Shot
A New Mexico music and variety band known for getting crowds moving with classic covers, original hits, and their breakout CD El Primero.
Get Involved
Vendors, volunteers, and sponsors.
Vendor applications, volunteer signups, and sponsorship opportunities should be easy to find while competition registrations stay under Register.
Vendors
Food, craft, merch, and community vendors can get event details and booth requirements.
Vendor ApplicationVolunteers
Help with setup, tasting flow, guests, kids’ activities, and event support.
Volunteer InfoSponsors
Support the Mountain Chile Cha Cha and the Patty Aragon Memorial Fund.
Sponsor Info
Community Tradition
The Woman Who Inspired the Green Chile Classic
Pagosa Springs may not grow large quantities of green chiles, but we consume them in every form imaginable: served straight up or atop burgers, fries, and almost everything else. The Patty Aragon Green Chile Classic honors that local tradition while celebrating Patty Aragon, a beloved local cook whose homemade green chile was a community favorite.
“My mother made the best green chile, hands down,” says event organizer Jacque Aragon. “I’m proud to carry on her tradition and love seeing other people get excited about making and eating green chile.”
The 18th Annual Patty Aragon Green Chile Classic is the heart of the event, where nearly 50 home cooks and professional chefs bring their best recipes to the table. From traditional chile verde to creative twists, the competition is fiercely delicious.
Winners take home cash prizes, trophies, and bragging rights, and the public can taste, vote, and help choose the People’s Choice winner.
Enter the Classic