free Valley festival that has celebrated Arizona’s Hispanic community for decades

TEMPE, AZ – Continue celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at Tempe Tardeada! The local event keeps the city’s Hispanic history and traditions alive by showcasing its rich culture during its free festival!

City of Tempe

“It has been around since 1999 and it really is a wonderful family event. We have a lot of entertainment, some dancing, some mariachi, some ballet folklorico and of course lots of really delicious food and crafts for the kids,” said Blanca Villapudua, the city’s library marketing specialist, a volunteer from Tempe Tardeada since the beginning.

City of Tempe

The event will take place in Tempe this October and admission is free.

City of Tempe

“Well, it’s open to everyone. I mean, this is a really spotlight type of event […] about Hispanic and Latin American culture. It’s important because we are able to share the unique experiences, the voice, [and] the journey that brought the Hispanic Latino community to this country […] Overall, it’s about sharing that culture with the entire community,” Villapudua told ABC15.

City of Tempe

The festival will feature performances by Mariachi Rubor, Fiesta Mexicana Dance Company and other local talent.

There will also be face painting, community booths, bounce houses, an Arizona Cardinals quarterback toss and several other free activities for children.

WHEN YOU GO

• Sunday, October 6th, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m
• Venue: Tempe Community Complex [3500 S. Rural Road]
• Free admission

City of Tempe

Tempe tradition

“The [event] began in 1999 and was supported by the community. We had some neighbors who started putting this together, started advocating for it and for the city, and in 1999 we held our first event. We didn’t know how many people would come and it grew from there [an] Initially 3,000 people came, until today 15,000 people come. So it was an amazing journey to be a part of,” Villapudua said.

The event is called Tempe Tardeadabut for someone who does not know what this word means or who did not attend the town meeting, Villapudua explains the meaning and significance of this evening for the community.

“The Hispanic neighbors who lived here in Tempe met on Sunday afternoon. A “Tardeada” is an event that takes place in the afternoon. [They] They brought food, they had someone playing the guitar, people started dancing and there was just dancing in someone’s backyard, but the whole neighborhood came together. And so we’re trying to kind of recreate that. As part of the event, we have a community dance that starts around 4:30 p.m. and it’s really just a fun time for everyone,” Villapudua explained.