Join Whiskey Del Bac and Tucson City of Gastronomy for 2026’s Pueblos del Maiz.

Pueblos del Maíz is Tucson’s annual community festival celebrating the cultural and culinary significance of maize and its enduring role in shaping the cuisines and identities of the Arizona-Sonora borderlands across generations. Now in its fifth year, it brings together local families, farmers, chefs, artists,and educators, as well as visitors from partner UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy -Mérida (Mexico), San Antonio (USA), and Bergamo (Italy) – for a community-centered cultural exchange rooted in traditional maize foodways.

This year’s festivities include an outdoor opening reception at Tucson Gastro Park, a free public speaker panel on maize biodiversity conservation in the southwestern U.S., northwestern Mexico, and northern Italy, behind the scenes tours at the Native Seeds/SEARCH seedbank, free cooking demonstrations of traditional maize dishes of the borderlands, and an expanded celebration at Kennedy Park featuring a free community concert headlined by Los Apson, dance performances, street food, crafts, live mural painting, and more family-friendly activities. A collaborative dinner by visiting and local chefs will highlight a “three sisters” theme – corn, beans, and squash – honoring the maize food traditions that continue to nourish communities around the world.