‘Pueblos del Maiz Fiesta’ to celebrate Tucson’s culinary heritage

There is a new festival coming to Tucson that has its sights set on bringing a boost to restaurant businesses throughout the city.

The big event hosted by Visit Tucson will be named Pueblos del Maíz Fiesta and it’s expected to take place from Thursday, May 4 – Sunday, May 8, with more events happening throughout the entire month.

The fiesta is actually occurring in three other cities during the month of May, with the first Pueblos del Maíz Fiesta kickin’ off in Tucson. The other cities celebrating on separate weeks include Puebla, Mexico, Merida, Mexico, and San Antonio, Texas — each hosting a different event.

Looking ahead, the fiesta is meant to once again draw interest in traveling to the Old Pueblo, too.

“We know that culinary interests impact travel decisions and that since Tucson was named the first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in the U.S.,” said Diane Frisch, Director of Pima County Attractions and Tourism. “We have experienced significant local, national and international media attention, all helping grow our local economy through increased bed tax revenue, and growing food-related businesses and the industry as a whole.”

Earlier this month, the Pima County Board of Supervisors gave $1-million to the Pima County Department of Attractions and Tourism — to be used as a recovery to local businesses. The majority of that money is going to be used to kickstart the Pueblos del Maíz Fiesta. Another $250,000 of that money is going to be used to support the Tucson City of Gastronomy.

“The pandemic was devastating for so many of our local restaurants and food businesses, which represent a large part of our culinary identity and attraction to visitors,” said Frisch. “The development and promotion of new, successful events will be critical to the local industry’s recovery.”

The event is still in the early stages of development but you can bet you’ll hear more about the festivities happening in and around Tucson in the coming months. For one, you can count on some one-of-a-kind culinary delights from beloved local restaurants.