Throughout this year’s four-day Agave Heritage Festival, it’ll be a fun challenge to create a schedule that covers the wide scope of events.
From Thursday, April 10 – Sunday, April 13, there’s going to be plenty of tasting opportunities,mezcal-focused dinners, educational programs, award presentations, and fiestas. It’s all in celebration of the mighty agave — that’s what makes this festival unique in the world and specifically meaningful for Tucson.
“Even if you don’t drink tequilas or mezcals in Tucson, it’s clear that these plants are part of the cultural identity of the Old Pueblo — they line our streets, our yards and bloom in our murals, songs and stories,” said David Suro Pinera, acclaimed agricultural ecologist, ethnobotanist, and recent James Beard Award winner for co-authoring the book Agave Spirits, Past, Present and Future of Mezcals.
With more than 10 free events out of the 30+ events, the Agave Heritage Festival is accessible, educational, and pretty exciting.
“Tucson probably has as many kinds of agaves in our parks, botanical gardens, and nurseries as any city in the world,” Suro Pinera added. “While other Sonoran Desert cities might claim saguaros as their icon, there is no doubt that Tucson deserves to be known as American City of Mezcal Diversity.”
You can check out all of the Agave Heritage Festival’s events here, but keep scrolling to see the free-to-attend experiences.
Free Events
Howard Scott Gentry Lecture and Award Ceremony
309 E. Seventh St.
Thursday, April 10, 3 – 4:30 p.m.
Honoring legacy, leadership, and land, this award is named in honor of Howard Scott Gentry — the pioneering botanist whose work laid the foundation for modern agave research. This event recognizes individuals who lead with courage, cultural insight, and deep respect for the land and communities sustaining agave traditions.
This year’s honorees are Diana Carolina Pinzón and Fabiola “Faby” Torres Monfils for their binational leadership and steadfast commitment to honoring the cultural and ecological roots of mezcal production.
Their work exemplifies the values at the heart of the Gentry Award: collaboration, sustainability, and cultural preservation.
Paul and Suzy Fish Lifetime Career Award Lecture at Mission Garden
946 W. Mission Ln.
Saturday, April 12, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Honoring the Roots of Knowledge the festival recognizes Paul and Suzy Fish for their groundbreaking research on ancient agave cultivation in the Sonoran Desert. Through decades of archaeological and ecological work, they’ve helped uncover the hidden agricultural landscapes and traditional knowledge systems that continue to shape our region today.
Arrive early or linger after the lecture to explore Mission Garden — Tucson’s living agricultural museum — and walk among heritage crops and agave plantings that echo the very history the Fishes have brought to light.
Agave Planting at Mission Garden
946 W. Mission Ln.
Thursday, April 10, 8 – 11 a.m.
Help plant agaves as part of Mission Garden’s new Tomorrow’s Garden. No experience is needed, and families are encouraged to join! They’ll provide all tools and gloves, just bring your enthusiasm, long pants, and a hat for sun protection.
Inspired by Indigenous plantings on Tumamoc Hill these agave plants will provide food for bat pollinators and may even become part of a future festival’s agave roast.
Mission Garden Agave Pit Roasting Uncovering
946 W. Mission Ln.
Thursday, April 10, 5:30-7:30pm
Members of the Kumeyaay tribe, led by Dr. Stanley Rodriguez, will demonstrate their methods of roasting agave hearts, then share samples of this sweet, unique food. Dr Rodriguez is a member of the Kumeyaay Santa Ysabel Band of the Iipay Nation, Is an educator, language teacher, and tribal singer.
Agave Talks and Tastings at Hotel Congress
311 E. Congress St.
Saturday, April 12, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Explore the cultural, agricultural and market potential of agave in this interactive, drop-in series, featuring expert-led panels, mezcal tastings from Raices Imports and Origin Raiz del Esperitu, sessions will highlight sustainable agriculture, cross-border collaboration and creative innovations shaping the future of agave.
- 11 a.m. – Noon – Beyond Distiallates: Agave’s Legacy in Art, Food & Fiber
- Ryan Kashinipour (University of Arizona) moderator. Panel includes Valeria Canedo(Polinizador Social para la Conservacion y Epodieramiento Rural) and Angelica Afanador Pujol (Arizona State University).
- Noon – 1 p.m. – Cross Border Sustainable Agave Agriculture & Cultivation
- Gary Nabhan (University of Arizona) as moderator. Panel includes Rachel Burke (Bat Conservation International), Francesca Claverie (Borderlands Restoration Network) and Julie Figueras (The Lost Explorer)
- 2 – 3 p.m. – Community Building to Strengthen Collaboration in Agave Locally and Globally
- Francisco Terrazas (Raices Imports, Tequila Interchange Project) moderator. Panel includes Misty Kalkofen (Siembra Spirits, Liquid Productions), Niki Nakazawa (Neta Spirits), and Bildo Saravia (Origin Raiz Del Espiritu)
- 3-4 p.m. – Ecological Conservation in Agave
- Caitlin Hall (Agave Heritage Festival) moderator. Panel includes Chava Rosales Trejo (Tequila Cashcahuin), Marsella Macias (University of New Mexico, Chelenzo Farms) and Randy Young (La Tierra del Jaguar)
All Agave Heritage Festival Events
“Now more than ever, the binational relationship between Arizona and Mexico is so very important,” said Todd Hanley, Founder of the Agave Heritage Festival. “I can only hope that the festival plays a role in creating a strong connection and prosperity for all.”
Check out all of the events here, and for the map of this year’s Noche De Mezcal (formerly known as the MezCrawl), check out our guide.
For more information on all of the 2025 Agave Heritage Festival events, visit agaveheritagefestival.com.
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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.
