Three days of roasting chiles, live music and gathering in the gardens.
Come for the food and music. Stay for the smells.
At Jolly Lane’s Chile Pepper Festival, the smell of roasting green chiles fills the greenhouse and gardens. It’s my favorite smell in the world. One breath and I’m back in New Mexico when I was young.
Roasting chiles are part of how I remember that place, as familiar as the food itself. Getting to smell them here in the Black Hills is something I look forward to all year. I suspect other people with ties to the Southwest know exactly what I mean, though I’m fairly certain you don’t need a single New Mexico memory to appreciate what’s coming off those roasters.
This is my favorite event of the year, and the chiles get a substantial share of the credit, but Jolly Lane gives you plenty of reasons to settle in while another batch roasts. They clear out the back greenhouse, the one with the beautiful wooden bar, and open it to the gardens. Food trucks park outside, tables fill with people eating, musicians play inside, and children’s laughter carries over from the play area.
Jolly Lane Greenhouse hosts its 21st annual Chile Pepper Festival September 11–13 in Rapid Valley, with three days of pepper roasting, a produce market, food vendors and live music.
Jolly Lane is owned and operated by the Sime family, whose greenhouse business began with Dean and Norma Sime and grew to include their children. The festival began in 2006 after their son Tim developed an interest in chile roasting during a visit to Colorado. Connections with growers in New Mexico helped bring that experience to the Black Hills.
The musicians get a corner of the greenhouse, and anyone sitting out in the gardens gets to listen. It’s a good setup for catching someone you already love or hearing a local musician for the first time over a smothered burrito or green chili burger. Eight sets fill the weekend, with James Van Nuys, The Nervous Turtles, Chris Mangione’s Bottle of Blues Band and others giving us plenty of reasons to stick around for another song.
Live Music
| Friday, Sept. 11 | |
|---|---|
| Time | Performer |
| 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Lucas Olson |
| 1:30–3:30 p.m. | James Van Nuys |
| 4–7 p.m. | The Nervous Turtles |
| Saturday, Sept. 12 | |
| Time | Performer |
| 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Greg McDonald, Hank Harris & John Margolis |
| 1:30–3:30 p.m. | Acoustic Collision |
| 4–6 p.m. | Chris Mangione’s Bottle of Blues Band |
| Sunday, Sept. 13 | |
| Time | Performer |
| 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Nemo Yacht Club |
| 1:30–4 p.m. | Danny Thornburg’s All Star Soul Band |
Start times subject to change.
This year’s food roster includes The Green Chili Shack, Mai’s Thai Café, Fork Real Café, Wingnut BBQ and Yoyo Hibachi, among others. Chill Your Roll Ice Cream and Kona Ice are also on the list, and Jolly Lane is advertising chile beer at the Garden Bar.
My advice is to leave yourself enough time to take it all in. Listen to the music, wander the gardens, stop and admire the flowers. Find a seat with a plate of food and breathe in the smell of roasting green chiles. I know that’s what I am going to do, anyway.
Know Before You Go
Where: Jolly Lane Greenhouse, 2962 Jolly Lane, Rapid City.
When: Friday, September 11, 8 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturday, September 12, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sunday, September 13, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Official festival poster
Pepper preorders: Call 605-393-1700. Peppers are available by the pound or bushel.
Pets: Jolly Lane asks visitors to leave pets at home because of the festival crowds.
Updates: Check Jolly Lane’s festival page for current information.