5th Annual Riverside Tamale Festival

I enjoyed the live music and all of the dancers. I was disappointed with the low number of tamale vendors this year. I was in a long line for tamales when they announced we would only be able to buy two or three tamales and not a dozen because the vendors were running out. I'm glad they warned us about this only I was hoping to pick up dinner for my family, and unfortunately I didn't get any tamales at all. I imagine with Covid some vendors thought the attendance would be low, but a lot of people showed up. The most disappointing part was paying $20 to get in, only to get no tamales. I wish the Riverside Tamale Festival had free admission like they do in La Habra, Indio, Placentia and DTSA (Downtown Santa Ana) at their tamale festivals.

4 starts for the bands only!!! They were awesome! I will probably come back next year only for the music. Tamale one was long about an hour wait. The folclórico was meh! They you don't dancers need to smile and enjoy their performance.

Small festival about a block long. Tried tamales and empanadas. Nice but not the best in my book. Festival had music and dancers.

This is the 2nd year that my husband and I attended the Riverside Tamale Festival. This year, the the non-tamale vendors spilled over into the street, and there was a way larger crowd in attendance! Experience from the previous year prodded me to purchase our $5 entrance ticket which was good for a family of 4 (there was a nominal fee attached to the price...$1.25 if I remember correctly). That magic ticket allowed us to walk to the front of the LONG line of people waiting in the hot sun to get in to the venue. (The line was still long when we left.)We wanted to try a variety of tamales and thought it was best to share each one we bought. We tried 4 different tamales: garlic shrimp, beef, chicken, and vegetarian. The garlic shrimp tamale was too salty for my taste, but the other 3 were really flavorful. The beef tamales and chicken tamales were tasty and actually two of the larger-sized tamales we had eaten. The vegetarian tamale I ordered had zucchini and spinach in the center; also pretty tasty.*TIPS:1) Parking: The Fox Theater parking structure is nearby. It is free and shady! The Tamale Festival entrance is just the next block over.2) Facebook: The Riverside Tamale Festival Facebook page is updated often. That's how I found out about online entrance tickets!3) Shade: There's a limited amount of shade at the venue. I brought my own shade...an umbrella.4) Seating: Seating is also limited. You are allowed to bring in your own chairs.

This was my first time attending festival. It was a $20 charge at entrance ($15 advanced online purchase) children under 12 are free. I am someone who enjoys festivals since they bring the community together and especially to raise funds for preservation. However, the ticket price was steep especially for the vendors that were available. They were about 6 or 7 tamale vendors. The rest were some community organizations,vendors selling frozen treats and drinks (which in my humble opinion were a bit overpriced). The "best Tamale contest" wasn't even announced. I found out the next day after the festival. It would be nice to have announcements or a posted schedule for the different activities they advertised. The 2 stars were for the entertainment they had a variety from amateur performers to amazing mariachis (Mariachis Diva). All in all my family and I will not be returning.

4.5 stars. I'm a fan of these types of festivals and it doesn't take much to make me happy: offer free/cheap admission, plenty of parking, and lots of vendors hawking the main attraction and I'm in. The Riverside Tamale Festival hit all the right notes on a warm Saturday in April. Admission was only $1, parking was free in many of the nearby lots and streets, and there was a plethora of vendors selling tamales.White Park was a great place to host this festival. It was airy and spacious, with various spots of shade. The vibe was family-friendly and relaxed. Everybody enjoyed the free entertainment as local musicians and mariachi groups played contemporary and traditional music. Naturally, the crowd loved the kids doing their recitals and dances.The only reason this festival doesn't get five stars is the lack of variety among the tamale vendors. It's a minor quibble, but it seemed like every other one was a branch of the La Luz Del Mundo church and served similar items. I would've preferred a few more chefs experimenting with the traditional recipes, since there are only so many green pork tamales I can eat before I want something different. Thankfully, my wife and I found a vegan/vegetarian vendor (excellent poblano and cheese tamale) and another seller whose chipotle BBQ tamale was one of my favorites. There were also a lot of non-tamale vendors, from kettle corn and sandwiches to clothing and accessories. I enjoyed the pepinos (cucumbers) and raspados (snow cones) and it was nice having a variety of food available.Overall, it was a fun day of eating various tamales and other foods. I'm looking forward to next year's festival.

Waited in line for about 30 min for the first place winner Olivia's something they were ok... Overall I'll come back in 3 years from this year

Had a very good time! Good Music, Cold Beer in the Beer Garden and plenty of food choice's! Some Tamales are very high in price! Other than that its a great family friendly event!

We always wanted to go to the tamale festival and finally went. It was okay but not great. Too pricey, tamales were ordinary nothing to write home about. We did try four different flavors of tamales and like I said nothing to write home about. The entertainment was mediocre. Too boot hubby got food poisoning from the tamales he had. This experience ended up being a disappointment unfortunately.

I attended this festival last year and it exceeded my expectations. There was lots of food and snack vendors to choose from, great entertainment, and a beer garden (where I spent most of my time) with a selection to suit all tastes. For those not familiar with the area, it can get pretty hot during the day for this event so dress accordingly and bring sunscreen.Overall, I highly recommend the Riverside Tamale Festival for families or anyone for that matter. It does tend to get crowded towards mid afternoon so I highly suggest to arrive early to allow ample time for parking and such. I purchased my ticket in advance and avoided the ticket line (pat on the back). Definitely looking forward to another year at this tamale festival.