SHREVEPORT, La. — Taco Wars, a one-day taco and tequila festival, is set to return to downtown Shreveport on May 2 with an expanded footprint and additional entertainment offerings, organizers announced.
The free event, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., is presented by the Prize Foundation along with corporate and public partners including Modelo Especial, Maestro Dobel, the Caddo Commission, Delta Utilities and Ochsner LSU Health.
Organizers said 13 taquerias from across the region will compete in this year’s festival, which also includes Mexican snack vendors, a mercado marketplace and live music performances at Caddo Common Park coordinated by the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.
Attendees will be able to participate in a public salsa tasting and voting competition from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with winners selected for Best Salsa. A panel of judges will also award the event’s top honor, the Golden Taco, to one of the competing vendors.
Festival programming will include performances by Mariachi Los Caporales and Quimikoz, as well as family-friendly arts and crafts activities inside the Municipal Auditorium.
Gregory Kallenberg, organizer of the event, said Taco Wars is designed to highlight Latino culture and support local businesses.
“Taco Wars is a love letter to the Latino community and one of the grandest celebrations of its culture’s food, music and art,” Kallenberg said.
Organizers said approximately 90% of food sales from the event will go directly to participating taquerias and vendors.
The festival will also feature a tequila sampling area, along with beer, water and nonalcoholic beverages available for purchase.