Food City Readies for 17th Annual Tamale Festival

In light of the holiday spirit, Food City is gearing up for its 17th annual Tamale Festival, to be held Dec. 8-9 in downtown Phoenix to celebrate Latino food and culture.

The two-day event, located at 200 W. Washington St., invites thousands of attendees to taste and purchase a variety of savory and sweet homemade tamales prepared by tamale-makers from around the state of Arizona, including those from local faith-based groups raising funds for their organizations. Last year, the festival sold more than 700 dozen tamales.

Photograph courtesy of Food City

Food City will also preview some of the new tamale flavors that will be available in stores during the holiday season, as well as additional Latino food favorites such as menudo, carne asada burritos, durros, aguas frescas and champurrado.

On Dec. 9, a panel of celebrity judges will taste-test the tamales to determine the “Best Tamale,” the winner of which will be awarded prizes.

The event will also feature live mariachis, ballet folklorico dancers and other musical entertainment, as well as vendor booths offering jewelry and art.

Food City is the EDLP, Hispanic-focused division of Chandler, Ariz.-based Bashas, which operates 130 stores in 15 Arizona counties.