National Taco Championships Scheduled In Austin

AUSTIN, TEXAS — With an upcoming event in Austin, you'll feel like you've gone to taco heaven. The National Taco Championship is scheduled for the penultimate day of March, featuring a tequila expo, the Ay Chihuahua! beauty pageant, Mexican wrestling aka as lucha libre, hot chile pepper contest, live music and more.

It's enough to make even the most hardened taco lover weep.

There's more: A "Day of the Dead Wedding," local bands, DJs. And yet, there are still more treats in store. But the most important part: Attendees will be granted access to tacos ($3 each) prepared by 35+ competing professional taco makers, restaurants, chefs, and food trucks.

Featured Austin concepts competing for the region’s Top Taco include: Be More Pacific, Eldorado Café, Torchy’s Tacos, Gabriela’s, Holy Taco!, and House of the Rising Tanuki-san with more to come.

The National Taco Championships started in 2010 and is the only sanctioned National Taco Competition in the country. Entering its tenth anniversary since the inaugural event in Scottsdale, Arizona—including over 300,000+ attendees and over a million tacos and margaritas—the National Taco Championships is bringing its show on the road. Additional stops include San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and finally Las Vegas for the $100,000 Grand Championship showdown in November.

Author gently cradles taco-shaped foam container containing two free breakfast tacos at Mi Tierra restaurant in San Antonio acquired at SXSW Trade Show. Tacos are currency around these parts, tools of enticement utilized in negotiations or to mitigate even the most entrenched impasses. Photo by Tony Cantú/Patch staff.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

There are many ways to attend the National Taco Championships in Austin with two different ticket options—General Admission ($20) and VIP ($120). Plus, for agave aficionados, experience the Tequila Expo ($20) add-on, showcasing 30 tequila brands and samples of over 100 tequila expressions. Tickets to the National Taco Championships in Austin are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting NationalTacoChampionships.com/tickets.

ALL THE WAYS TO BE A PART OF THE FUN

The National Taco Championships is looking at local Austinites to join in on the fun. Whether you’re a pup, performer, or just a taco lover, there are many ways to be a part of the festival: as an officially sanctioned Taco Society Judge, volunteer, Ay Chihuahua! Beauty Pageant or Austin Hot Chili Pepper contestant, or a performing band/DJ.

For official rules, regulations, and more information about how to apply to be on the Taco Team, stage contests, and vendors, visit NationalTacoChampionships.com/austin.

NATIONAL TACO CHAMPIONSHIPS

www.NationalTacoChampionships.com/austin

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