The First Annual Feria de Tamal, or Tamale Festival, was held at the Longmont Museum on Saturday. The event was organized by the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Boulder County, or LCC.
Festival attendees were treated to tamale samples in a range of regional styles such as Veracruz and Oaxaca, and which included both savory and sweet offerings. When participants found a particularly delicious example, they could purchase one or more tamales directly from the vendor. Bags filled with special treats were a common sight.
“There are no other events of this kind, no other feria de tamal, in the state of Colorado,” said John Galindo, chair of the LCC. He added that the Latin Chamber of Commerce has been excited to begin this new annual festival that celebrates the complexity and diversity of Mexican and Mexican-American culture.
Activities at the festival were not limited to tamale demonstrations. The event also featured live music in the auditorium by Grupo Kaoba, which had listeners dancing in the aisles. Flamenco dancer Mariana Olé performed with members of her troupe while flamenco guitarist Steve Mullins provided accompaniment.
In the main hall, a raised wrestling ring dominated the space beyond the auditorium doors, and fully costumed luchadores gave a demonstration of Lucha Libre Mexican wrestling to the delight of the crowd.
In the sponsors hall, organizers had a small play area for toddlers, and kids of all ages were encouraged to color their own luchador mask.
The festival was well attended. Organizers estimated that more than 600 people showed up, coming from all over the Front Range area.
“We asked for people’s zip codes, and the zip codes are from all over. There are a lot of people up from Denver, but also down from Fort Collins and even Greeley,” Galindo said.
The line of people waiting to enter reflected the popularity of the event. Lines remained long throughout the day, although the organizers worked to ensure that no one waited out in the chill November air for more than a few minutes. Inside, the demonstration hall was packed but the atmosphere was cheerful, fueled by tasty food and a sense of camaraderie.
“Events like this are really important,” said Jorge Herrera, who attended as a representative of Polestar, “I love to come and support the community.”
While most of the festival sponsors lined the sponsors hall, Drive Clean Colorado lined the circular drive in front of the museum with electric vehicles. Anyone with a valid driver’s license was encouraged to test drive one of seven new vehicles, ranging from Tesla to the Kia EV6 to the Ford Lightning. Volunteers lined up their own cars in the parking lot and shared their knowledge and passion for driving an electric vehicle.
