It’s been two years since the culture of the mighty agave plant was put on display in Tucson, but now that hiatus is finally coming to an end. From Thursday, April 28 – Sunday, May 1, the Agave Heritage Festival is celebrating its four-day event at multiple locations around town.
Todd Hanley, who is the festival director and CEO of Hotel Congress and Maynards, is feeling pretty triumphant about the festival’s return.
“We are thrilled to continue bringing attention and awareness to Tucson and Southern Arizona through the lens of this truly amazing and resilient agave plant in the form of a four-day festival,” said Hanley.
What to expect at the Agave Heritage Festival
The festival is considered to be one of Tucson’s most significant festivals, celebrating the plant and the strong southern Arizona connection with the indigenous traditions of Mexico.
Hotel Congress and Maynards are hosting the festival with support from Rio Nuevo, Visit Tucson, Sysco Food Service, Earth’s Healing, Bahnez Mezcal, UA College of Social & Behavioral Science, and AZ Arts Live.
“The Agave Heritage Festival offers a unique balance of culture, heritage, history, education packaged in an engaging and exciting four days of fun,” said Hanley.
A wide variety of individual events for agave aficionados will be happening throughout all four days, as well as experiences for those who want to learn more about the distinctive culture. A handful of agave experts will be in attendance at festival events including “Ignite Agave” — a special event featuring the Women of Mezcal — the Grand Agave Fiesta tasting event, and a cocktail-inspired dinner put together by chef Brian Smith from Maynards and mixologist Aaron Defeo from Lil Rituals Bar in Phoenix.
Multiple ways & locations to celebrate
Multiple spots and venues are hosting events this year in Tucson — the “City of Century Plants” — ranging from the Plaza at Hotel Congress to Mission Garden, the Desert Lab at Tumamoc Hill, Crisol Tasting Room, Leo Rich Theatre, and more.
Oh, and we can’t forget about the music, which plays an integral part in the festival.
On the opening night of the festival, the inimitable Lila Downs will perform at Centennial Hall. Also, additional entertaining events are planned at the recently opened Century Room Borderlands Jazz Club and Mezcal Tasting Room inside Hotel Congress.
“The Agave Heritage Festival has been identified as one of the community events with the best potential to attract visitors from around the country,” said Felipe Garcia, President of Visit Tucson. “It continues to add to our prestige as one of the top culinary destinations in the U.S.”
2022 Agave Heritage Festival Sampling of Events
Thursday, April 28
- 2:30 – 4 p.m. at Crisol: Mexican Fermented Beverage’s Workshop/Lecture
- 8 p.m. at Centennial Hall: Lila Downs performance
- 10 p.m. at Century Room: Lila Downs After Party presented by Bahnez Mezcal and Tequila Fortaleza
Friday, April 29
- 6 – 8 p.m. at Tucson Leo Rich Theatre: Ignite Agave – Women of Mezcal
- 7 p.m. at Century Room: Larry Redhouse Trio Band
- 7 p.m. at Crisol: Bacanora Tasting/Lecture
- 8 – 11 p.m. at multiple downtown restaurants and bars: MezCrawl
Saturday, April 30
- 7 – 10 p.m. at Hotel Congress: Agave Fiesta
- 7 – 9 p.m. at Crisol: Tequila/Raicilla Tasting
Sunday, May 1
- 5 – 6:30 p.m. at Crisol: Sotol Tasting/Lecture
- 6 – 8 p.m. at Maynards: Agave Cocktail Dinner with Lil Rituals Cocktail Bar
For more information and a full list of events, visit agaveheritagefestival.com.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
