Fifth annual festival expands to a second day, beginning Friday, Jan. 17

This year, the festival will be expanding over two days! This will include a Grand Opening Party & Family Night kicking off the event weekend on Friday, January 17 from 5-10 pm at Historic City Hall and the Sunken Gardens! Enjoy music from two major bands, Brass Mash and the Dork band. As part of the Grand Opening Party, we are adding a spectacular, NEW Firework Show! January is a good month to introduce the Firework show to our City and weather permitting; it will be a wonderful show to enjoy over Historic City Hall! There will be nearly 20 award-winning tamale vendors along with a variety of inflatable obstacle courses and bounce houses for all ages!

The fun will continue into Saturday, January 18 from 11 am to 5 pm with the Tamale Festival! Expect over 30 tamale vendors from across California offering a variety of tamales for purchase from gourmet to traditional to sweet tamales. Entertainment on Saturday will include your favorite Emcee, Francisco Ramirez along with Medina Light Show Designs, plus a wide variety of music from two popular Mariachi bands, Mariachi Voces Tapatias and Mariachi Mexicanisimo; to major dance bands, Los Gatos Locos band and the Steppin’ Out band, plus Ranchero Artist Manuel Enrique and the Famous Dancing Horses! The festival will also include the Folkloric Dance Group New Hope from Paso Robles. Enjoy bounce houses, Zorb Balls, obstacle courses, bungee jumps from Bubble Fun 101, as well as face painting, balloon animals and plenty of fun for all ages! Close to 80 vendors will be on display offering everything from merchandise and crafts to adult beverages to a wide variety of food vendors beyond tamales to appease everyone’s palette and appetite!

The contests will return on Saturday too with the very popular “Best Tamale Contest” where all of the tamale vendors can showcase their outstanding work in creating the “best” tamale. The “Tamale Eating Contest” and the “Chihuahua Costume & Pet Contest” will also return!

DO NOT MISS this popular event! Atascadero’s 5th Annual Tamale Festival, January 17 & 18 will be a fun and exciting occasion for the whole family to attend, 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! Event is RAIN OR SHINE!

THANK YOU to our amazing sponsors! Presenting sponsor Metro by T-Mobile; Supporting sponsors Supervisor Debbie Arnold, Coastal Communities Physicians Network (CCPN), H&R Block; and our In-Kind sponsors Kennedy Club Fitness, Woods Humane Society, Garcia’s Restaurant Atascadero and Kenneth Heating & Air.