Cancel

Open app

Search

Oxnard Tamale Festival

4.1 (14 reviews)

Oxnard Tamale Festival Photos

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Oxnard Tamale Festival

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Tamale #1: rajas (jalapeño and cheese, meh)
Hashani S.

Got here around 2p and was surprised to find that the festival itself wasnt that big. We went to the salsa festival this year that was held at the same location and it felt much bigger. Either way.. Tamales.. Yum! The first tamale we grabbed was meh but we were starving so we scarfed it down. We got an horchata drink from the neighboring tent.. It was pretty gross, no rice milk and had cantaloupe chunks.. There were a few vendors out there too..not a crazy amount We went back for round 2. We wanted to try the award winning chipotle bbq tamales from the me gusta tent, they won best tamale again this year. They were sold out when we got there. My brother got the sweet corn tamale and with that realized sweet tamales just aren't our thing. We also got some empanadas from the Buena high school tent, they were so good! The best food we tried at the festival in fact. The empanadas were perfectly fried and so flavorful. The star of the dish... They're chimichuri sauce! OMG soooooo good! Fried cilantro, garlicky goodness!!! I would have walked away with a bucket if I could. Lastly, we got a bean and cheese pupusa. The filling was really good but the batter had a weird after taste. The cabbage and tomato sauce was a nice fresh change from all the fried food we had. All in all we had fun eating, walking around and listening to the live music.. Spent $10 and got stuffed! Only thing is I wish they had more selection as far as the tamale vendors go. Cheers!

Simone H.

I give this 5 stars because there was a good varety of tamales, fun vendors, other delicious food, great live music, FREE admission, and good central location. When I go to a festival such as this, I expect to see some flavor combinations I have not been exposed to, and this did not disappoint. The most out-of-the-box tamale I tried was the pumpkin tamale. It was yummy--a great mash up of some of my favorite things: pumpkin and tamales. I know there were some other cool ones (I read about a chocolate one from a previous year?!!) I didn't get to try because I filled up on regular chicken/pork-filled tamales so quickly, but I regret nothing. Next year I will buy the traditional tamales to-go and allow myself to explore some of the fun creations the chefs brought out for this event. The tamales are all so affordable, so why not load up? If I am in SoCal during this festival I will make sure to attend it again.

Strawberry Tamale
Dave A.

2013 Oxnard Christmas Parade & Tamale Festival... the day of the event and the only thing on my mind during the early morning downpour was, "Rain, rain, GO AWAY!" There is some truth when Tony! Toni! Toné! once crooned "It never rains in Southern California." Oh yeah! Put yo' hand up & sing it wit' me a lil louder, "It never rains in Southern Ca-li-for-nia!" Sure, we need it, BUT, NOT WHEN THERE IS A PARADE to participate in!!! However, Cub Scouts will not succumb to the challenges placed before us! We are raising men with integrity and WE RISE to the occasion! As our Cub Scout troop waited for the cue to start our parade stroll, armed with see-thru ponchos and umbrellas, everyone's prayers were answered! Rays of sun broke through and brightened our path through the streets of downtown Oxnard. Ahhh! Lots of people to wave at and wish Merry Christmas & Feliz Navidad to, in a bath of warm sunlight. It was a smart move to pair the annual Christmas Parade with The Tamale Festival. We're all gathered here with holiday spirit. Why not keep the fun going?!? All around the Oxnard Pagoda in Plaza Park, there was quite a gathering of friendly local vendors happily serving a variety of foods! All sorts of tamales to enjoy... traditional ones like pork, chicken, beef, and cheese. Also, some imaginative tamale varieties were created, such as strawberry, pineapple, piña colada, banana bread pudding, pumpkin cheesecake, and chicken tandoori were the ones I saw. It's a Tamale Festival, I enjoyed ALL of them! Not into tamales? Well, there was Filipino food, Vietnamese cuisine, American fare, seafood from The Jolly Oyster Kitchen Truck and Sabor Seafood, sweets, yogurt, shave ice, and vegan options like roasted corn lathered Mexican style, yum! Fresh huge funnel cake was delicious! Bunch of kiddie things as well, with the most unique thing a "Bubble Lagoon" - a wide swimming pool filled knee deep with water. Kids could get inside large air filled balls and float, roll and tumble away. Smiles and laughter all around. The Tamale Festival still appears to be in its growth years, nowhere near the beast the Oxnard Strawberry Festival has become. But certainly, a way to have an enjoyable family outing to start the holiday season in Oxnard. Merry Christmas!

See all

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 2
Love this 4
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0
Photo of Dave A.
504
558
3377

12 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 7
Oh no 0
Photo of John V.
1769
380
906

9 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Diana L.
27
59
12

14 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Ask the Community - Oxnard Tamale Festival

Review Highlights - Oxnard Tamale Festival

Next year I will buy the traditional tamales to-go and allow myself to explore some of the fun creations the chefs brought out for this event.

Mentioned in 7 reviews

Read more highlights

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Festivals 631 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Camarillo Fiesta and Street Fair - Seating near food trucks

Camarillo Fiesta and Street Fair

4.6(7 reviews)
8.2 mi

The wife and I had an awesome time. We went there to see one of our friends bands perform The fair…read morewas great as they had a great mix of food, rides and entertainment that keep you occupied for the entire day. The drink choices that they had were refreshing as they had a booth that provided fresh lemonade, watermelon, as well as mango juices. The food was filling with a range of choices that have you looking to try everything that was available to try. Each booth had a great staff that was took care of each of those customers with a smile and friendliness. Parking is one of the adjacent streets not far from the fair.

Pretty well run and organized event. The band's were very good. Food and other vendors were…read moreplentiful. I was very impressed with the shuttle service. We only waited 10 minutes going and there was no wait coming back on Saturday. Overall, I thought this was one of the better run events I've attended anywhere. Police & security made there presence felt but not in an intruding way. The only things I probably wouldn't recommend are: $1 night for the carnival rides on Thursday. The price may be right but the lines are longer than at Universal Studios. We will not partake again in that activity. Port O Potties: As far as the bathroom facilities, it seemed the water for hand washing and paper ran out very early in the evening on Saturday. Guys are good to go for the most part but not so much for the ladies as my daughter & wife can attest to. There were enough potties with short waits, they just were not well stocked or kept up. This event obviously helped local small businesses which all seemed busy if they were open. That was great to see.

Photos
Camarillo Fiesta and Street Fair - Carousel

Carousel

Camarillo Fiesta and Street Fair - Slide ride

Slide ride

Camarillo Fiesta and Street Fair - Food trucks

See all

Food trucks

Citrus Classic Balloon Festival

Citrus Classic Balloon Festival

3.5(24 reviews)
13.2 mi

Spectacular! Small enough to be WELL WORTH IT, and large enough to make it worthwhile. I never…read morewould have known about it, had it not been for Living Social. I had a free weekend, I drove up, stayed near Camarillo Outlets, then drove into Ventura for the balloon festival. There's only need to attend ONE day of the three. It's a GREAT hometown festival, whose main attraction are the balloons. Parking is good, wish I had time for the town tour, arrived early to take in the fest, and stayed late to experience all the balloons. I had the opportunity to watch them roll out the balloon, line up the strings, participate in the group effort to stand 'er up while the balloonist blew hot air within. The lighting of the balloons at night is spectacular, but probably would have been even more so if every balloon was alit during the fest. See pics.

Buying tickets online was easier this year because you could print out your entrance ticket…read moreimmediately. They also had streamlined the entrance process at the gate. Only bummer - they had the same bad t-shirt art again this year. How about taking a lesson from the Avocado Festival and having local artists compete for the t-shirt art and then maybe people would buy them? We started at the Wine Tasting Pavilion. 5 wineries this year. $2 per taste. I liked 75% of the wines this year. And towards the end of tasting time, the pours definitely were more generous. Although I did think it strange that a summer event would have all red wines, except for one white - a Chenin Blanc that was delicious. The boys headed for the beer tasting pavilion but ended up just buying full glasses of beer. I did try a Summer Shandy beer that was excellent. Dinner was from the Spencer MacKenzie fish truck again this year. I tried a less flammable sauce this year and enjoyed my fish taco more. I also enjoyed an order of their seasoned fries - thin, not overly greasy and lightly sprinkled with seasoning. The vendors were varied for craft items. I didn't purchase any impulse items, but the girl with us did purchase a few candles. The band for Friday evening played mellow County music and it fit with the casual evening. (I heard there was an unbefitting Rock band on Saturday.) The balloons are always center stage here and we weren't disappointed this year. They started inflating them just before sunset. They had more present than the previous year we had attended. We loved the alien-looking balloon called Outlander. And the Humpty Dumpty balloon was a hit. The Limoneira lemon-shaped balloon was fantastic. There were many with colorful patterns. Another evening of awe, wine, good food and friendship! I hope we can attend again next year

Photos
Citrus Classic Balloon Festival - So many people on the ground and too little room for balloons to bloom

So many people on the ground and too little room for balloons to bloom

Citrus Classic Balloon Festival
Citrus Classic Balloon Festival

See all

Hamburger & Hops Music Festival - Crowd at about 2pm.

Hamburger & Hops Music Festival

3.7(6 reviews)
3.0 mi

First Annual Hamburger and Hops Music Festival - there better be another one next year!…read more The selection of beers were adequate - I felt as if a "Hamburger & Hops" festival should have had more vendors and a few more "burgers" than they did, but it ended up being a great day at the collection. I loved the music and the amount of people that turned out, as it felt as if the community really did end up coming together. Very fun - although it was my own fault i got sunburned haha. Can't wait for the 2nd Annual H&HMF!

Annual Festival. This year, it was on Sunday, May 3 from 11am-5pm. Bring cash for beer. No in…read moreand out privileges. Tickets: Located in Oxnard at the Collection. $10 for general admission or $30 for admission, 3 sliders, 1 beer, and a collectible beer glass to take home. Before the event, check to see if there is a groupon. You can pay before or pay when you arrive. Parking: There is parking because it is located near a bunch of restaurants and shops. We took Amtrak and took a cab (about $15 each way). They had people who would call cabs or shuttles for you after the festival. Security: Lots of security around. It was a safe environment. Everyone there wanted to just eat, drink, and have a good time. No one got out of hand. It had a friendly vibe. Layout: It's located on a grassy area. Lots of nice fountains, grass, seating, even outside couches to sit on. There is a play area for kids and we saw a lot of people who brought their children. The music stage was in the middle. They had beer stands all over and some food in the front and lots more in the back. ATMs located within the festival. There is a B of A right outside, you can just take out money there before you walk in. Music: DJs and bands were great. They played a wide variety of music that seemed to fit the mood perfectly. Beer Selection: You have to pay cash for beer. You have to buy beer tickets at a booth and then you use those tickets to get the beer. 4 tickets for $20. Firestone, Surf's, Burt's Honey, Island, BJ's, Anacapa. Surf's was probably the most popular and best tasting beer in my opinion. So good that they ran out of beer. Even if you have the souvenir pint glass, ask for your beer in a plastic cup (you'll get a little more beer and you don' t have to worry about dropping your cup). Sliders and Food: You can use your tickets or pay cash. Some places took credit cards. It's in the Sauce BBQ - very good, super fast service, the ladies serving the burgers were great! Haute Burger - Sliders were delicious (Ahi Wasabi was the best), but negative points for the wait time (we were of the first 10 people in line and waited 50 minutes for 2 sliders), they also changed their prices as we were standing in line. Blue Light Food Truck - solid Mexican food, but they ran out of asada fries :(. Busy Bees - delicious Tri-Tip. Overall, great selection. Hula Hut's Hawaiian Sliders - great selection of Filipino food. Overall, it was a fun festival. Great food, great beer. What more can you ask for?

Photos
Hamburger & Hops Music Festival
Hamburger & Hops Music Festival
Hamburger & Hops Music Festival

See all

The Port of Hueneme Banana Festival - Mr. Softee truck was there. 9/30/23

The Port of Hueneme Banana Festival

3.5(16 reviews)
3.8 mi

For a free event I truly thought the Banana Festival was a great time. The fact that it's free and…read moreopen for all ages makes this the perfect weekend spot annually to partake with friends and family. I also appreciate the variety - initially I thought everything was "bananas only" but my friend informed me that while booths have banana specials and some banana centered booths, this is truly a well rounded event showcasing all kinds of different shops and food stalls for banana addicts and people just here for a good time and some non-banana items. I love a good theme but I'm not the biggest banana fan so I was happy to be able to try food and drink vendors that catered to the masses. This year I supported a few local vendors and tried lumpia, dim sum, and fresh fruit juices. The food and drinks were 10/10. I was thoroughly impressed with the amount of food and drink vendors they had. They also had a small beer garden which was great to see. Aside from food there were some shopping stalls, kids arts and crafts areas, and a kids play area. Again, great for all ages. Also throughout the day they had different artists and dancers to keep the crowds entertained. This event is super walkable and honestly I was able to see all I wanted to see in about 1.5-2 hours. A small but mighty festival. Some notable tips: I would highly recommend getting here early / at opening. Parking is sparse and when arriving close to opening I had to park pretty far, I didn't mind the walk but for those elderly and such it's smart to get parking closer in the beach lots. They also had a shuttle to get people from the lots to the event but I opted to walk. Also keep in mind that seating is always limited at these types of events... I felt like they did a good job of setting up multiple tables and chairs for people dining but by lunch all of the tables were taken. No issue for me as I was here early, but I could see as it got busier It would be difficult to be able to sit down to eat. All in all, this was a really great free event and I'm so happy I came. I definitely love to come support every year and I'm so grateful the community has such a fun festival such as this one.

Disappointed as no banana treats?? I did not see one banana booth with banana treats??! C'mon, this…read moreis a Banana Festival!! I would expect banana milkshakes, pudding, cake, etc. Nothing. They should have had a whole section with those. Maybe there was something in a corner I missed. But even so, should have been prominent vendors with all kinds of banana food. Nada. We did enjoy the boat ride around port.

Photos
The Port of Hueneme Banana Festival - Double burger from rock n roll burgers

Double burger from rock n roll burgers

The Port of Hueneme Banana Festival - 9/30/23

9/30/23

The Port of Hueneme Banana Festival - Entrance 9/30/23

See all

Entrance 9/30/23

Food Truck Event

Food Truck Event

4.5(8 reviews)
0.2 mi
$$$

OMG! Our first time at Cousin's Truck at CI Harbor today and it was Fantastic!! We'd heard they…read morewere good but this was a Really great lobster roll sandwich!! Lots of garlic butter on a toasted bun! We made the mistake of using the APP to order and saw the weirdest address...inside the mobile home park on the corner of CI and Harbor at a Pest Control business! Crazy!!! We finally found the truck by the events!

I love going to these trucks, there is always something new to taste. The past couple of times I…read morehave been addicted to Cousins Main Lobster Truck. Yes, first off, it is expensive and they serve you small portions. But its Lobster! from Maine! of course its going to be expensive!!!! The lobster rolls, lobster tacos are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!! And I'm not related to them in anyway, I didn't even liked lobster that much before. But the first time I tried one of their cold lobster rolls I was hooked. Now I can't wait until they come back on the 7/17 to the Channel Islands Harbor... Check them out. http://www.cousinsmainelobster.com/ Now I did try the Grill-Cheese truck, I'm not sure what they were called, I just wanted to try them because of the size of the line, I figured they have to be amazing grilled cheeses. NOPE! Mediocre at best. I can't believe I spent over an hour waiting for one of these things. I don't even eat cheese and I made an exception this time because I thought I was going to try the best grilled cheese sandwich ever! Sadly it was just a plain white bread with a few types of cheese not even melted all the way. YUCK! Anyways, they did have tons of other trucks there and it is a definite must go for everyone that loves all types of food.

Photos
Food Truck Event - Code Gormet Dog

Code Gormet Dog

Food Truck Event - Under Ground truck

Under Ground truck

Food Truck Event - I was expecting them to be dry, but not that dry! Bomb Dust Wings

See all

I was expecting them to be dry, but not that dry! Bomb Dust Wings

Oxnard Tamale Festival - festivals - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...