The Arizona Taco Festival, a popular Scottsdale tradition, will be throwing a taco-crazed party in Tucson on April 28 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The event will consist of 30 amateur and professional teams competing for $5,000 cash and the “Grand Champion Taco” title.

The first Tucson Taco Festival at Rillito Downs is currently searching for taco-making teams to compete in this exciting competition. Scottsdale’s event attracts about 15, 000 people each year, and provides an opportunity for restaurants, chefs, and amateurs to get their name out there. With Tucson’s Sonoran influence and border-town recipes, the Tucson festival is expected to heat things up to a new level.

Teams can compete in chicken, pork, beef, and seafood tacos, which will be judged by over 40 National Taco Association judges. Each team will cook up their tacos all day, selling them to the public for $2 each. Salsa, guacamole, and any other taco fixings are also highly encouraged.

The festival will feature a Tequila Expo with over 30 brands pouring samples. A Margarita Challenge Mix-Off will also be featured, with celebrity judges waiting to choose the Best Margarita. Live Lucha Libre wrestling, cooking demonstrations, live music, food contests, and a kid zone are also part of the fun.

Interested teams can enter the competition for $300. Teams will then be provided with a 20-foot by 20-foot operating area, two tables, two chairs, a team sign and menu board, a ticket collection box, and power and outlets. After teams set up, the taco selling will begin, and teams will be reimbursed $1 for every taco ticket collected. Teams should prepare about 1,000 tacos, as that is about the average sold at the Scottsdale competition. Cash prizes will go to the teams in first, second, and third places.

Interested teams should visit http://www.tucsontacofestival.com/teams-faq for a complete list of rules, regulations, and dates.

www.tucsontacofestival.com.