Texas Hot Sauce Festival, Houston

In Houston, September beats out July and August for the hottest month of the year—it has nothing to do with the weather, however. The culprit behind the elevated heat level is the Texas Hot Sauce Festival. This annual event brings together exhibitors from across the country to sell and hand out samples of their signature hot sauces, salsas, jams, dips, and other spicy foods. Luckily, there are plenty of cool beverages available, thus eliminating the need for bite-size fire extinguishers.

Live entertainment complements the spicy goods. Blues artists, classic rock bands, and other musicians play throughout the festival, and each day brings special eating events, such as a HOT pickle eating and hottest pepper in the world competition.