City of Atascadero presents 8th ANNUAL Tamale Festival Friday & Saturday, May 3rd & 4th

The City of Atascadero is pleased to announce the 8th Annual Tamale Festival to be held in the Sunken Gardens and Downtown Atascadero on Friday, May 3rd from 5:30 – 8:30 pm and Saturday, May 4th from 11 am until 7 pm!

The festival will kick off on Friday, May 3rd starting at 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm with “Fiesta Friday!” Enjoy a variety of Tamale vendors with an opportunity to purchase tamales without the crowds. The Atascadero Chamber of Commerce will be hosting it’s annual “Sip & Shop” taking place in the Downtown (until 8 pm) with over 15 participating businesses offering a variety of wine, beer, coffee and cider to enjoy and open late so you can get some shopping in (and in time for Mother’s Day!).  Early bird tickets are available for purchase at atascaderochamber.org/events. The evening will also feature complimentary tours of Historic City Hall and a Fireworks Show taking place around 8:15 pm! The best place to view the show will be from Sunken Gardens!

The main event, the 8th Annual Tamale Festival, on Saturday, May 4th from 11 am until 7 pm will not disappoint! This year, there will be over 100 vendors on display from tamales to a wide variety of food beyond tamales to appease everyone’s palette and appetite! If you are thirsty, there will be margaritas, craft beer, wine and cider plus a variety of merchandise vendors. Out of the 100 plus vendors, thirty of them are tamale vendors from across California offering a variety of tamales for purchase from gourmet to traditional to sweet tamales.  Entertainment will include your favorite Emcee, Francisco Ramirez along with Medina Light Show Designs, plus a wide variety of music from Voces Tapatias Mariachi, Mariachi Mexicanisimo, Ranchero Artist Manuel Enrique & his horse, the Famous Dancing Horses, and two Folklorico Dance groups our of Paso Robles, Paso A Pasito Group and Paso Ballet Group! Live music will be featured across three stages including Dante’ Marsh and the Vibe Setters, La Marcha Sound, Steppin’ Out Band, and Brass Mash! Enjoy bounce houses, Zorb Balls, obstacle courses, and bungee jumps from Bubble Fun 101 along with face painting, balloon animals, a photo booth with “Waffles” the miniature donkey and plenty of fun for all ages!

The “Best Tamale Contest” will be in the works, where all of the tamale vendors can showcase their outstanding work to our celebrity judges to decide the “best” tamale. Winning tamale vendors will be announced between 12-12:30 pm! Two very popular contests not to miss, the “Chihuahua & Pet Costume Contest” taking place at 2 pm, and the “Tamale Eating Contest” taking place at 3 pm - both on the steps of City Hall!   

DO NOT MISS this popular event! Atascadero’s Annual Tamale Festival weekend on May 3rd & 4th will be a fun and exciting occasion for the whole family, especially for anyone who loves tamales! The event is free to attend and enjoy the entertainment, but don’t forget to bring your wallet in order to purchase delicious food, activities and merchandise; AND be sure to place your orders from your favorite tamale vendor(s) to stock up, as tamales freeze well too!

THANK YOU to our amazing sponsors! Gold Sponsors: Avila Traffic Safety, & Kirk Consulting; Silver sponsors: A.M. Sun Solar, Springhill Suites by Marriott, Waste Management; Bronze Sponsors: 5 Star Rain Gutters, Planet Fitness Atascadero and T-Mobile.  All proceeds from the Tamale Festival’s adult beverage sales on Saturday will benefit the Friends of the Charles Paddock Zoo!

For event information and a full entertainment schedule, go to www.VisitAtascadero.com/TamaleFest.