Tamale Girl's Calender of Events: So much exciting stuff going on!

Hola kids,

Tamale World has tons of stuff going on so I PROMISE to keep these updates coming in the following weeks. Find Tamale Girl dishing out delicious tamales at the following events:


30th Anniversary United States Gay Open Tennis Tournament
Friday, May 28, 2010

Tamale Girl will be the food vendor at Day 1 located at Canada College Tennis Courts in Redwood City. Purchase saucy tamales, nachos, farmers' market fresh strawberry agua fresca. More info here



15th Annual Fairyland Gala
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

Children’s Fairyland is an extra-magical place after dark, and we’ll fill it with fantasy and merriment. Among the treats we’ve planned are amazing performers, delicious food, our popular silent auction, and many special surprises! Feel free to come in costume! Income from our Gala helps us continue to provide a safe, sweet place for children to create, imagine, play and learn. Tamale Girl will be serving 3 types of tamales including pork, Erin's potato & green bean, sweet plus chorizo beans, chips & salsa. 21+ Tickets available here



La Borinqueña's 66th Birthday Fiesta (during Oaklavía Street festival)
Sunday, June 27, 2010 10am - 2pm

Yes, you read correctly...It's Tamale Girl's 66th Birthday Party! Save the Date! Join us during Oaklavía when 7th Street will be closed to traffic on Sunday, June 27 for a H U G E Fiesta celebrating the legacy started by Mama Rosa in 1944 here in Old Oakland. Visit with Nati and her family with food & drink specials, live music, community groups like Old Oakland Neighbors, Oakland Grown, 10,000 Steps Oakland plus Oakland art & other family friendly activities! More info and RSVP on Facebook here Read more about Oaklavía (pronounced Oak-la-vee-ya) here


LB at Twilight
Ongoing every Friday 5-9pm
returning First Friday, June 4, 2010

The Twilight crew is taking a short hiatus for Memorial Day weekend but will return in full force for First Friday. Join us for our special menu, beautiful art, farmers' market fresh fruit sangria & agua fresca, music and especially board games co-sponsored by Endgame, Old Oakland's full service retail analog game store. Want to learn a new game? Nou, Twilight's Minister of Cool, will walk you through and get you playing in no time! For more info and updates "Like" us on Facebook here

Hope to see you soon!

Besos y abrazos,

~tina tamale

Fall Festivals produced by Oakland Events

Things have been busy in Tamale World, lots to do so little time. I almost wish for a longer day, maybe 34 hours instead of 24 hours to get it all done.

Many of you already know that I am very community and small business minded and I LOVE doing events that allow for my different passions to overlap. Oakland Events is a new event production company founded by Helen Wyman. She has years of experience working in some of Oakland shopping districts helping merchants. She started her full scale event production company to take outdoor festivals and special events to a new level. Helen's goal is to produce local, sustainable events to highlight all facets of Oakland commerce but especially the small independent business and artist.

Why do I know so much about this company? Helen and I are both members of the marketing committee for the Oakland Merchants' Leadership Forum (OMLF). I also created my restaurant's food booth, Tamale Girl, to primarily participate in Oakland Events' productions. The full disclaimer, my Partner in Crime and Volunteering, Consuelo Jacobs, is the Director of Operations and Exhibitor Coordinator for this company as well as a member of the OMLF marketing committee too.

There are still a couple of outdoor events produced by OE in the weeks ahead. Instead of selling food, I'm going to be coordinating a voter registration booth since the deadline for California is October 20, 2008 for the Presidential election. Want to volunteer to staff at my booth? Drop me line at tamaleworld@gmail.com.

Here's some cut n' pastes for the Oakland Events website for more info!



Out & About in Rockridge Street Festival
Sunday, September 28th 11am to 6pm
College Avenue, between Claremont & Manilla

The annual Rockridge Out & About festival, held on College Avenue, highlights local businesses as well as live music and dance, alternative health exhibitors, artisan and community booths, cooking demonstrations and food booths presented by Rockridge restaurants.

Five stages will feature well-known Bay Area musicians and performers including a DJ / Dance Stage and Rockridge Runway Fashion with attire selected by local boutiques, plus a Chef Stage featuring the district’s top chefs, art installations and Tots’ Town with rides, games, prizes and more will make this a great family day.

Take BART to Rockridge! The station is only steps from the festival -
Sunday, Sept. 28 11 a.m. – 6 pm.


Oakland’s first annual Oktoberfest in Dimond
Saturday October 4th from 11-6pm
Fruitvale Avenue and Macarthur Boulevard

Although Oakland’s Dimond District is a diverse and progressive neighborhood, it is steeped in German history. Around 1900, the area was largely a German community where social and community life centered on the beer gardens in the area. Though the beer gardens are gone, the community spirit they fostered still remains.

Oktoberfest will feature traditional German beer gardens, German food and dance, gourmet food booths, historical tours, performances by local artists on two stages, artisans, a kids’ carnival area, a green living and wellness expo, and much more. Attendees will quaff, sip, drink, tipple, imbibe, dance, sing, and eat, as well as learn about the historical connection between Oakland and its earlier German residents.
Click Here to visit event website (www.oaklandoktoberfest.com)

Montclair Jazz & Wine Festival

La Borinqueña has entered the wonderful world of festival food sales! Some of you have already seen me and the crew at some recent street festivals in our Tamale Girl booth. I chose to do these events for two reasons: 1. to promote our restaurant and delicious tamales 2. be the prototype for how a small business might be able to participate in special events without a huge financial investment.

I've been asked many times why the food at festivals is always the same. You can almost always find: kettle corn, chicken on a stick, garlic fries, frozen treats, hot dogs, etc. Turns out many of these food booths are professional food concession stands that travel and only do festivals. They don't have a restaurant, are rarely local and do lots of fried food. They have the equivalent of a outdoor commercial kitchen and sanitation is often but not always questionable. They almost always have long lines since their menus are extensive and just a notch down from too expensive.

I decided that our restaurant was going to try a new marketing approach and not spend hundreds on advertising that wasn't really effective. Following in the steps of my father aka Tony Tamale, I was going to take my tamales to the people and let them try them first. Then, coming out to La Borinqueña on the edge of Old Oakland didn't seen so far away. It's been an interesting experience putting our booth together and meeting new folks while spreading tamale love during our new adventure.

Here are the details for our upcoming gig:

Next date for our booth is just around the corner, Pete Escovedo’s Latin Jazz Orchestra headlines the 6th annual Montclair Village Jazz and Wine Festival on Sunday, September 7 on LaSalle Avenue and Mountain Blvd, Oakland, CA. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with more than 20 premium Northern California wineries pouring tastings starting at 1 p.m. Bring the whole family: the younger set will enjoy rides and games at Kids Town; music lovers will hear from saxophonist Vincent Herring, Brass Monkeys Brass Band, singer Clairdee and organist/pianist David K. Mathews; arts and crafts aficionados can check out wares from 40 vendors; wellness and green champions will get plenty of inspiration in the Wellness-Eco Village; and food vendors will be ready to tantalize your palette.

Admission is free, valet bike parking is free, wine tasting packages are $30 for one, $50 per couple.

For more details, and to print a $5 discount coupon for wine tasting, visit www.MontclairJazzAndWine.org.


Stop by and say ¡Hola!

LakeFest '08

OK Kids, Tamale Girl, our NEW food booth is going to be at the H U G E debut of Oakland Event's first 2 day festival. OE is a brand new events planning company started by the chica with the energy that does not quit, Helen Wyman. Helen's vision of helping Oaklanders have positive, creative and sustainable festivals and events makes me even prouder to be part of the Oakland Local First posse.

Yes, this is completely biased on my part since I work side by side with her and a handful of other amazing local folks on both OE events and also on the Oakland Merchants' Leadership Forum marketing committee. My partner in Crime and Volunteering, Consuelo Jacobs, is also part of this group doing the think local thing and is the vendor coordinator this weekend at LakeFest '08.

If you want to check out a part of our posse in action this weekend and have a great time seeing what this district of Oaktown has to offer, STOP BY. If I wasn't working the Tamale Girl booth, I so would participate in the affordable wine packages available that include a commemorative LakeFest wine glass you get to keep.

Hope to see you this weekend!

Tina Tamale


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From http://www.oaklandish.org/EVENTS/events.html
Lakeshore Avenue will turn into a pedestrian zone to host an art and
wine festival featuring live music, arts and crafts booths, local
vendors, a Green Living Expo, a carnival for kids, wine tasting, food
booths and more. August 2 and 3 (Saturday and Sunday), from 11am-6pm
on Lakeshore between Lake Park and Mandana. Admission is FREE!