This metro Phoenix city will host its first annual tamale festival this weekend
Javier Arce
Tamales of all flavors will be the main attraction this weekend, on Dec. 10, during the AZ Tamale Festival 2023, in the historic center of Peoria.
It will be the first edition of its kind that the city seeks to hold year after year during the holiday season.
Dozens of vendors and food trucks will set up shop at the Johnny E. Osuna Memorial Park, at 83rd and Grand avenues, to sell the traditional dish from Mexico and other Latin American countries.
Admission to the event is free, including entertainment and on-site activities.
Ray Arvizu, director of Arvizu Advertising Promotion and organizer of the event, said Peoria had been planning this event for years, finally making its debut in 2023.
“(Arvizu Advertising) organized the tamal festival in downtown Phoenix for many years, and because of the experience (the city) called us to carry it out, but this time in the West Valley,” Arvizu said. “The idea is to make it grow year after year and make it a tradition in the city of Peoria, where we hope many families, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, join us."
Along with tamales and other food vendors, a holiday pop-up market will also be available with live mariachi and music, as well as a booth where kids can take a photo with Santa Claus.
Organizers will also hand out 1,000 toys to attending children, courtesy of sponsors.
“In addition to being a very exquisite dish, tamales are more than that, they are part of our culture, a tradition that brings families together,” said Ernestina Arvizu, director of promotions and advertising at Arvizu Advertising.
“The seasoning of tamales is not provided by the meat or the dough, it is the heart and affection with which they are cooked, when the grandmother, the mother, the children get together to cook as a family," she said.
AZ Tamale Festival 2023
Details: Sunday, Dec. 10, from noon to 6 p.m. at Johnny E. Osuna Memorial Park, 10510 N. 83rd Ave. Peoria. Free. https://aztamalefest.com/