The 16th annual Agave Heritage Festival on April 18-21, 2024, creatively celebrates the plant’s versatility and sustainability in Tucson, in the heart of the Southwest.
Since its start in 2008 as an introduction to agave spirits, the festival has evolved into a multi-layered adventure that offers an in-depth exploration of everything from agave education and sustainability and its place in culinary and spirits culture, to its ever-growing effect on economy and agriculture. The use of agave products as climate-smart commodities can enhance livelihoods and ecosystems, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The Agave Heritage Festival celebrates the agave, known as the Century Plant, and acknowledges Tucson’s rich cultural history and the traditions that unite the people of the Southwest and the borderlands. Across the city’s landscape, the agave is perhaps one of the most recognized plants, with the metro Tucson area harboring a minimum of 125 agave species, more than half of all the agaves described in the world. It is considered to be equal parts medicine, nutrition, horticulture, and spirit. Agave cultivation in the Tucson basin dates to the year 950 C.E. Currently, there are 20 species of wild agave cultivated in Southern Arizona, which have been used for generations for mezcal distillation.
This year’s Agave Heritage Festival will take place at various downtown locations and throughout Tucson. Reflecting the ongoing growth of the agave industry, a variety of additional performances and educational experiences will be offered throughout the festival.
New for this year are Agave Heritage Festival Passport Packages that include tickets to select dinners, entertainment and tasting events. Passports will be in limited supply and only be available for purchase from January 22 – February 14. Pricing starts at $295.
Programming Preview Highlights
Two unique musical experiences will kick off the festival at a concert event on Friday, April 19: Flor de Toloache and Som do Sisal Youth Brazilian Orchestra.
- Flor de Toloache is a Latin Grammy award-winning all-female mariachi band, based in New York City, who first began playing in the subway where they were noticed by numerous media outlets including The New York Times. They released their first album in 2014, and in 2017, won a Latin Grammy for “Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album” for their second studio album Las Caras Lindas.
- Since 2012, the Som do Sisal Youth Brazilian Orchestra has been using sisal fiber (a member of the agave family) production waste to create musical instruments and promote music education for young people. Their performances combine the rich musical traditions of Brazil with the imagery of agave cultivation.
In advance of the Festival, the University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, as part of its Community Classroom Program, will feature a Masterclass Series related to Agave and heritage, available online and in-person from February 9 – April 16. University experts will cover topics such as Food Writing, the Cultural History of Agave and Food Sovereignty. This is the perfect way to dive into all things Agave and explore topics related to the Festival.
For those looking to expand and test their expertise, the Agave Spirits Institute returns for the second year with their accredited educational series offering both the Introduction to Agave class on Saturday, April 20, and for the first time in the U.S., Level I Mezcal Specialist certification on Friday, April 19 – Saturday, April 20. Open to both consumers and industry professionals, the intro class fee is $210, and the Level 1 course is $660.
An expanded Mujer Agave Women’s Collective Expo and Tradeshow will take place on Friday, April 19. Mujer Agave is a collective of women in the agave spirits industry where unity, legacy and joy are taught through diverse conferences and experiences. It’s geared toward empowering and connecting female stakeholders in the agave industry across disciplines. Based on the popularity of the 2023 event, it has expanded to a daylong event with networking opportunities and a tasting of women-produced or owned brands. Mujer Agave was founded by a Oaxaca-based group including Sandra Ortíz Brena of the legendary bar In Sítu and Mezcasiarca brand, Silvia Philion, owner of mezcal bar Mezcaloteca and a brand of the same name, and Graciela Angeles Carreño who owns and operates the well-known mezcal brand Real Minero.