Downtown food, agave and art festival brings the 'Spirits of Mexico' to Phoenix

Spirits of Mexico returns to Heritage Square for a third year to show off "natural beauty, rich history and unique flavors.”

By Sara Crocker

March 18, 2025

Image: Taste tequila at the Spirits of Mexico Festival, which returns to downtown Phoenix this weekend.

Taste tequila at the Spirits of Mexico Festival, which returns to downtown Phoenix this weekend. Spirits of Mexico Festival

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What makes up the spirit of a place? The sights, smells, sounds and flavors of Mexico will be celebrated in downtown Phoenix this weekend.

This year, the annual Spirits of Mexico Festival will transport attendees to the Pacific coastlines and verdant jungles of the western Mexican state of Nayarit.

The event will feature food and drinks, including an expansive sampling of Mexican tequila, mezcal, sotol and bacanora. The culture and cuisine of Nayarit will also be spotlighted through interactive cooking and mixology classes, food, art, live music and traditional dance performances.

“We want to bring the heart of Mexico to Phoenix and create a space where people can celebrate and connect with its diverse culture and traditions,” event organizer Yazmin Quezada said in a press release.

The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday in downtown Phoenix’s Heritage Square, located at Sixth and Monroe streets.

General admission tickets are $10 and include access to the festival, live performances and vendors. Children ages 12 and younger are free. VIP tickets cost $45 and include registration for cooking and mixology classes, educational sessions on agave spirits, registration for craft activities and agave spirit tastings. Tickets are available online.

At the festival, attendees can meet experts in the world of agave, such as Casa Pochteca founder Jorge Martinez and tequila sommelier Silvia Martinez.

Quezada launched the festival in 2023 to introduce people to different parts of Mexico. The state of Nayarit is a natural fit for a food and culture festival, Quezada said, because it “embodies so much natural beauty, rich history and unique flavors.”

Spirits of Mexico Festival

March 22 and 23
113 N. Sixth St.

Sara Crocker is a staff writer for Phoenix New Times where she focuses primarily on food. She began freelancing for New Times in July 2022 and joined the staff in February 2023. Prior to New Times, Sara worked for publications such as The Denver Post, Phoenix Magazine, Phoenix Home & Garden and Colorado Life Magazine. When she’s not reporting on the Valley’s dining scene, Sara brews beer at home and is an avid cook.

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