Overview: The Tacos y Tequila Festival returned to the Hillyard District in Spokane following a cancellation of the 2025 edition due to safety concerns. Organizers held the event in a new location and smaller format, featuring approximately 24 food vendors and seven craft vendors.
The Full Story
Isabel Mazcot, one of the directors at Nuestra RaÃces, noted that the district has really welcomed the return. The festival began at 10 a.m., with people arriving early in the day. Vendor Colton Houlihan emphasized community unity and the opportunity to try amazing food. Volunteers Carol Navarrete and Manuela Barton said the current political climate surrounding immigration has created fear within parts of the Hispanic and Latino community.
Organizers also didn’t want another year to pass without the event despite those concerns. Festivalgoer Cammie Johnson said seeing people come together again made this year’s event particularly meaningful. The free festival serves as a fundraiser for Nuestra RaÃces, with proceeds helping support the organization’s programs and its capital campaign for a future cultural and behavioral health center. Plans for the project include community spaces and potentially dozens of affordable housing units.
What This Means
Organizers want to eventually bring Tacos y Tequila back to its previous two-day format, with the possibility of growing it even further in the future. The response from the Hillyard community has helped introduce more people to that long-term goal.
Consumer Takeaway
The event offers food, music, dancing and families to the Hillyard neighborhood while supporting affordable housing units and community spaces through fundraising.
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