Maricopa’s annual Salsa Festival will return on Saturday, Oct. 24, after being on pause for three years, according to InMaricopa. The event is being brought back as part of this year’s Stagecoach Days celebration.
City staff shared the update during a council meeting Tuesday. Communications and Cultural Services Director Quinn Konold said the city decided to revive the festival after hearing from many residents who wanted it back.
Konold said Stagecoach Days is a natural fit for the festival because the event already highlights the city’s heritage. He added that the city is trying to respond to what the community says it wants to see.
The festival will follow a familiar format, with attendees sampling salsas from local chefs and voting for their favorite using a $1 chip kit that includes chips and a ballot. The winning chef will be named salsa king or queen for the year.
The Salsa Festival first launched in 2005 but was put on hiatus in 2023 while the city focused on its 20th anniversary celebration, according to the report. Assistant City Manager Jennifer Brown also said the pause gave the city time to address food safety concerns raised by the Pinal County Environmental Health Department. Stagecoach Days runs Oct. 15-24, and more details are expected closer to the festival.
