For thirty-one years, Fullerton’s neighbor, the City of Placentia, has celebrated tamalés, honoring Latin tradition and the food’s cultural roots with an annual festival, which typically takes place at the start of the holiday season every December. I learned about this tamale festival several years ago when I saw a banner advertising the event posted above Old Town Placentia while my parents were on their commute to work. Recently, I reached out to the city ahead of its “A Very Tamale Holiday” to interview event organizers about the history of the festival, how much planning is involved for both the vendors and the city, and to find out what guests can expect from this year’s masa-based holiday celebration that was held on December 11.

According to Nicolette Drulias, Communications and Marketing Manager for the City of Placentia, the Santa Fe Merchants Association originally started the Placentia Tamale Festival, with Placentia business owner Rosalina Davis leading the effort. Drulias explained that last year marked the 30th anniversary of Placentia’s community tradition.

“In its early years, the festival also included Las Posadas, reflecting its strong cultural roots. At the time, there were no nearby tamale festivals, and the merchants wanted to bring this important Latin tradition to the local community while also highlighting and supporting the small businesses in the Old Town Placentia area,” said Drulias. “The association successfully ran the event for the first 28 years. The City of Placentia has overseen and expanded the event for the past two years, continuing the mission to celebrate culture, support local businesses, and bring the community together during the holiday season.”

For this year’s holiday tamale festival, City of Placentia planners behind “A Very Tamale Holiday” expect to have 18 food vendors, including six dedicated tamale vendors. While several of the event’s tamale vendors are local to Placentia, I learned that many travel from throughout North Orange County, including Fullerton, and across Southern California to come to this festival, bringing with them unique styles and family recipes for festival-goers to experience.

“Guests will find a wide variety of tamales, including traditional favorites like red pork, green chile and cheese, chicken, beef, and sweet ones, such as pineapple and strawberry,” said the event’s organizers via email. “Each year, vendors collectively prepare thousands of tamales for the event; some vendors prepare between 600 to 1,000 tamales each, depending on the capacity and popularity.”

Drulias explained that over the years, vendors have introduced imaginative options, such as mole tamales, jalapeno and cream cheese tamales, and even vegan or gluten-free varieties. She said that these types of specialty tamales tend to draw a lot of attention from returning guests looking for something new.

I learned that food vendors typically begin preparing weeks in advance for this festival, sourcing ingredients, prepping fillings, assembling the tamales, and coordinating staff needs for the event.

“On the City’s end, planning begins months in advance of the festival, involving coordination with Public Works, Police, Fire & Life Safety, vendors, performers, local businesses, and sponsors,” said Drulias. “Tasks include layout planning, traffic and safety coordination, and marketing. It is a major citywide effort that takes detailed coordination to ensure a safe and successful event. This year, guests can expect a festive, family-friendly holiday celebration featuring live entertainment, a snow area (North Pole playground), food and tamale vendors, local businesses and nonprofit vendors, a beer garden, photo opportunities with Santa Claus, and our annual Tree Lighting ceremony.”

So, what makes this year’s tamale holiday event different from previous years? Well, according to event organizers, this year’s A Very Tamale Holiday will be held in partnership with the City’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony, combining two major community traditions into one festive celebration. Organizers say that the event footprint has also evolved so that there’s a more walkable layout with enhanced entertainment and interactive activities.

Interestingly, Placentia’s tree lighting tradition began more than a decade ago as a way to bring the community together and welcome in the holiday season. According to City officials, the tree this year stands approximately 18 feet tall, and decorating it takes a team effort from staff. Drulias explained that the process typically takes a few weeks, depending on weather conditions and the specific lighting installation needs.

When asked what her favorite part of the city’s holiday event is, Drulias said that she loves seeing families and friends come together to enjoy the start of the holiday season, while also watching the tree light up, hearing the entertainment, and seeing the Placentia community celebrate traditions new and old.

Placentia’s A Very Tamale Holiday event draws roughly 5,000 to 8,000 attendees each year, making it one of the community’s most popular holiday traditions. Free parking is available at several nearby Placentia locations, with a complimentary event shuttle running throughout the evening, according to Drulias.

She said, “Guests are encouraged to park at the designated off-site lots shown on the event parking map. Additional public parking is available throughout Old Town Placentia within walking distance of the event footprint.”

When I asked if there’s anything else they would like the public to know about this year’s holiday celebration, city organizers responded via email, “We couldn’t make this event as successful as it is without the support of our sponsors! Each year, we are so fortunate to have community businesses and local organizations that help us make this event bigger and bigger. We encourage the community to come out and enjoy this year’s A Very Tamale Holiday celebration. It’s a wonderful opportunity to support local businesses, non-profit organizations, and food vendors, enjoy new entertainment, and celebrate the holidays with the community. Additional details can be found on our event website at www.placentiatamalefestival.org.”