Feel the Heat at El Pelon; Eat, Drink, and Dance with Malden Reads

FENWAY — Think you have a mouth and gut of steel? Prove it! El Pelon Taqueria is hosting its annual chili pepper eating contest, and the first qualifying round is tomorrow night, April 17, from 7 - 10 p.m. Entry is $15; you'll need to eat 15 chili peppers in 15 minutes, and keep it down for another 15 minutes. If you can handle the heat, you could have a chance to compete in the finals on Friday, May 1, where the prize is a free burrito every day for a year! [Eventbrite]

MALDEN — Literacy non-profit Malden Reads is hosting a pop-up dinner with live entertainment tomorrow night at 6:30 at the shuttered Fizz Ed pub at 142 Pleasant St. Heritage Food Truck will be serving starting at 6:45 p.m., and Everett's Night Shift Brewing will bring the beers. There will also be wine and spring soft drinks. Roots rock band Soulshine hits the stage at 8:30. A $7 ticket get a drink and live entertainment, while $20 lets you in on the food buffet, too. The organization requests R.S.V.Ps at 781-605-1954. [FB]

DOWNTOWN BOSTON — 'Tis the season for food trucks on the Greenway! This Saturday, April 18, 13 food vendors will line the grassy stretch between Milk and India streets between noon and 4 p.m. for the Spring Food Festival. Bon Me, Frozen Hoagies, Pennypackers, Zinnekin's and others will have regular weekday hours at the park this summer, so enjoy a preview this weekend. [Official Site]