Since 1920, the Friendly House has been helping assist new immigrants as they transition into their lives to Arizona. And since 1935, the organization has been hosting an annual tamale dinner fundraiser.
See also: - Catch the Last Arizona Opera and Culinary Mischief Event of the Season on April 7 - Dining Out for Life: Help Fight HIV and AIDS on April 25
It's one of the Valley's longest-running fundraising events, and if you're already feeling hungry, get prepared -- cause all that tamale-filled goodness is just around the corner.
On Friday, April 5, Friendly House will host its 78th Tamale Dinner at CityScape in downtown Phoenix.
This year, the event will feature a "Battle of the Tamales," a competition in which 16 mayors from around the area will judge as restaurants vie for the title of Best Tamale in the Valley. Each mayor has selected a restaurant to represent his or her city and will help choose the winner in a blind taste test.
Participating restaurants include El Bravo Restaurant of Phoenix, Serrano's Restaurant of Chandler, Frank and Lupe's of Scottsdale, and Original Blue Adobe Grille of Mesa.
For listening entertainment, the event will also include local mariachi and ballet folklorico groups.
The fundraiser started in 1935 when a group of women came together to sell tamales to raise money for the Friendly House, an organization founded in 1920 to help immigrants with English, citizenship, and literacy. The foundation now serves thousands of families each year with everything from workforce development and child abuse prevention to education and more.
Admission to the event costs $15 a person and children under 5 are free. The festival will take place from 6 to 10 p.m. at CityScape in Phoenix on Friday, April 5. Registration and tickets are available online.
For more information visit the Friendly House website.
