Club Congress
311 East Congress StreetDowntown
Guide
Your Guide to the 2024 Pueblos Del Maíz Festival
From Thursday, April 11 – Sunday, April 14, the nonprofit Tucson City of Gastronomy (TCoG) hosts the third annual international Pueblos Del Maíz festival, which celebrates the gastronomies, histories, and food cultures of maíz (corn) in Tucson and three other UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy. Participating cities this year include Tucson, San Antonio, Mérida MX, and Bergamo-Gandino IT.
Pueblos del Maíz in Tucson will be a four-day celebration of the major role of maíz in Southern Arizona’s food heritage, gastronomy, and culture. Centered in downtown Tucson, it will also extend to Mission Garden, Native Seeds/SEARCH, Kennedy Park, and other venues across the city.
It will feature a free fiesta at Kennedy Park with street food and bands, cooking demonstrations by visiting chefs, a white-cloth dinner collaboratively prepared by visiting and local chefs, live musical performances, interactive art installations, and free educational tours, demonstrations, and presentations on the theme of maíz.
8 spots
FORGE at Roy Place
Milpas and Microbes: Landscapes of Fermentation with Dr. César Ojeda Linares
Sunday, April 14 from 2 - 3 p.m.
This free presentation by a pioneer in ethno-microbiology will explore how the traditional milpa agricultural system of Mesoamerica creates landscapes designed to provide the ingredients for a variety of traditional fermented beverages made with maize and complementary crops through microbial interactions. Learn more.
Kennedy Park
Pueblos del Maíz Fiesta
Saturday, April 13 from 4 - 10 p.m.
Tucson City of Gastronomy presents the third annual "Pueblos del Maíz Fiesta," a FREE community event at Kennedy Park. Starting at 4 p.m., Kennedy Park will transform into a maíz themed fiesta with live music from Los Gallegos and more. The event will also feature local food and artisan vendors, family-friendly activities, and art installations, all celebrating the cultural and culinary significance of Maíz in the Sonoran Desert.
Live music by: Angel Norteño Los Gallegos Native Creed Dámaris Bójor La Nueva Onda DJ TitoSuavecito
Mission Garden
Tasting History: Corn Traditions
Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13 from 9 - 11 a.m. each day
The free program will include a display and interpretation of heritage and indigenous corn varieties grown at Mission Garden, a demonstration about making cal (lime) for nixtamalization of corn, a demonstration of the nixtamalization process, and tastings of fresh corn tortillas and traditional O'odham gaivsa (corn soup). Learn more.
Native Seeds/SEARCH
Native Seeds/SEARCH Tour
Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12 from 10 - 11:30 a.m. each day
Tour the Native Seeds/SEARCH (NS/S) seed lab, seed bank, and conservation gardens. Learn about the rich history of heirloom seed conservation and seed banking in the Southwest and the diverse regional maize collection stewarded by NS/S.
The tour will be followed by a brief presentation on different types of maize and the processes and challenges of conserving it.
Learn more.
Pima Community College
5901 South Calle Santa CruzSouthwest
Learn to Make Maíz Recipes from Texas and Yucatan
Friday, April 12 from 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Free cooking demonstrations and tastings of traditional and innovative maize dishes by chefs visiting from San Antonio and Mérida, Mexico. Learn more.
The Carriage House
Noche de Maíz Chef's Dinner
Thursday, April 11 from 7 - 10 p.m.
Tucson City of Gastronomy and Gastronomic Union of Tucson (GUT) present an unforgettable dinner to kick off Pueblos del Maíz 2024. Visiting chefs from sister UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy, Mérida MX, Bergamo-Gandino IT, and San Antonio TX will collaborate with award-winning local chefs to prepare wine-paired courses highlighting corn's creative culinary possibilities. Learn more.
The Rialto Theatre
CIMAFUNK
Sunday, April 14 from 6 - 11 p.m.
Cimafunk is a Grammy-nominated, Afro-Cuban Rockstar. His name refers to his heritage as a "cimarrón," Cubans of African descent who resisted and escaped slavery, as well as to the essence of his music that aims to subvert classical Cuban rhythms with innovative mixes of funk, afrobeat, and hip hop. Cimafunk has received overwhelming praise touring the U.S. and Europe, making a name for himself as one of today's great showmen, performing an electric live show with La Tribu, his nine-person band from Havana. His live show is a celebration of groove and an unforgettable sonic and bodily experience. Cimafunk is redefining contemporary Cuban music as well as Afro-Latin identity and the fusion of black cultures. His latest album, El Alimento, was nominated at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album. Learn more.
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