Known as the “Land of the Tamale,” the canton of Aserrí celebrates this tradition with an event that combines food, culture, and family entertainment.
Dates and Location
Provisional Dates: Expo Tamal 2025 is expected to take place from Thursday, October 30 to Monday, November 3, 2025, following the tradition of being held around the end-of-year holiday season.
Main Location: The celebration is centered in Aserrí Park.
General Schedule: Activities usually start at 8:00 a.m. and run until 10:00 p.m.
The Star: The Tamale.The heart of the event is the tamale, offering a huge variety for all tastes:
Traditional: Pork, chicken, or bean.
Innovators: More creative versions are expected to be included, such as tuna tamales, sweet tamales, and the popular rice pudding tamale, which have been new additions in previous editions.
Sales: In past editions, the event has reported sales of more than 110,000 tamales, underscoring its popularity and high production volume.
Activities and Entertainment
The Tamal Expo is a comprehensive event that goes beyond gastronomy, with a program designed for the whole family to enjoy:
Cultural Shows: Attendees can enjoy concerts, marimbas, theater performances, dance classes, and cimarronas contests.
Carnival and Parades: The event includes a grand carnival with vintage cars, bands, folk dance groups, comparsas, masquerades, and parades of boyeros.
Popular Competitions:
Tamale Eating Contest: The classic competition where participants compete to eat the most tamales.
Family Tamale Making Contest: A recent addition that encourages family participation and the preservation of traditional recipes.
Tope de Caballitos de Palo (Children’s): An activity dedicated to the little ones, with decoration contests and prizes.
Crafts and Trade: Artisans from different parts of Costa Rica gather to offer unique handmade products.
Sports: The Tamal Recreational Race has been included, a 5 and 10 km race that combines sports and donations to local educational centers.
Impact and Tradition
The Tamal Expo is a driver of the local economy and a cultural showcase:
Promotion of Aserrí: The main objective of the event, organized by la Asociación Productores de Tamales Aserrí (ASOTAMAL), is to promote the canton as a tourist destination and center of tamale production.
Visitors: In past editions, the fair has attracted thousands of visitors (more than 14,000 people), consolidating it as an important event on the Costa Rican calendar.
