There has been much debate on the comments section of our Web site, and probably off our site, about the usefulness of an event like En Fuego in changing lives for the better.

We’re going to stay far away from that debate, but most would surely agree on one point of the event: It’s good for the county.

While there is no official attendance count, En Fuego co-founder Johnny Giles said the crowd was one of the largest in the festival’s 13-year history, and it was estimated at 20,000 people.

We should all be proud of the quality and recognition brought to the area by the annual peach crop and the festival that surrounds it, but, let’s be honest, Chilton County isn’t known for much else on a regional level, except for En Fuego and a few other events.

Injuries and questions about the method of ministry aside, the festival is a quality event to associated with Chilton County.