Abbie McLean, left, and Jessica Garcia performed traditional dances during the fifth annual Feria Hispana on Sunday in South Park. The festival featured traditional Latino food, a jalapeño-eating contest and best salsa competition, dancing and activities for children of all ages.

Nancy Cardoza, 21, Lawrence, was one of the competitors in the jalapeño-eating contest at Sunday's Feria Hispana.

John Alfrey performed a dance with two machetes at the Latin American cultural festival.

At the center of South Park stood a table covered with plates of jalapeños. Fewer than a dozen brave souls stepped up to take the heat in pursuit of what might turn out to be the agony of victory.

David Gonzalez, a 21-year-old novice to jalapeño-eating contests, sat down, his forehead already dripping from the heat of the afternoon sun.

“This is my first time,” he said, shouting over the music and the voices of the gathering children. “I’m nervous right now.”

The contestants sat elbow to elbow as the crowd that had gathered for the fifth annual Feria Hispana closed in.

The Latin American cultural festival, hosted by the Centro Hispano Resource Center, offered traditional foods, musical performances and fun with piñatas. But all eyes were turned to the center stage.

Most contestants were men, but there were a few women, including 21-year-old Nancy Cardoza, who jokingly proclaimed she could beat half the table in the race to down the plate of towering peppers.

Cardoza had participated in fresh jalapeño-eating contests before. This would be her first with the pickled kind.

Cardoza leaned over her plate. She pulled off the stem of each jalapeño and sorted the peppers into neat stacks.

Down the table sat Sebastian Helms. At 14, he was the youngest contestant. He’d entered the contest on a bet, and he was starting at a disadvantage. His stomach was full.

Nearby sat Ben Fuentes, a 19-year-old with a long personal history with the jalapeño. Fuentes brought to the table a unique ability to swallow big mouthfuls with ease. He also knew enough about the pepper to understand that chewing too much and letting loose the seeds was a doomed strategy. He kept his confidence a secret.

“Are you guys ready for this?” the announcer called.

Groans sounded from the stage. The audience cheered.

“Let’s go with it,” a child in the crowd shouted.

Pepper fumes wafted across the stage. Gonzalez took a swig of water. The announcer started the count.

One … two … at three, Cardoza’s first jalapeño was already to her mouth.

Gonzalez grabbed a handful and shoved them in, the juices oozing out his lips.

Fuentes, down the table, was moving fast. He stuck to his strategy, seizing the peppers and popping them down in fast gulps.

The crowd gathered closer, cheering.

Gonzalez’s strategy was failing him. He struggled to chew. His face flushed red. He coughed and wiped his eyes, flames seeming to rise from his head. Did he need a doctor? Could he breathe? It was hard to tell. He stood up and waved his hands in surrender.

“I kind of started gagging,” explained after the contest. “I went way too fast for my liking and it just got nasty after a while.”

The contest continued. A band played Latin music in the background. Cardoza, too, began to falter. Her mouth burned. Struggling to swallow, she reached for water.

Down the table, a contestant neared the finish line. He had three peppers left, the announcer said. But Fuentes knew he was closer. He was down to two. He threw them back and stood up, a winner.

“I wouldn’t say I knew I was going to win,” he said, “but I was highly confident.”