Taco teams face off at Rillito Downs
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Mariana Dale/TucsonSentinel.comEric Huettner is crowned 'Taco-Eating Champion' after downing almost six tacos. -
Mariana Dale/TucsonSentinel.comPork tacos from Tacos El Mar. The team brought home the award for best chicken taco in a former taco festival. -
Mariana Dale/TucsonSentinel.comA girl gets ready to take the plunge from the zip line. -
Mariana Dale/TucsonSentinel.comThe Lucha Libre matches attracted shouts from the audience with every audible hit. -
Mariana Dale/TucsonSentinel.comSerpiente Negra takes aim at his opponent in one of the days Lucha Libre wrestling matches. -
Mariana Dale/TucsonSentinel.comJerry Martinez waits in line for a lemonade. The sombrero actually belongs to his brother, Juan, who won the first chile-pepper eating contest of the day. -
Mariana Dale/TucsonSentinel.comJorge Gastelun prepares a second batch of dirty tacos. The mixture includes chorizo, bell peppers, sirloin, sausage, and bacon. -
Mariana Dale/TucsonSentinel.comThe taco-eating contenders faced 25 hearty tacos within a five-minute time limit. -
Mariana Dale/TucsonSentinel.comChildren took five-minute spins in gigantic hamster balls. There were no observed bouts of motion sickness despite the number of tacos consumed. -
Mariana Dale/TucsonSentinel.comAmanda Susnagara takes a break from clowning around to grab some chips and guacamole. -
Mariana Dale/TucsonSentinel.comLoews at Ventana Canyon brought the pork and the whole pig to the grill.
Whether you fancied chile, chipotle, seafood or barbecue, there was a taco to fit the bill at Saturday’s premiere Tucson Taco Festival.
More than 20 teams made up of local and visiting eateries cooked, grilled, and fried well into the evening at Rillito Park.
Kids ran around with parents in tow, drawn to the large inflatable hamster balls, a zip line, and face-painting. Parents trailed behind, sipping margaritas and various Mexican beers.
The lines for many of the eateries stretched for at least 15 people in most cases. The wait for the “dirty taco” at Kbork had a queue of almost 50 people.
Owner Jorge Gastelun had to grill up a second batch of chorizo, sirloin, sausage, pork, bacon and bell peppers after selling out early in the afternoon.
The participants of the taco-eating contest didn’t have to stand in line, but faced a plate of 25 tacos. In the five-minute limit, even the champion, Eric Huettner, couldn’t finish his sixth taco.
The 19-year-old University of Arizona Civil Engineering student was drawn to the stage for one reason: “Free tacos,” Huettner said.
He kept his resolve and despite some hesitation in the last five minutes of the contest, Huettner avoided the lure of the puke bucket.
Tucson Taco Festival winners
Grand Champion
- Blanco Tacos & Tequila
Reserve Grand Champion
- Lodge on the Desert
Chicken
- Seis Curbside Kitchen
- Rubio’s
- Guero Loco Bubba-Que
Pork
- Rubio’s
- Blanco Tacos & Tequila
- Seis Curbside Kitchen
Beef
- Lodge on the Desert
- Guerro Loco Bubba-Que
- Blanco Tacos & Tequila
Seafood
- Sir Veza’s
- Blanco Tacos & Tequila
- Lodge on the Desert
Salsa
- Fini’s Landing
- Mexico City Kitchen
- Loews Ventana Canyon
Guacamole
- Mexico City Kitchen
- Loews Ventana Canyon
- Smokin’ Hot BBQ
Anything Goes Taco
- Loews Ventana Canyon
- Rubio’s
- Q Up! BBQ
Best Booth
- Fini’s Landing
- Rubio’s
- Tacos el Mauri
