Pasta, peppers and a little friendly competition will take center stage in downtown Clarksburg as the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival hosts its annual Pasta Cook-Off on Saturday, Aug. 29th.

The event will be held at the Jackson Square Parking Facility in Clarksburg, bringing together cooks, festivalgoers and the community for a full day of food, contests and entertainment.

Cooking begins at 9 a.m., giving participants time to prepare their pasta dishes before the event opens to the public at 11 a.m. Tasting and judging of the pasta entries will begin at 1 p.m., with voting closing at 3 p.m. Winners will be announced at 3:30 p.m.

The Pasta Cook-Off will also showcase two homemade favorites with the festival’s Homemade Wine Contest and Canned Pepper Contest.

Festival organizers are inviting home winemakers to put their family recipes to the test in the Homemade Wine Contest. Entries will be judged as part of the Aug. 29 festivities, with judging and awards taking place that Saturday. Those interested in competing must enter by Aug. 29.

The Canned Pepper Contest gives home cooks another opportunity to share a family recipe and compete for recognition. The awards for that contest are also scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 29.

The contests celebrate the homemade recipes and food traditions that have long been passed down through families, giving participants a chance to share their creations with the community while competing for festival honors.

Betty Waddy, chairman of the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival said this year’s cook-off is going to be massive.

“This is shaping up to be one of our largest pasta cook-off events in recent years,” she said. “This year, we have 10 cooks participating, giving us our highest number of entrants in recent years. Prizes will be awarded to all winners, and raffle baskets will be available for attendees. Throughout the day, we will also have festival merchandise and our 2026 souvenir books available, along with freshly prepared festival fritti.”

The day’s activities will continue with the Run for the Rosé at 2:30 p.m. and a hot pepper eating contest at 3 p.m.

The Pasta Cook-Off and accompanying contests are part of the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival’s celebration of Italian culture, food and traditions in Clarksburg.

Those interested in participating in the Pasta Cook-Off, Homemade Wine Contest or Canned Pepper Contest can find registration and additional information at WVIHF.com or by calling (304) 622-7314.