Events: Arizona - Phoenix - Scottsdale

What:               

Arizona’s best tamale-makers will help celebrate the holidays during Food City’s legendary Tamale Festival in downtown Phoenix, which takes place this Saturday, Dec. 8 and Sunday, Dec. 9.

This food festival is FREE and open to the general public and takes place as many families make homemade tamales for the holiday season.

Thousands of attendees will be able to taste and buy a wide selection of savory and sweet homemade tamales, as well as taste and preview some new tamale flavors available at Food City grocery stores this holiday season. The two-day event will also offer live mariachis, ballet folklorico dancers, and other musical entertainment along with enjoying vendor booths with jewelry, arts and crafts and much more.

Who:                

Tamale-makers from local faith-based groups prepare their tamales in church commissaries and then sell them at the Festival to fundraise for their organization. Last year, they sold more than 700 dozen tamales! Food City also will be selling tamales, menudo, carne asada burritos, durros, aguas frescas and champurrado (Mexican hot chocolate).

When:              

This Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018

11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9

After taste-testing tamales, a panel of celebrity judges will name the

“Best Tamale,” and Food City will award prizes to the winning tamale-maker.

Where:             

Cesar Chavez Plaza, 200 W. Washington Street, Phoenix

(on Washington, between 1st Ave. and 4th Ave. in downtown Phoenix)

Visuals:           

Attendees will experience:

* Tamale-makers from around the state proudly displaying and selling their homemade tamales;

* Thousands of people tasting some of the best tamales in the Southwest; and

* Cultural arts, crafts and entertainment to mark the holiday season.