25 July 2025 - Written By
Terre Haute Title – Road to the Americas Belt Match, taking place at the 1st Annual Wabash Valley Pepper Fest and Hot Sauce Expo at:
- 📍 The Meadows Shopping Center Complex, 2800 Poplar St., Terre Haute, IN 47803, USA
- 📅 Date: Sunday, 28 September 2025
When we first launched the Road to the Americas and Road to the European Belt Matches in the summer of 2023, we never imagined that just two years later, we’d be celebrating 20 Road to the Americas events and 13 Road to the European events.
Our dream has always been to make competitive chilli-eating more accessible to people everywhere – and to grow the sport we are so passionate about. We’ve stayed focused on our roadmap and, through sheer hard work, determination, and the dedication of our incredible competitors, passionate supporters, and partner festivals who share our vision, we’ve built a truly global, respected international tournament circuit that’s now universally recognised and celebrated around the world.
🏆 At the heart of our competitions lies the prestigious League of Fire Belt, a trophy worth hundreds in itself – but more importantly, it carries unmatched recognition and status – a trophy that offers not just monetary value, but prestige, honour, and a place in chilli-eating history.
While we don’t offer physical cash prizes as of yet, we are focused on rewarding ALL our competitors in meaningful ways – whether they win or not – because their dedication deserves it.
In Europe, we’ve been fortunate to partner with festivals who have listened to us and offer hospitality, including accommodation for participants in places like Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Hungary, Bulgaria, and the UK. In the past, our partners in New Zealand and South Africa have also accommodated contestants.
And now, for the FIRST TIME ever in the USA, the Wabash Valley Pepper Fest & Hot Sauce Expo is setting a new standard.
💥 A HISTORIC FIRST FOR THE USA 💥
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that the Wabash Valley Pepper Fest & Hot Sauce Expo has made history by becoming the first-ever chilli festival in the Americas to offer FREE HOTEL ACCOMMODATION to all 10 competitors in the Road to the Americas Terre Haute Belt Match!
This is a game-changing gesture of support. All 10 confirmed competitors for the Terre Haute Title Match will each have a hotel room featuring queen or king beds for 2 nights for a comfortable stay, covering over $350 worth of lodging per person – no strings, no conditions, no gimmicks – just a simple token of our appreciation for their commitment and to express our support for those helping us grow this sport we love.
This kind of unconditional investment in the competitors themselves is a bold and generous step that sets a powerful new precedent for competitive chilli-eating events across the USA. It shows deep respect for the commitment and passion of those who make the sport what it is.
We want to give full credit and heartfelt thanks to the creator & organiser of Wabash Valley Pepper Fest & Hot Sauce Expo and the support of Terre Haute Convention & Visitors Bureau for their progressive thinking, shared vision, and genuine belief in what we’re building together. Their support is helping us bring competitors from across America together, united by the love of the hot stuff.
What Wabash Valley Pepper Fest & Hot Sauce Expo has done marks a turning point for competitive chilli-eating in the U.S. They’re not just hosting a contest – they’re building a legacy. We hope this inspires other festivals to join us in rewarding passion, not just podium finishes.
We’re continuing to build and grow, and this milestone wouldn’t be possible without the commitment of our community. Thank you to the Wabash Valley Pepper Fest & Hot Sauce Expo for making this unprecedented opportunity possible for our U.S. contestants.
This is the future of chilli-eating – and it’s happening in Terre Haute, Indiana.
