EVENT INFO

LOCATION Salt River Fields at Talking Stick
7555 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85258
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/CQWkc

DATES October 20-21, 2012 (Saturday-Sunday)

HOURS 11am-7pm each day

TICKET PRICE $12 Single Day General Admission (kids under 12 free!) / $20 Weekend Pass / $100 Single Day VIP / $175 Weekend Pass VIP / $20 Tequila Expo (Saturday) / $20 Beers of the World (Sunday) / Free Parking / Half-Price Entry to anyone wearing a sombrero all weekend! (GA tix only)

BUY TICKETS HERE http://tktwb.tw/LmvCFz

ORGANIZERS Affordable Food Festivals, Salt River Fields, National Taco Association

SPONSORS Don Julio, Jose Cuervo, Miller Chill, Chapman Ford, Mix 96.9, 99.9 KEZ, Sub Zero/Wolf, Westar, Cricket Wireless, Yelp.com, EATERAZ.com, Danny’s Car Wash, Talking Stick Resort, Arizona Weddings Magazine, El Hefe, Dos Gringos, Sandbar, Salty Senorita, Arizona Pork Council, Airpark Signs, CityEats.com, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Manuel’s Mexican Food

TACO CONTEST 30+ teams each day battling for $10,000 total prize purse

COMPETITION CATEGORIES
Tacos: Chicken, Beef, Pork, Seafood
Sidecart Throwdown: Salsa, Guacamole, Anything Goes Taco, Best Booth Design

WEEKEND ACTIVITIES (schedule to be announced)
Carrabba’s VIP Tent with open bar & catered food (see below)
Boutique Tequila Expo with over 100 types of tequila (Saturday only)
Bars with Margaritas & Cervezas by Dos Gringos, El Hefe, Salty Senorita, and Sandbar
Lucha Libre Wrestling
Live Surf Music
Mariachi sponsored by Airpark Signs & Graphics
Kids Zone with face painters, balloon sculptors, bouncy castles and more
Octane Go Kart Race Track
Hot Chile Pepper Eating Contests
Themed Photo Booth by Awesoos
Grossest Taco Eating Contest by Posh Improvisational Cuisine
Chihuahua Beauty Pageant (Saturday)
Bartender Margarita / Flair Challenge (Sunday)
Celeb Chef Cooking Demonstrations on a Sub-Zero/Wolf stage
Wedding Fantastico! (somebody is getting married, for real! Sunday)
Taco Award Presentations: 6pm each day

WHAT’S IN A VIP TICKET?
For starters, you get unlimited food inside the Carrabba’s VIP Tent. They’re doing “tacos, the Italian way.” Think tomato/basil/chicken tacos, sausage and pepper tacos, and cilantro lime risotto. There’s also an open bar inside the VIP Tent and swanky, private restroom facilities. You also get three competition taco tasting tickets from the Taco Teams. Saturday’s VIP Ticket Holders will receive a pass into the Tequila Expo with over 30 brands available to try; Sunday VIP Ticket Holders will get access to the Beers of the World Tent. And MORE: you’ll also receive one pass to the Octane Raceway Go-Kart track, and one trip into the Awesoos Photo Booth.
Get your tickets here: http://tktwb.tw/LmvCFz

HOW THE FEST WORKS…
Competition taco and Sidecart throwdown food samples are $2 each. Size of the sample is at the discretion of the team. Expect smaller, street tacos or portions of larger tacos. Each sample will include 1-2 ounces of protein and other ingredients. Vendors will be on hand to sell other food as well.

CAN’T MAKE IT ‘TILL LATER?
After 4pm, park at the W Scottsdale or Fashion Square Mall and take the Lucky Express to the Taco Fest. The shuttle normally goes straight to Talking Stick Resort, but it’s adding a TacoStop to it’s route on Oct 20-21 from 4pm to 7pm! It stops at all 3 places every 30 minutes. Details: http://www.talkingstickresort.com/luckyexpress.aspx

PETS
Sorry, no dogs allowed (except Chihuahua Beauty Pageant participants)