The Raleigh Tamale Festival is quickly approaching and you don’t want to miss out on all the excitement this year! The festival will take place at Peach Road Community Center from 1-4pm on Saturday, March 17th. There will be three facets to this year’s festival:
- Games and fun for the kids
- Community resources on hand, and
- Tamale competition
The Wake County Health Services, Raleigh Parks & Rec, and an Autism resource group are just a few of the community resources that will be on hand to provide valuable information. The Tamale Competition will start at 2pm and pre-registration is required. All participants should bring 20 warm tamales with them where 5-7 judges will sample each one to determine the winner. The judges will consist of folks from the police department, a local latino restaurant, Maseca, and other local groups. This year, Maseca has partnered with the Raleigh Tamale Festival to award cash prizes to the first, second, and third place winners!
Christy Murray, Raleigh Parks and Recreation Facility Director at Peach Road Community Center, anticipates an increase in attendance this year due to the higher stakes of the Tamale Competition. Murray exclaims, “We are expecting between 400-500 people this year due to the great partnership and cash prizes from Maseca.”
Due to the anticipation of larger crowds, festival patrons will have to park at the International Food Center, La Villa Latina near the Renaissance Park neighborhood. A free shuttle bus will then take guests back and forth between Peach Road Community Center and La Villa Latina. Handicapped access will also be available.
Raleigh Tamale Festival Details:
- Saturday, March 17, 2012 from 1-4pm at Peach Rd Community Center
- Park at La Villa Latina near Renaissance Park (421 Chapanoke Rd); FREE shuttle buses will take attendees to and from the festival
- Pre-registration (FREE) is required for the Tamale Competition
- Tamale Competition judging begins at 2pm
- Cash prizes awarded for first, second, third places
For additional information or to register for the Tamale Competition, contact Peach Rd Community Center at (919) 807-8545.