How to tackle Taste of Woodburn, a festival celebrating Mexico in a dozen delicious ways

Statesman Journal

WOODBURN — The second annual Taste of Woodburn festival is this weekend, filling downtown with mariachi music, colorful aguas frescas and visitors who appreciate both.

It kicked off Saturday at 11:00 a.m. continues until 9:00 p.m., and resumes Sunday from noon until 6:00 p.m.

The heart of the event is happening at Woodburn's downtown plaza, surrounded by vendors in pop-up tents offering face-painting, crafts and plenty of things to eat.

There's ice cream, colorful bowls of chopped fruit and beverages.

Mega Foods, El Mercadito and Salem's Taqueria Los Panditas all have savory options. Los Panditas is filling tacos and burritos with al pastor, chili rubbed pork with pineapple roasted on a sizzling trompo.

Along with music and dance performances, the Woodburn Fire District has couple of engines on display and Sunday there will be a car show along with a salsa performance and lessons.

The Woodburn High School mariachi band performs during the Taste of Woodburn in downtown Woodburn on June 1, 2019. The event continues Sunday with food and live music and dancing.

The event extends beyond Woodburn's main plaza, said Maricela Guerrero, an economic development specialist with the city and Travel Woodburn. The goal of the event is to invite visitors to come and experience the city, not only temporary festival vendors but also the businesses that contribute to the vibrancy of Woodburn year-round.

To that end, seven of the city's restaurants (all within easy walking distance of the plaza) are offering a featured dish to showcase foods celebrating different regional specialties of Mexico.

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At casual, counter-service eatery Santana's Mexican Food (573 North Front Street) chef-owner Felix Santana is representing Districto Federal, Mexico City, with a generous plate of alambre; diner's choice of beef or chicken sauteed with onion, bell peppers and poblano peppers topped with oozy Oaxaca cheese and served with rice, refried beans, and beautifully thin corn tortillas ($9.95).

Pedro Santana, front, preparers pico de gallo as his son, Felix Santana and Gabriela Soto use the grill at Santana Mexican Food during the Taste of Woodburn in downtown Woodburn on June 1, 2019. The event continues Sunday with food and live music and dancing.

Next door, at Casa Marquez (552 North Front Street), Enrique Marquez shows off birria, from Jalisco, silky threads of beef slow cooked in rich, red chile-spiced broth.

Stop in to Luis's Taqueria (523 North Front Street) for pozole, a pork and hominy soup from Michoacan, or El Tule Taqueria (450 North First Street) for a taste of Puemla, a quesadilla filled with huitlacoche. This mushroom grows on cobs of corn and has a mild, nutty corn flavor.

Still hungry? Trapala Restaurant (430 North First Street) has Hidalgo's beef barbacoa, barbecue, shredded and served with tortillas, salsas, and guacamole so you can build your own tacos.

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"Yes," said Gurrero, "it's all Mexican, but each restaurant is offering a dish representative of where [the owners] are from," a way to taste regional specialties all within a few blocks of one another.

In the event that you're not up for Mexican food, Hungry Lion Asian Cuisine (347 North Front Street) is also participating for the festival, offering a special of teriyaki chicken alongside blended bubble teas and plenty of other dishes.

Guerrero recommends that festival visitors stop by Travel Woodburn table on the plaza to pick up an event passport, a guide to the city's businesses filled with coupons for discounts and special offers.

Even if you're stuffed after a few stops the coupons are good for a year from the festival, welcoming many more eating occasions in Woodburn.

Emily Teel is the Food & Drink Editor at the Statesman Journal. Contact her at eteel@statesmanjournal.com, Facebook, or Twitter. See what she's cooking and where she's eating this week on Instagram: @emily_teel

If you go

Taste of Woodburn

When: Saturday, June 1st - 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, June 2nd - Noon to 6:00 p.m.

Bring:

Sunscreen- the sunny forecast is a pleasure, but not if it means a sunburn later on
Cash- some vendors are offering card transactions, but many are not. There is an ATM located inside the Metropolitan Event Space (347 N Front St, Woodburn, OR 97071)

Where: Woodburn Downtown Plaza (N 1st Street and West Hayes Street Woodburn) and various locations in downtown Woodburn and at the Woodburn Premium Outlets

Information: www.travelwoodburn.com/taste-of-woodburn