Did you know the datil pepper is the official plant of St. Johns County (or that we have an official plant)?  That’s right, our official plant is the datil (up to 300,000 on the Scoville scale, on par with the orange habanero in terms of heat).

In fact, St. Augustine is the world’s top producer of the datil pepper. To celebrate, the city is hosting its 11th Annual Datil Pepper Festival this weekend at the UF/IFAS Extension St. Johns County Agricultural Center (3125 Agricultural Center Drive).

The Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission and parking are FREE!

Attendees will enjoy a wide variety of vendors, a food court, rain barrels for sale, and the popular Master Gardener plant sale. Tours of the arboretum and community gardens will be led by UF Master Gardeners throughout the weekend.