Atascadero Tamale Festival

Annual

Group of pictures of various Tamale Festival activities.

TAMALE FESTIVAL WEEKEND

May 3, 2024 | 5:30pm - 8:30pm

Kick-off this year’s Tamale Festival Weekend with Fiesta Friday on May 3rd! Starting at 5:30 pm in Downtown Atascadero, Fiesta Friday is a great way to get a head start on tamale shopping and a taste of what's in store from some of this year's tamale vendors without the crowds. Plus, the evening will also feature a Sip & Shop Wine Walk* until 8 pm (hosted by the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce) with over 15 participating businesses offering avariety of wine, beer, coffee and cider to enjoy, complimentary tours of Historic City Hall, and (weather permitting) fireworks around 8:15 pm over City Hall. The best place to view the show will be from Sunken Gardens!

May 4, 2024 | 11am - 7pm

The 8th Annual Tamale Festival, on May 4th, will bring you everything you've come to expect from this fun event favorite: a variety of delicious traditional, gourmet and sweet tamales from local restaurants (as well restaurants from across California), adult beverages, merchandise vendors, live music, "best" tamale, tamale eating and pet costume contests, photo opportunities, and more!

Come hungry and ready for a full day of family friendly fun!

*To purchase early bird tickets for the Sip & Shop Wine Walk, click here.

Click here for vendor and event contact information.

WHY THE TAMALE FESTIVAL

Image of numerous tamales stacked in a pot.

Over 30 Tamale Vendors

Dancing Horses

Folkloric Dancers

Image of kids eating tamales during a tamale eating contest.

Tamale Eating Contests

Variety of Music

Image of a Chihuahua dressed in a Yoda costume.

Chihuahua & Pet Costume Contest

Variety of Merchandise & Food Vendors

Image of blowup bounce houses and similar fun activities in Atascadero's Sunken Gardens during a past Tamale Festival.

Family Fun

Image of tamale platters and trophies displayed on a table with colorful table runners.

Tamale Contests

Photo Gallery

2024 Entertainment Lineup

TAMALE FESTIVAL OPENING

11 am • City Hall Stage

Close-up image of violinist's hand and violin in play.

The Tamale Festival kicks off with event announcements from Mayor Moreno and music by Mariachi Voces Tapatias.

PASO A PASITO DANCE GROUP & PASO BALLET FOLKLORICO

11:30 am • City Hall Stage

Close up of colorful folklorico dancer's dresses/skirts in motion.

Take in the beauty of folkloric dancing with performances from Paso A Pasito Dance Group & Paso Ballet Folklorico.

LA MARCHA SOUND

11:30 am • Lewis Ave. Stage

This high-energy variety Latin dance band, brings a mix of recognizable, well-loved covers and thoughtful, provocative original music, both in Spanish and English which are guaranteed to get the audience dancing. Their head-turning, always dressed to impress style, reflects the group’s deep respect for their public and the music. For La Marcha, a quality show is synonymous with dressing up and dressing well.

DANCING HORSES VIEWING & PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

12 pm • East Mall & Palma Ave.

Image of three dancing horses with heads bowed.

Stop by to meet and take a photo with the famous dancing horses and riders before their performance begins at 1pm.

WINNERS OF BEST TAMALE CONTEST ANNOUNCED

12 pm • City Hall Stage

Don't miss an opportunity to share in a shout out for the winners of the 2024 Tamale Festival Contest.

WAFFLES, THE MINI DONKEY PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

12 PM • Next to City Hall (West Mall side)

Image of mini donkey, Waffles, draped with greenery and basket.

A must do on your list this year! Be sure to get a photo with adorable mini donkey, Waffles from 12pm-2pm.

RANCHERO ARTIST MANUEL ENRIQUE & HORSE

12:10 pm • Front of City Hall

Image of man, Manuel Enrique, riding a dancing horse while singing.

Enjoy the singing of talented Ranchero Artist Manuel Enrique and performance with his dancing horse.

FAMOUS DANCING HORSES & MARIACHI VOCES TAPATIAS

1 pm • Front of City Hall

Image of rider on a horse with a lasso in motion.

A Tamale Festival event favorite, you won't want to miss this year's stunning dancing horses performance with music from Mariachi Voces Tapatias.

Dante Marsh & the Vibe Setters

2 pm • Lewis Ave. Stage

Image of five men enthusiastically playing various instruments.

The Vibe Setters are a soulful funk band with tasty grooves and colorful melodies. Dante Marsh leads this award winning group based out of San Luis Obispo California, receiving both Best R&B song and Best Performance awards from New Times Magazine.

CHIHUAHUA & PET COSTUME CONTEST

2:15 pm • City Hall Stage

Image of a small dog dressed in sarape covering and hat, pulling a tamale cart.

To participate in the contest, please sign up at the INFO booth between 11 am and 2 pm on the day of the event, located on West Mall near City Hall.

TAMALE EATING CONTEST

3:00 pm • City Hall Stage

To participate in the contest, please sign up at the INFO booth between 11 am and 2:45 pm on the day of the event, located on West Mall near City Hall.

BRASS MASH

4:30 pm • City Hall Stage

Image of band holding and playing a variety of brass instruments.

Get ready for a high energy performance of all your favorite tunes! Groove along to the powerhouse sounds of horns, winds and percussion.

STEPPIN' OUT BAND

5 pm • Lewis Ave. Stage

Voted the No. 1 Band in Northern Santa Barbara County for several years. This dance band is based on an ensemble that began in 2009 with the shared vision of Junior Juanich and Mike Arriola joined by talented musicians: Abraham Robles, Larry Kim, Joseph Del Giorgio and Bob Santa Cruz.

Tamale Festival Winners

7th Annual Tamale Festival 2023

Award Winning Tamales, Van Nuys ~ Best Overall Tamale

SAVINA'S HOME MADE TAMALES ~ Traditional Tamale

Image of 2023 Judges Choice Traditional Tamale Winner(s)

Other Traditional Tamale Winners: 2nd Place ~ Award Winning Tamales, Van Nuys • 3rd Place ~ La Luz del Mundo, Paso Robles

LA LUZ DEL MUNDO, Santa Barbara ~ Gourmet Tamale

Image of 2023 Judges Choice Gourmet Tamale Winner(s)

Other Gourmet Tamale Winners: 2nd Place ~ Garcia's Restaurant, Atascadero • 3rd Place ~ La Luz del Mundo, Oxnard

TAMALE EATING CONTEST ~ 11 and Under

Image of 2023 Tamale Eating Contest winners

1st Place: Liam Shutt 2nd Place: Bella Real

TAMALE EATING CONTEST ~ 12 and Over

Image of 2023 12 and Over Tamale Eating Contest winner

1st Place Winner: Juan Morquez 2nd Place: Michael Dean