Somerton Tamale Festival Returns December 20 to Main Street
The Somerton Tamale Festival, billed as Arizona's largest tamale celebration, will take place Saturday December 20 on Main Street in Somerton, organized by the ASU El Diablito Alumni Chapter. The event matters to local residents because it brings large crowds, supports cultural programming and raises scholarship funds for local students while creating economic activity for downtown businesses.
Somerton will host its annual Tamale Festival on Saturday December 20 along Main Street, an event organized by the ASU El Diablito Alumni Chapter that combines food vendors, cultural dances, music and community booths. Known regionally as Arizona's largest tamale celebration, the festival has historically drawn large crowds and has been a recurring source of scholarship funds for local students.
The festival lineup features a broad array of tamale vendors alongside traditional dance performances and live music, with community organizations and booths offering services and information. Organizers say they are accepting vendor, sponsorship and volunteer applications through the ASU El Diablito Alumni Chapter, continuing a long standing focus on local scholarship support and community engagement.
For Yuma County residents the event represents both cultural celebration and tangible economic benefit. Downtown merchants and food vendors typically see increased foot traffic, and the festival schedule near the holiday season may extend customer visits for local retailers. The scholarship proceeds funded by festival activities also contribute directly to postsecondary opportunities for Somerton area students, reinforcing the event's civic role beyond entertainment.
The gathering will require coordination among event organizers, municipal officials and public safety agencies to manage crowd flows, street access and sanitation on Main Street. Residents and visitors should plan for concentrated pedestrian activity in the downtown corridor on the day of the festival and consider arranging parking and travel plans accordingly.
The Somerton Tamale Festival is part of a longer tradition of community festivals in the region that blend cultural expression with fundraising. Its return this December underscores the ongoing role local civic groups and alumni organizations play in supporting educational opportunities while promoting cultural heritage. For those interested in participating as vendors, sponsors or volunteers the ASU El Diablito Alumni Chapter is the organizing contact for application details and event coordination.
