A Possible Plan of Action for 10th Annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival

Check-in takes place for individual and restaurant contestants at the south end of Waterloo Park.

11:00am

Festival begins -- eat something substantial, so you're primed for the task at hand.

11:10am

Start sampling sauces from the booths.

11:20am

Saunter over to a drink booth and chug a drink in 2 seconds flat! Go back for more hot sauce -- doncha luv it!?

11:30am-1:00pm

Alamo Suite performs -- swagger proudly over to the stage -- you're cool, er hot, er cool!

noon

Judging begins behind closed doors. Go hang in the cool zone on the west side of the park.

12:30-1:30pm

Booksigning featuring Grady Spears of Reata in Ft. Worth, Jeff Blank of Hudson's on the Bend in Austin and David Garrido of Jeffrey's and Fresh Planet in Austin takes place under the tent in front of the stage.

1:00-2:30pm

Los Pinkys performs -- dance around to all the commercial bottlers' booths and pick your favorite red, green, special variety and pepper sauces, then go vote at the ballot boxes located in the tent west of the stage.

2:00Pm

Go play in the misters then get something else to eat -- some of the best resaturants in town are cooking their little hearts out here.

3:00pm

People's choice balloting for best commercial sauce ends. You've helped with an important job! You deserve an icy-cold drink.

3:30-5:00pm

Dale Watson performs -- inspiring you to buy a sauce from every vendor here -- after all, you'll be supporting a lot of small Texas businesses!

5:00Pm

Awards announced -- winners congratulated, Hall of Flame inductees named, overall winner gets overly excited at the possibility of becoming a hot sauce mogul.