HISTORY OF THE FESTIVAL
Join us in 2025 for the 12th annual Riverside Tamale Festival. This cherished tradition, serves as a means to generate funds and awareness for the Spanish Town Heritage Foundation (STHF). This nonprofit organization in Riverside is dedicated to safeguarding the Trujillo Adobe, recently recognized as one of the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. We pay homage to Riverside’s original settlements, La Placita and Agua Mansa, established by Lorenzo Trujillo alongside 10 families in 1842, on the opposite banks of the Santa Ana River. In the late 1860s and early 1870s, Riverside’s pioneers affectionately referred to this community as “Spanish Town.” STHF’s mission revolves around the restoration of the Trujillo Adobe, Trujillo School, and Trujillo Cantina, all while envisioning an “old town” Riverside that offers a captivating experience of Early California’s history. The funds raised through the Tamale Festival play a pivotal role in advancing these ambitious endeavors.
SPANISH TOWN HERITAGE FOUNDATION
The Spanish Town Heritage Foundation champions the Hispanic legacy of the Inland Empire’s first settlers by sharing their stories, creating cultural learning opportunities, and leading community efforts to restore and revitalize La Placita de los Trujillos, a place of history, learning, entertainment, and the arts.
Founded in 2014, the Spanish Town Heritage Foundation has been dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Spanish Town, Riverside, and the broader Inland Empire region.
Read more at the Spanish Heritage Foundation website. For those who want to read more on the Trujillo Adobe click here.
