I was looking forward to my conversation with Suzanne Armas as I knew there would be a good story about a new local festival doing well enough to continue for a second year. What I didn't expect was the more personal thread of family coming together to protect and preserve their history and Riverside's story. The Riverside Tamale Festival is the family's way to raise money for the effort with a focus on our region's culture (and a message of encouragement for all of us to stay in touch with our own stories).
If you went on field trips to the Riverside Museum when you were a kid you might already know about La Placita de los Trujillos and how it was the earliest community established in Riverside County. You know...right across the river from Agua Mansa? Lorenzo Trujillo's adobe house (well...all of it that has been kept standing) waits at the top of North Orange Street for a little more help before it's too late.
The Second Annual Riverside Tamale Festival, Saturday, April 19th 2014 in White Park in downtown Riverside, California is going to be another party (last year people didn't want to stop dancing at closing time). I won't give it all away but it's not every Saturday that you can go Downtown, salute our Veterans in their Parade, enjoy TAMALES, music, family, culture and support the preservation of family and community!
- Ralph from Riverside
