Events: SW Washington Tamale Festival Comes to Washougal This Weekend

Washougal, WA — Who doesn’t love a good tamale? Well, this Saturday afternoon you will get a chance to try a whole bunch of them at the  Southwest Washington Tamale Festival, which will be held in downtown Washougal at Reflection Plaza (the Town Square), from 1-9 pm.

Hosted by the Southwest Washington League of United Latin American Citizens, the family friendly event celebrates great cuisine and the tradition of Latino culture. General admission is free, though patrons will have to pay for their food and other purchases.

The fun event features tamale contests for two groups: Homestyle — which is for individuals to show off their own family recipes; and Professional — which is for restaurants, caterers, and food trucks.

Contest winners will be based on the following criteria:

• Technique
• Taste
• Appearance
• Quality

The festival also features a craft area for children, tamale demonstrations, food vendors, a beer garden, craft vendors, music, as well as dancing.

Entertainers include Gerardo and Nekla Calderon with a “Leyendas de Mexico” show at 3 pm; Hudson’s Bay High School’s Las Bonitas y Los Caballeros Ballet Folkloric at 4:30 pm; and Son de Cuba Quartette at 6 pm.

Proceeds and donation collected from the festival will support future scholarship stipends for local youth. To learn more, email the festival organizers at swwatamalefest@gmail.com

Tamales cooking: beef, chicken, and pork.