The Long Beach International Tamales Festival, the day-long event dedicated to all things tamal, will return on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 1PM to 8PM, at Long Beach City College’s Pacific Coast campus. And yet again, it expects to draw in thousands and thousands of people wanting to explore the almighty tamal, from Mexican to Guatemalan styles.
The result? A multi-cultural event that really begged the question as to why Long Beach hasn’t celebrated the tamal in such a festive way before. And you better hop on tickets: Not only have all the early bird tickets, from GA to VIP, sold out, but the others are going fast.)
The Long Beach International Tamales Festival has become an annual tradition.
The Long Beach International Tamales Festival was a massive hit right out of the gate, garnering some 2,000 attendees when it debuted in 2021. That guest list has swelled: 2023 saw over 5,000 people
“”Making tamales with my grandma and tias was a way to connect, share stories, and celebrate our culture,” said Sal Flores-Trimble, head of LB Living, the organization behind the annual festival. “This festival is our chance to bring those traditions to life for the entire community, creating a space where people from all backgrounds can come together to share food, music, and joy during the holiday season.”
It is the memory of this that Flores-Trimble wants guests to experience as well, “embracing Mexican culture and theirs, Mexican history and theirs, and at the same time,introduce a new holiday tradition to people that come from different backgrounds.”
And that tradition is more than just the tamales: The festival features dancers, live performers, a homemade tamal contest, craft vendors, art…
Plenty of food and cultural happenings at the International Long Beach Tamales Festival. Photos by Brian Addison.
What to expect at this year’s event
This year’s event includes even more vendors than last year (Long Beach vendors highlighted in bold):
- Los Reyes Del Taco Sabroso
- Michifresca
- The Tamale Fiesta
- The Original Tamale Co.
- Cena Vegan
- Island Spice Tingz Jamaican
- Mexi Taco and Birria
- Maria’s Catering: The Original Kettle Corn
- El Chef Mobile Kitcheb
- Mexican Delights
- Ice Cream Queen
- Inglorious Funnels
- Manny’s Popcorn
- Dog R
- Salvi Nation
- Surfer Taco
The Long Beach International Tamales Festival will take place on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 1PM to 8PM at the Long Beach College Pacific Coast Campus, located at 1305 E. Pacific Coast Hwy. For tickets, click here.
