About Return of the Chili Queens: Return of the Chili Queens is an annual festival held on Memorial Day weekend in San Antonio's historic Market Square.
The festival is a tribute to chili - said to have originated in San Antonio. At the Return of the Chili Queens, there is music, dancing, arts and crafts demos and a whole lot of chili.
History of the Chili Queens: In the 1800's women nicknamed "Chili Queens" sold a stew (which they called chili) made with dried red chiles and beef from wagons at the Military Plaza Mercado in San Antonio.
The queens made the chili at home, loaded it onto chili wagons and transported it to the plaza. The tradition went on for decades, until in the late 1930's when the chili queens were put out of business because of health concerns.
During the 1980's, Market Square began holding what they call "historic re-enactments" of the chili queens. As an tribute to chili - the state dish of Texas.
Return of the Chili Queens Events:
- Date: Saturday, May 24, 2008 through Monday, May 26, 2008
- Location: Market Square
Return of the Chili Queens Information: For more information on Return of the Chili Queens, log on to MarketSquareSA.com or call (210) 227-9254.