It’s back! From Thursday, April 10 to Sunday, April 13, the Agave Heritage Festival returns to Tucson.
With more than 100 varieties of Agave in the Tucson basin and the official “City of Century Plants” designation in 2022, the festival brings awareness and understanding of the relationship between people and the Agave’s ecology.
Just like previous years, the multi-day experience includes several experiences for all interests — tasting events, educational presentations by top-notch agave producers, heritage culinary events, and more.
Here’s a sneak peek of what to expect at this year’s Agave Heritage Festival.
2025 Agave Heritage Festival Experiences
Bar-takeovers
This year brings the return of tasting events. Throughout the four-day event master mixologists from Little Rituals and BarCoa of Phoenix, Madre Oaxacan Restaurante, and Mezcaleria of Los Angeles will be in town.
The takeovers highlight agave spirit cocktails and neat pours from both regional and central Mexico such as Los Cantiles 1905 Bacanora, Tequila Ocho, and Mezcal Vago.
The Agave Renaissance Summit
Last year, the event happened in Alamos, Sonora, but this year, it’s going down in Tucson on April 11.
Organized by Agave Heritage Festival’s Co-Chair, Dr. Ben Wilder, the focus is to strengthen Tucson and Southern Arizona as a region of Century Plants: uniting communities across borders to foster agave sustainability, cultural heritage, and economic resilience for future generations.
“To me, a region of century plants means uniting communities across borders to foster agave and ecosystem health, cultural heritage, and economic resilience for future generations,” said Dr. Wilder.
Heritage Dinner at Maynards
This feast is a partnership with Maynards Kitchen and Bottle Shop and La Gritona Reposado Tequila — a female and family-owned distillery. This five-course dinner includes cocktails and neat pours highlighting Chef Roderick LeDesma’s dishes that showcase the regional bounty of the Sonoran Desert.
Collaborative Dinner at the Carriage House
This collaborative dinner is a partnership with the Tucson City of Gastronomy and the Pueblos de Maize Festival. Curated by Chef members of GUT (Gastronomic Union of Tucson), the dinner will be hosted by Tequila Ocho/Mezcal Vago and feature a menu celebrating the ingredients of the Mesoamerican diet — maize, squash, beans, agave, and more.
Guided Tour of Tumamoc Hill
The festival returns to Tumamoc Hill for a unique perspective on the culture, science, and community of the area. Home to the Desert Laboratory since 1903, Tumamoc Hill is an 800-acre ecological preserve located in the heart of Tucson.
A 2,500-year-old village sits atop the site, The entire preserve is a rich cultural landscape reflecting four millennia of communities that have inhabited the hill and is registered as a US National Historical Landmark.
Robert “Beto” Villa will lead a guided comprehensive tour of the hill and the Trincheras built to support agave cultivation.
Agave Fiesta Grande Tasting
The event that started it all in 2008, finds a new home at Borderlands Brewing Company. More than 50 artisanal and ancestral agave spirits will be offered from 14 different brands.
Agave Planting at Mission Garden
Emphasizing the roots of Tucson’s culture, the traditional Agave Planting will take place at Mission Garden — the birthplace of Tucson’s culinary heritage.
Additionally, on the following day, a not-to-be-missed lecture by agave and archaeological experts Paul and Suzy Fish will chat about the cultural landscape around us, changing the way you see Tucson and the greater Southwest.
Then, on the same day, a free educational series will be offered at Maynards, in part led by the University of Arizona SBS Professor Ryan Kashanipour, discussing cross-border agriculture, food, fiber, and more.
See the full calendar of dates and details at 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.
