ATASCADERO — The 7th Annual Tamale Festival to be held in the Sunken Gardens and Downtown Atascadero on Saturday, May 6 from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. with a special” First Fridays” evening celebration on May 5 starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Downtown.

This year, the festival will kick off on “First Fridays” with a Cinco de Mayo celebration starting at 5:30 p.m. There will be a “Sip & Shop” Wine Walk presented by the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce and complementary tours of City Hall by the Atascadero Historical Society. In addition, the Downtown merchants will be offering a special #ATOWNDOWNTOWNPASSPORT that can be picked up at any of the participating merchant locations.

Get your passport stamped six times and turn it in at your last stop for an opportunity to win a downtown shopping spree. The evening will conclude with a fireworks display starting at 8 p.m. with the best viewing in Sunken Gardens and the Downtown looking in the direction of Historic City Hall and the Fine Arts Academy. 

On Saturday, May 6, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m., the 7th Annual Tamale Festival gets underway with nearly 30 tamale vendors from across California offering a variety of tamales for purchase, from gourmet to traditional to sweet tamales. 

Entertainment will include Emcee, Francisco Ramirez, along with Medina Light Show Designs, plus a wide variety of music from Mariachi Mexicanisimo, Ranchero Artist Manuel Enrique & his horse, the Famous Dancing Horses featuring Mariachi Voces Tapatias, and the Folklorico Dancers from Santa Maria & Guadalupe. Live music by Dante’ Marsh and the Vibe Setters, La Marcha Sound, Steppin’ Out Band, Brass Mash, and Jungle Fire. Enjoy bounce houses, Zorb Balls, 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. Over 90 vendors will be on display, offering everything from merchandise and crafts to adult beverages to a wide variety of food vendors with tamales and beyond tamales to appease everyone’s palette and appetite.

The “Best Tamale Contest” will be in the works, where all of the tamale vendors can showcase their work to the celebrity judges to decide the “best” tamale. Plus, the “Tamale Eating Contest” and the “Chihuahua Costume & Pet Contest” will be available for those who wish to participate. Event is rain or shine.

Atascadero City thanks it’s Presenting Sponsors: Avila Traffic Safety, Street Side Ale House & Waste Management; Supporting Sponsors: A.m. Sun Solar, Traffic Records, Kirk Consulting and Springhill Suites by Marriott; Friend Sponsor: Mechanics Bank.

For event information and the entertainment schedule, go to VisitAtascadero.com/TamaleFest. For tickets to the Friday evening “Sip & Shop” hosted by the Chamber, go to atascaderochamber.org. For any other questions, please call us at (805) 470-3360.