Datil Fest

November 8th, join us 9-8pm for Datil Fest 2025 co-hosted by Mayhem Datil Pepper Farms, Main Street Palatka, and Putnam UF/IFAS. We even have a kids' play area!

This event is perfect for datil pepper enthusiasts and families alike. -Hosted by Mayhem Datil Pepper Farms and Main Street Palatka-

Join us on October 26th from 9 AM to 8 PM for the inaugural Datil Fest at the Riverfront in Downtown Palatka,Florida! Datil Fest is perfect for datil pepper enthusiasts and families alike. Enjoy a wide variety of datil pepper vendors, thrilling competitions, food tr

ucks, VIP Perks, a culinary tasting experience, live music, and refreshing beverages—including cold beer! Don't miss out on this family fun-filled day! Datil Fest will be the biggest datil pepper event ever!

***SIGN UP NOW at www.datifest.com for the VIP Access Pass and the Culinary experience before tickets sell out! The festival itself is Free to attend!

12/01/2025

Amateur Datil Showdown Winners

A huge thank-you to everyone who signed up for the Amateur Datil Showdown!

The creativity this year was OUTSTANDING, and the judges had a deliciously tough job. Congratulations to our winners:

🥇 1st Place: Kim — Datil Maize Ya Carmel coated popcorn
🥈 2nd Place: April Cain — Datil Peach Jelly
🥉 3rd Place: Martha Yannitz — Smoked Datil Honey

Thank you to all who participated and shared your incredible datil creations with us!
And… Troy is still a little disappointed — he really thought he was getting the leftovers! 😂

11/22/2025

Huge THANK YOU to the incredible musicians who helped take Datil Fest 2025 over the top! , , , , , and !

From the first note to the final encore, you brought the energy, the rhythm, and the soul that kept the crowd movin’, groovin’, and smiling all day long.
Your talent and passion helped create the perfect vibe and made this year’s festival truly unforgettable.

To every singer, guitarist, drummer, band member, and performer who stepped on that stage — THANK YOU for bringing the heat right alongside the peppers! 🌶🔥

We’re grateful for you, and we hope to see you back at Datil Fest 2026 to turn it up even higher!

, , , , , and

11/21/2025

Special shoutout to Troy and Heidi from Mayhem Datil Pepper Farms!

Troy is the creator and driving force behind , the one who brought this amazing celebration to life in Palatka!

He built the new Datil Fest website (twice!), managed all vendor booths and Amateur Contest applications, and kept communication flowing every step of the way. He also played a huge role in organizing the Culinary Competition, helping bring it all together.

Beyond that, Troy posted 100's times across Facebook groups from St. Augustine to Jacksonville, Palm Coast, and all the way down to Melbourne—spreading datil love far and wide.

Heidi and Troy also spent countless hours on the road, handing out flyers across Florida’s east coast to help grow the festival and share the story of the legendary datil pepper.

All this effort while daily tending to over 1,100 datil pepper plants!

Thank you both for your passion, dedication, and endless energy that helped make Datil Fest 2025 our biggest and best yet!

11/21/2025

Datil Fest 2025 Culinary Competition Results!

The datilicious flavors were off the charts this year! Thank you to all the Culinary participants. You all were on fire!

dominated the competition — taking home Best Savory with their mouthwatering Datil Smash Burger and winning Best Drink with the refreshing and datilly Matanzas Mule!
1821 will soon bring three fresh flavors to Palatka soon - Palatka Burger, Noey’s “Near the River,” and The Cypress Chophouse. Get ready, Northeast Florida — it’s about to get even more datilicious!

In the Sweet Category, the crown went to The Magnolia Cafe, whose Datil Pineapple Cheesecake absolutely stole the show — and the judges’ hearts!
The Magnolia Café in downtown Palatka is a charming brunch spot known for its warm atmosphere and elevated Southern-inspired comfort food. Serving creative breakfast and lunch dishes made with fresh, local ingredients!

Congratulations to all our winners, and a huge thank-you to every chef who brought their A-game to the stage. The creativity, heat, and passion were unmatched.

We can’t wait to see if you’ll defend your titles next year at Datil Fest 2026!

11/14/2025

Datil Fest 2025 was a HUGE success!
Beautiful weather (a little warm!), an exciting Amateur Showdown, and incredible live music set the perfect vibe all day long. The Culinary Competition sold out once again, bringing serious datiliciousness, fierce heat, and a whole lot of fun!
Datil vendors were “slinging sauce” nonstop, most saying it was their best day ever. Food trucks were busy, and the crowd’s energy and excitement made this year’s festival truly unforgettable.
A massive thank-you to our amazing financial sponsors— , , , , and —your support made this year’s Datil Fest shine even brighter!
Planning for Datil Fest 2026 starts now.
To everyone who volunteered, participated, or came out to celebrate the legendary Datil Pepper, thank you! 🌶️
Together, we’re putting this incredible pepper on the world map! 🌎
More Shout outs coming!

11/14/2025

Thank you to Wendy Mussoline and the entire UF/IFAS team for their major contributions to 2025. They printed all the flyers and badges, laminating most of them.
Wendy played the key role in organizing the entire festival and ran the Culinary Competition, helping make it a standout success. Their support and attention to detail made a real difference. Putnam

11/13/2025

Thank you to Shaine and Samantha Berndt and the team for bringing serious talent to Datil Fest 2025. VIP whole-hog smoke was a showcase of true craft, flavor, and datil pepper mastery. Your work and dedication helped elevate the festival and gave everyone something to talk about. The smiles I witnessed were infectious!
Appreciation to the entire Berndt Ends crew for delivering the real deal.

Address

193-101 St Johns Avenue
Palatka, FL
32177

Website

http://datilfest.com/

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