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Beckett Lake Nursery is a mecca this weekend for pepper lovers, especially those who like it hot. Vendors report that the plants bearing the peppers most likely to scald the palate are the first to go at the annual show and sale.
The usual habaneros, scotch bonnets, poblanos and other familiar varieties will be for sale, but look for some of the more unusual plants, too, such as the Purple Tiger, above. The Purple Tiger develops tear-shaped peppers that range in color from red to deep purple and have a potency hotter than a serrano but milder than a cayenne pepper.
The festival also offers tastings of hot sauces, salsas, spices and rubs. Contests let amateurs show off their best homemade salsa on Saturday and homemade hot sauce on Sunday. Awards are made at 3 p.m. each day. Plus, there are cooking demonstrations and seminars.
The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the nursery, 2251 Montclair Road (one block north of Sunset Point Road, off Belcher), Clearwater. (727) 796-7950.