OFFICIAL CONTESTANT INFORMATION & RULES
SEPTEMBER 5-6, 2026
We have split contestants between Saturday and Sunday qualifying rounds so everyone has enough time to compete.
HOW THE WEEKEND WORKS
Saturday
Saturday contestants compete in their assigned contest.
The TOP 3 Saturday contestants in each contest advance to Sunday’s Championship.
The 4th-place contestant will be recorded as the Saturday alternate.
The Saturday Top 3 and Sunday Top 3 then compete together in a SIX-CONTESTANT CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday
Sunday contestants compete in their qualifying round.
The TOP 3 Sunday contestants advance to the Championship.
The Saturday Top 3 and Sunday Top 3 then compete together in a SIX-CONTESTANT CHAMPIONSHIP
SIX-CONTESTANT CHAMPIONSHIP
The Championship determines the official 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-place cash winners.
Qualifying scores do not carry into the Championship. Everyone starts fresh in the final.
IMPORTANT FOR SATURDAY FINALISTS
If you qualify on Saturday, you must return Sunday for the Championship to be eligible for prize money.
Saturday finalists should check in with contest staff at least 30 minutes before Sunday’s scheduled contest time.
If a Saturday finalist cannot return, Fiesta en la Playa may move the Saturday alternate into the Championship.
GENERAL RULES FOR ALL CONTESTS
- Contestants must check in at the contest area at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start time.
- Contestants must complete and sign the required participation waiver before competing.
- Contestants must be 18 years or older to compete for cash prizes.
- Participants may be refused participation if festival staff believes they are intoxicated, behaving unsafely, or unable to safely compete.
- Contestants must follow all instructions given by Fiesta en la Playa staff and contest officials.
- Unsportsmanlike conduct, interfering with another contestant, cheating, or ignoring staff instructions may result in immediate disqualification.
- Decisions made by the designated contest officials are final.
- Fiesta en la Playa reserves the right to modify, delay, shorten, relocate, or cancel a contest if necessary because of weather, safety concerns, participation levels, or circumstances beyond the festival’s control.
CASH PRIZES
$1,000 TOTAL PER CONTEST / $3,000 TOTAL CASH PRIZES – Each of the three featured contests will award:
1st Place
$500
2nd Place
$300
3rd Place
$200
CHIHUAHUA RACES
WHO CAN ENTER
- Dogs must be a Chihuahua or Chihuahua mix.
- Dogs must be healthy and physically capable of safely participating.
- Aggressive dogs will not be permitted to race.
- Owners must maintain control of their dogs before and after each race.
- Festival officials have final authority regarding whether a dog is eligible to participate.
- One adult must be registered as the dog’s official owner/handler.
HOW THE RACES WILL WORK
- Dogs will be divided into opening heats.
- Up to approximately six dogs may race at one time.
- The first dogs across the finish line advance according to the heat instructions given by staff.
- After the opening heats, qualifying dogs will compete in a six-dog Qualifier Final.
SATURDAY
The Top 3 dogs from the Saturday Qualifier Final advance to Sunday.
SUNDAY
The Top 3 dogs from the Sunday Qualifier Final advance to the Championship.
CHIHUAHUA CHAMPIONSHIP
Six dogs compete:
Saturday Top 3 + Sunday Top 3. All six dogs race together in one Championship Race.
The Championship finishing order determines the winners:
1st dog across the finish line: $500
2nd dog across the finish line: $300
3rd dog across the finish line: $200
CHIHUAHUA RACE RULES
- Dogs must be a Chihuahua or Chihuahua mix.
- Dogs must be healthy and physically capable of safely participating.
- Aggressive dogs may not participate.
- Owners must maintain control of their dogs before and after each race.
- Each dog may have one handler at the starting area and one person encouraging them from the finish area.
- Finish-line handlers may call the dog’s name, clap, use a toy, show a treat, or verbally encourage the dog.
- Handlers may not enter the course or physically move the dog forward.
- No throwing, pushing, dragging, or physically propelling a dog.
- Dogs must cross the designated finish line.
- Staff may order a restart if there is a problem with the start or interference outside a contestant’s control.
- Animal safety always takes priority over competition.
If the finishing order is too close to confidently determine, the contest official may order a rerun involving only the dogs whose placement is disputed.
SPICY TAMALE EATING CONTEST
ONLY SPICY TAMALES WILL BE USED
Contestants must be 18 years or older.
Contestants must sign the food contest participation waiver.
Anyone with food allergies, swallowing difficulties, serious digestive conditions, or medical conditions that may be affected by spicy foods should not participate.
Contestants are responsible for determining whether they are physically able to safely participate.
QUALIFYING ROUND
All contestants competing that day participate together
TIME: 5 MINUTES
Contestants receive identical spicy tamales supplied by Fiesta en la Playa.
The goal is to completely eat as many tamales as possible during five minutes.
Only completely eaten tamales count.
SATURDAY
The Top 3 totals advance to Sunday’s Championship.
SUNDAY
The Top 3 totals advance to the Championship.
CONTEST TIME: 5 MINUTES
Six contestants compete:
Saturday Top 3 + Sunday Top 3
Championship scores start at zero.
CHAMPIONSHIP TIME: 2 MINUTES
All six finalists receive identical tamales.
The contestants who completely eat the most tamales during the Championship win:
Highest Championship Total: $500
Second Highest: $300
Third Highest: $200
Qualifying totals do not carry into the Championship.
TAMALE CONTEST RULES
- Only Fiesta en la Playa provided tamales may be used.
- Contestants may not start before the official signal.
- Contestants may not hide, discard, intentionally drop, or give food to another contestant.
- Only completely eaten tamales count.
- When time expires, contestants must stop picking up additional tamales.
- Food already inside the contestant’s mouth may be finished.
- Contestants must show officials that their mouth is clear before the final total is confirmed.
- Vomiting or regurgitating during the competition results in disqualification.
- Contestants may stop at any time.
- Anyone with food allergies, swallowing difficulties, digestive conditions, or medical conditions affected by spicy foods should not participate.
- Staff may immediately stop participation because of a safety concern.
TIEBREAKER
If a tie affects advancement or a cash-prize position, tied contestants participate in a one-tamale eat-off.
The first contestant to completely finish the tamale, clear their mouth, and signal the official receives the higher placement.
CHANCLA THROWING CONTEST – YOU MUST BRING
WHO CAN ENTER
Any woman who is 18 years or older.
All contestants must provide their own sandals for the contest.
TWO OFFICIAL THROWS
Everyone uses the same official Fiesta en la Playa chancla supplied by contest staff.
The contestant’s longest legal throw becomes their qualifying distance.
SATURDAY
The Top 3 longest qualifying distances advance to Sunday.
SUNDAY
The Top 3 longest qualifying distances advance to the Championship.
TWO CHAMPIONSHIP THROWS
Championship distances start fresh.
The longest Championship throw from each contestant becomes their official Championship distance.
Longest Championship Throw: $500
Second Longest: $300
Third Longest: $200
Qualifying distances do not carry into the Championship.
FOULS
Contestants may throw overhand, underhand, or sidearm.
The chancla must be thrown by hand.
Distance is measured from the throwing line to the location where the chancla first touches the ground.
A throw is a foul if:
- The contestant crosses the throwing line before the chancla lands.
- The chancla lands completely outside the designated throwing area.
- The contestant throws before staff declares the area clear.
- The contestant intentionally throws toward another contestant, staff member, or spectator.
A foul still counts as one of the contestant’s attempts.
TIEBREAKER
If contestants are tied for an advancement or prize position, each tied contestant receives one additional throw.
Longest legal tiebreaker throw wins.
FIESTA SMASH HOUR PIÑATAS
ACTIVITY RULES
Fiesta Smash Hour is a festival activity and is not part of the $3,000 cash-prize competition.
Participants will be grouped when appropriate so younger children are not competing directly with much older participants.
- Only one person may swing at a piñata at a time.
- Participants must remain behind the designated safety line while another person is swinging.
- Only equipment supplied by Fiesta en la Playa may be used.
- Participants will receive a limited number of swings before the next participant gets a turn.
- Participants must immediately stop swinging when instructed by staff.
- Nobody may enter the piñata area to collect candy or prizes until staff declares the area safe.
- Once the piñata breaks, the hitting equipment must be returned to staff and completely removed before participants are released to collect items.
- Parents or guardians are responsible for supervising participating children.
- Staff may stop participation at any time for unsafe behavior.
FINAL AUTHORITY
Fiesta en la Playa contest officials have final authority over:
Eligibility, advancement, finishes, measurements, food counts, fouls, tiebreakers, disqualifications, safety decisions, and final prize placement.
Our goal is simple:
Have fun, compete safely, and may the fastest Chihuahua, hungriest tamale eater, and strongest chancla arm win!