City of Somerton hosts annual Tamale Festival
Paul Vozzella
SOMERTON, Ariz. (KYMA) – A longstanding tradition and Somerton’s biggest event of the year took place over the weekend.
The City of Somerton hosted its annual Tamale Festival Saturday, and it took place along Main Street at 11:00 a.m.
The event featured 20 tamale vendors amongst other food and shopping vendors, and drew a tremendous crowd, with an estimated 30,000 people in attendance.
With plenty of vendors to visit, the event also displayed the traditions and culture of the city and surrounding areas.
“Just seeing the community come together on a Saturday is great. Being outside, we’re here in Arizona. It’s 80 degrees today, so…you can’t shovel sunshine,” said Brett Newby, a visitor.
Also attending the Tamale Festival was Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.), who made a stop at the Veterans Home in Yuma earlier in the day, and she is the first-ever governor to attend the event that benefits local Arizona State University (ASU) students.
Proceeds from the event go towards the El Diablito Alumni Chapter scholarship funds.
On top of supporting college students, Gov. Hobbs was also quick to mention the camaraderie the festival showcases
“I just really love the opportunity, as governor, to uplift things like this, and just celebrate communities around the state,” Hobbs expressed. “What Arizona does is show up for our communities, and so the fact that [this event] brings so many people together and then supports helping students attain college [scholarships] is amazing.”
Since its inception, the festival has raised nearly $500,000 dollars in scholarships for ASU students from Yuma County.
The event lasted until midnight.