The Ignite Festival will be lighting up Union Square this coming Saturday evening.

This year’s Ignite Festival promises to be more tasty, fiery and international than ever. Numerous Union Square restaurants will be out on the street vending, along with many Nibble program chefs.

The Ignite Festival’s International Food Court will feature cuisines from across the globe including Peruvian eats from Machu Picchu, Masala Square’s “fire samosas,” smoky chuzos de pollo from Elena’s Colombian Bakeshop, traditional Japanese cold udon and crispy tempura from Nagomi Bento — and so much more! There will also be food demos starting at 6:15 p.m., followed by an incendiary curry eating contest hosted by Masala Square.

This is your opportunity to tempt fate – or watch the brave contestants who participate in the crazy hot contest. We also encourage you to stop by the Nibble table to share your global food stories!

There will be entertainment galore in the form of fire throwers, roving entertainment, and performers representing cultures from near and far. To kick things off at 6:00 p.m. Samba Viva will fire things up with dance and samba. Also on deck is a Chinese dragon performance by Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy, and Cofradia Cultural, a lavishly costumed Dominican dance troupe. And as always, the Boston Circus Guild will round out the evening with their spectacular performance of fire throwing and twirling.

There will also be light and art installations, roving dancers and circus artists, and a roving 10-foot-tall cat named Lima Bean.

Saturday, September 28, 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. (Rain date: 9/29). Union Square Plaza and Lot, Somerville.

Limited parking; people are encouraged to take public transportation. Event is free but festival goers are encouraged to support festival food vendors and all local business.

ABOUT NIBBLE:

A Somerville Arts Council initiative that includes Nibble Kitchen restaurant (at Bow Market, Union Square), food festivals like Ignite, and the Nibble Culinary Entrepreneurship Program (NEP). NEP and Nibble Kitchen provide a space for entrepreneurs who are predominantly female and hail from our diverse immigrant communities to test out restaurant concepts in a low-risk environment before launching independent businesses. Nibble supports immigrant communities, celebrates cultural exchange and spurs cultural and economic development.