Beaver Dam Pepper Festival

This little Hungarian pepper has had quite the interesting life.  From a small village in what was then Yugoslavia called Apatin several families migrated to the United States and finally called Beaver Dam Wisconsin their home. These families brought their beloved pepper seeds into the USA tucked in their handkerchiefs, in the hems of dresses and the lining of men’s trousers.  Amazing right!!! These seeds meant the world to them.  Like many immigrants, they made do with the very little money they had. They grew their own vegetables in a huge garden, had bountiful orchards and prided themselves in canning and preserving their harvest to get them through the rough Wisconsin winters.  The families passed the tradition of seed saving and growing the next harvest down through generations.  There is a special way to cut the seeds from the peppers and other vegetables.  The process involves drying the seeds on the windowsills, then placing the dried seeds in envelops and anxiously waiting for spring to arrive to start the process over again. The “Beaver Dam Pepper” as it is called today, has a spicy, sweet and mildly BOLD taste. Many people enjoy eating the raw peppers dipped in sour cream and salsa. Some can the pepper, make chili, stews, stuffed peppers, jellies, soups and even in your morning eggs.

You will always find apple pepper pancakes, apple pepper pies, pepper beer and or course the original Beaver Dam Pepper brat at every Beaver Dam Pepper Festival, held on the 2nd Saturday of September.

Live entertainment, the return of the chili cookoff, the longest pepper contest, pancake breakfast served all day, pies by slice, entertainment from Mr. Steve and more await you!