Over 40 restaurants, chefs, distilleries and mixologists will compete in the 9th annual Southern Arizona Salsa, Tequila and Taco Challenge on Sunday, September 3 (Labor Day Weekend)! The battle royale will commence as Southern Arizona’s preeminent restaurants compete to prove their savory superiority amongst their culinary peers. And as if salsa and tequila aren’t intriguing enough, this year tacos are brand new to the lineup. 

The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance and the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona are joining forces to present the region’s largest salsa, tequila and taco culinary challenge of the year. Prepare to feast your eyes and palates on an omnibus of outstanding dishes. This year’s offerings will include 35 varieties of salsa, 20 unique tequila cocktails, and nearly 20 original tacos from a wide spectrum of restaurant participants.
 
The menu is enough to make your mouth water. Here is a small sample to whet your appetite: Fini’s Landing will be contributing the Blue Pine Hatch salsa made with blueberries, pineapple and hatch chilies paired with their Blue Pine Hatchet margarita that blends blueberry pineapple and hatch infused tequila. Epazote Kitchen and Cocktails will represent in all three categories with Otton’s Orange Habanero Salsa, comprised of oranges, habanero, mint, leeks and cilantro; Puesta Del Sol made with Patron Silver Tequila, Aperol and simple syrup and a Lamb Barbecoa Taco with lamb braised in southwestern chilies and spices.
 
Multiple dessert contributions will be represented as well. The Lodge at Ventana Canyon will provide a Dessert Taco with cinnamon sugar Buñuelo’s, dulce del leche marshmallow, Mexican chocolate and homemade salted caramel ice cream. Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain will delight with the Loaded Churro Tots, made with cinnamon sugar churro tots, dark chocolate ancho chile cream, strawberry cilantro salsa and white chocolate ganache. If your sweet tooth still isn’t satisfied, swing by Popped Artisan Popcorn for some Mole Caramel or Sonoran Caramel Popcorn or check out SpunLight for their Organic Lime or Habanero Cotton Candy.
 
The local restaurants, breweries, and distilleries will serve a colorful and flavorful variety of cuisines and spirits to a crowd of 1,500 attendees, in an effort to claim the awards in multiple categories:
 
Salsa Challenge – People’s Choice Awards
1st Place Salsa 
2nd Place Salsa 
3rd Place Salsa 
 
Salsa Challenge – Judges Awards
Best Traditional Salsa 
Best Alternative Salsa 
Judges Choice, Best Overall Salsa 
 
Tequila Challenge – People’s Choice Awards
1st Place Tequila Cocktail 
2nd Place Tequila Cocktail 
3rd Place Tequila Cocktail 
 
Tequila Challenge – Judges Awards
Most Creative Cocktail 
Judges Choice, Best Overall Tequila Cocktail 
 
Other Awards
Best Taco (Judges Choice, and 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place People's Choice)
Grand Reserve Tequila Tasting 
 
Grand Prize
Best Overall – Judges + People’s Choice Combined Score 
 
2017 Challenge Participants Include*:
 
Angie's Gourmet To Go
Barrio Brewing
BrushFire BBQ
Click Café
Crossroads Restaurant
Elvira’s Cocina Tequila Vino
Embajador Tequila
Epazote Kitchen and Cocktails
Fini’s Landing
Finley Distributing
Gorditas HeartMade
GRINGO grill + cantina
Hensley Beverage Company
Highwire Lounge
La Botana
Lodge at Ventana Canyon
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Omni Tucson National
Oskar Blues Brewery
Pure Love Juice Bar
Queen Ceviche
Reforma Modern Mexican
Rigo’s Restaurant LLC
Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain 
Roger Clyne’s Mexican Moonshine Tequila
Saffron Indian Bistro
SALZONA SALSA
Santiago’s
Sierra Nevada Brewery
SpunLight
Tequila Factory
The Living Room
Three Amigos Tequila
Three Wells Distilling
Tucson Tamale Company
 
*Please note this list will continue to grow as additional participants are added to the event.
 
Attendees will also have the opportunity to sample local beers and cuisine from the regions while enjoying the festive musical stylings of Marciachi Estrellas de Tucson and Orquesta Salsarengue.
 
Tickets to the event, $55 per person (21+ only), include chips, salsa and taco tastings, tequila cocktail sampling and shooters, menu pairings, live music and dance performances, cultural activities, and more. Tickets will only be available for pre-purchase, there will be no day-of ticket sales.

2017 Southern Arizona Salsa, Tequila & Taco Challenge
When: Sunday September 3rd at 7:00 p.m.
Where: La Encantada Shopping Center, northwest corner of Skyline Drive and Campbell Avenue
Cost: $55 per person (21+ Event)
Online: http://saaca.org/Salsa_Tequila_Challenge.html
Phone: (520) 797-3959

About Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance
The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is a not-for-profit organization that exists to ensure that, through engagement in arts and culture, our communities produce strong, inspired citizens. SAACA enlists artists, businesses, governments, and individuals to expand artistic and cultural opportunities in their respective communities. To enhance access to the arts and to promote cultural awareness in the communities it serves, SAACA presents large-scale festivals, events and other programs. The Alliance also promotes educational opportunities in the arts and culture for all ages.
 
For more information about programs and events produced by the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance, go to www.saaca.org.

​The impact of art in the workplace is often underestimated. A splash of color on the wall can set the tone of a meeting space and a piece of art can add dimension to a monotone hallway, but does art in the workplace have a positive impact on those who encounter it as part of their day-to-day? Ask those at Roche Tissue Diagnostics (RTD), known locally as Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., and you're likely hear a resounding "yes".
 
On Thursday, July 27, 2017 RTD and the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance will host the opening of the largest employer-sponsored art exhibition in Southern Arizona. You'll have an opportunity to view the work of those who work at RTD along with art from their immediate family members, youth and adult.
 
For some, the annual RTD Campus Exhibition is an opportunity to connect through art with coworkers and the public. For others, the show is a temporary distraction from the rigors of their career at a company whose mission is To improve the lives of all patients afflicted with cancer. No matter the perspective, the exhibition serves as an annual highlight to many of the creative members of the RTD community.
 
This year, SAACA received 112 submissions from 52 artists. The work encompasses multiple categories, including photography, drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture and much more.
Among this year's highlights are two functional sculptures by Jon Grubbs, Research Associate II, made from recycled metal, depicting a DNA helix while doubling as a plant trellis. Other works depart from science, with artists interpreting the natural world, addressing social issues as well as creating art about their fellow colleagues.
 
This year they'll even have one of their own performing at the reception. Local band, Disciples of Prime, led by Bryan Snyder, Manager, Systems Program Office, a longstanding member of the Roche team, will be on guitar and back-up vocals, with friend and fellow musician, Trish Kordas performing lead vocals. The band has been playing together since 2006, winning the Tucson area Battle of the Bands competition is 2009. Attendees at the opening will have the opportunity to enjoy this acoustic rock session and experience yet another colleague showcasing his art.
 
The reception will be held on July 27, 2017 at Roche Tissue Diagnostics, 1910 E. Innovation Park Dr., from 5 to 7 p.m.  First, second and third place winners will be awarded by an external jury. Reception attendees will also have the opportunity to vote for People's Choice Awards.
 
The Ventana Gallery is open to the public, by appointment, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on the first and third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call SAACA at (520) 797-3959 ext. 1. Forty-eight (48) hours advance notice is required.
 
Campus Exhibition Opening Reception
Exhibition Dates: July 27 - October 10, 2017
Opening Reception: Thursday, July 27 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: Roche Tissue Diagnostics1910 E. Innovation Park Dr.
Cost: Free
Online: https://www.saaca.org/ventanagallery
Phone: (520) 797-3959
 
 
NOTE TO MEDIA: Photos available 

About the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance
The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is a not-for-profit organization that exists to ensure that, through engagement in arts and culture, our communities produce strong, inspired citizens. SAACA enlists artists, businesses, governments, and individuals to expand artistic and cultural opportunities in their respective communities. To enhance access to the arts and to promote cultural awareness in the communities it serves, SAACA presents large-scale festivals, events and other programs. The Alliance also promotes educational opportunities in the arts and culture for all ages. 
 
For more information about programs and events produced by the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance, go to www.saaca.org.

Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 3rd as the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance joins forces with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona to present the 7th Annual Salsa, Tequila & Taco Challenge. Formerly the Southern Arizona Salsa & Tequila Challenge, this outstanding summer event has added a new culinary element in 2017 - Tacos!
​
The event will bring together some of the best chefs and mixologists in Southern Arizona with an emphasis on local food, brews and distilleries while tapping into the region's growing love for tacos. Following the success of prior years the 2017 event has moved to the Sunday evening of  Labor Day weekend to better accommodate the event crowds at the La Encantada Shopping Center while the retailers are closed.

The Salsa, Tequila & Taco Challenge pits participants against each other for both Judge's Choice and People's Choice awards. Each restaurant submits their menu of salsas, tequila cocktails and tacos to a judging panel of local culinary experts for anonymous scoring. Points are awarded for presentation, taste, texture and creativity.

Outside the judge's tent, this exciting festival rages on with opportunities to engage in regional experiences, including learning the difference between tequila and bacanora with the Mexican Consulate, enjoy the regional sounds Mariachi Estrellas de Tucson and salsa late into the night with the sultry sounds of Orquesta Salsarengue. Attendees are also encouraged to vote for their favorite items as they sip and sample throughout the evening.

While the event competitors always bring the heat to battle it out for their chance of being crowned champion, they are also supporting important charitable causes in the community. The seventh annual event will again raise money for the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance Creative Arts Therapy Programs as well as the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

Tickets to the event, $55 per person (21+ only), include chips, salsa tastings, tequila cocktail and taco sampling, delicious menu pairings, live music and dance performances, cultural activities, and more. Tickets will only be available for pre-purchase, there will be no day-of ticket sales.

2017 Southern Arizona Salsa, Tequila & Taco Challenge
When: Sunday Sept. 3 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: La Encantada Shopping Center, northwest corner of Skyline Drive and Campbell Avenue
Cost: $55 per person (21+ Event)
Online: http://saaca.org/Salsa_Tequila_Challenge.html 
Phone: (520) 797-3959
 
NOTE TO MEDIA: Photos available
 
About the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance
The Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is a not-for-profit organization that exists to ensure that, through engagement in arts and culture, our communities produce strong, inspired citizens. SAACA enlists artists, businesses, governments, and individuals to expand artistic and cultural opportunities in their respective communities. To enhance access to the arts and to promote cultural awareness in the communities it serves, SAACA presents large-scale festivals, events and other programs. The Alliance also promotes educational opportunities in the arts and culture for all ages. 
 
For more information about programs and events produced by the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance, go to www.saaca.org.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - With chips in hand, crowds of people got a taste of Tucson’s culinary and performing arts scene at the Southern Arizona Salsa and Tequila Challenge last Saturday night.
​
With more than 1,500 attendees, 45 participating restaurants, chefs, brewers and distillers, and nearly 100 recipes judged, the Salsa and Tequila Challenge brought the flavors of the Southwest to the La Encantada Shopping Center.