In your best Christmas-toned voice, sing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”
Calling all green chile lovers! Join us on Saturday, September 7th, 2024 for the best celebration of Hatch Green Chile. Come and enjoy the amazing smells, delicious dishes, exciting vendors, and engaging activities at this community event. We are excited to get the 411 from Owner Dave Castaneda of the food truck Green Chile Love and his passion for bringing the Arizona Chile Festival to life!
Q: What inspired you to organize this community chile festival?
Dave: We began roasting our chile about four years ago when we realized there weren’t many options for FRESH roasted chile available locally. Sure, you could find roasted chile, but it wasn’t the same as having it fresh. As our food truck business, Green Chile Love, grew, I needed far more Chile than what was available around town. I wanted it to be the absolute best quality. That’s when I decided if I would make the trip to Hatch, New Mexico—the heart of Chile country—for our own needs, why not bring back enough to share? I figured, why not also create an opportunity for others to enjoy fresh, roasted chile?
Q: How does this festival bring the community together, and why is that important to you?
Dave: This festival is more than just a food event—it’s a community celebration. Hosting this festival can bring more people together and create a fun, engaging atmosphere. It’s also a fantastic way to support local charities that are close to our hearts through fundraising. Plus, it’s much more exciting than just standing in line to pick up roasted chile under the hot Phoenix sun. It transforms the simple act of buying Chile into a full experience that people can enjoy with their friends and families.
Q: How is your passion for Chile and food culture reflected in the event and your daily business?
Dave: I love sharing my family’s recipes and food traditions with others. Food has a powerful way of triggering memories, and there’s nothing quite like hearing someone say, “I haven’t had chile like this since… [insert beloved relative’s name here],” or “This reminds me of home.” There are many places that serve Mexican food, but not all Mexican food—or even all Green Chile—is the same. By bringing our unique New Mexican and Colorado Green Chile recipes to the community, we can share a piece of the Hispanic heritage that I grew up with. It’s about preserving traditions and introducing others to the distinct flavors and stories that come with them.
Owner Dave and Michelle Castaneda of Green Chile Love. Photo by Ahwatukee411 Media.
Q: Tell us more about yourself, what inspired Green Chile Love, and what’s next for you and the business.
Dave: I’ve always believed in serving others. Whether through food or volunteering, I’m passionate about giving back. My wife and I love connecting with our community through local volunteer opportunities. One of our favorite activities is our annual mission trip to Honduras, where we work with the same community year after year. We also enjoy giving back to our local community, including our work with local schools and Mountain Park Church.
We’re currently in the process of establishing our non-profit, “Love Them With Food.” This organization will focus on creating service opportunities centered around food—taking food trucks to serve free meals to organizations, feeding the homeless, paying off school lunch debts, or funding and packing food donation bags for our mission trips to Honduras.
Serving up Authentic New Mexico Hatch Pork Green Chile, Green Chile Love is ready to cater your party, lunch, events, weddings, and neighborhood block party! Let’s describe the choices of Chile! Mild, HOT, or 1/2 and 1/2.
“Looking ahead, we have exciting plans for Green Chile Love,” says Dave. “We’re aiming to expand our menu and establish a more consistent schedule and location. I have a collection of family recipes, including dishes like red chile, that I cant wait to share with the community.”
EVENT DETAILS: Arizona Chile Festival, Saturday, September 7th 2024 at Mountain Park Church, located at 16461 South 48th St Phoenix, Arizona 85048.
Brought to you by Green Chile Love, The Goodman Taylor Team, and Precision Auto Body!
Enjoy fresh Hatch Green Chile roasting, food trucks featuring green chile dishes, a variety of small business vendors, raffles, a Kids Korner with bounce houses, and a photo booth. This year, we’re excited to add a Chile Eating Contest in memory of my Dave’s father, Tom, who loved spicy chiles, and a Chihuahua Fashion Show to honor his mother, Mariana, and her beloved Chihuahua, Paco.
Preorder your chiles now at preorderchile.square.site until Wednesday at 10 AM. Come out and support our favorite charities, including Hope For The Homeless Inc., AZ, Mountain Park Church’s local and global outreach, and our Honduras mission trip food bag project.
A special thank you to Mountain Park Church for hosting and to all the small businesses and volunteers who make this event possible. Please visit our Ahwatukee411 Facebook Event page for Vendors and Contest information. We can’t wait to see you there!
Website http://greenchilelove.com/
Preorder Your Chile For the Arizona Chile Festival. https://preorderchile.square.site/
