The 8th Annual Salsa Festival took place on Saturday, March 31, from 4-9 p.m. at Pacana Park, located at 19000 N. Porter Rd.

At this free annual event, families enjoyed games, live entertainment and food and drink, as well as visited the Maricopa Chamber of Commerce Mercado Zone filled with business and craft vendors, and of course sampled and voted on their favorite salsa.

This event was a traditional salsa competition with contestants battling for a $1,000 cash prize for Best Overall Salsa. There was no cost to enter the competition! Contestants had the opportunity to win $500 cash awards for Best Mild Salsa, Best Hot Salsa, and Most Unusual Salsa.

Here are the winners of the 8th Annual Salsa Festival! Miss Maricopa, Andrea Malinski, co-presented the winning checks with our sponsors at the end of the evening:

• Best Hot Salsa: $500 - El Palacio Restaurant Anthony Serranos (H-3)
  Presented by Waste Management
  
  
• Best Mild Salsa: $500 - Team Aurora Aurora Graham (M-3)
  Presented by Premier Orthodontics / Treasured Smiles
  
  
• Most Unusual Salsa $500 - Maricopa Youth Council Victor Rene Gonzales (U-6)
  Presented by Ak-Chin Indian Community
  
  
• Best Overall Salsa $1,000 - Marianna's Fresh Salsa Marianna Kientzler (H-7)
  Presented by Frito Lay

This year’s Salsa Festival is presented by the City of Maricopa and Action Alliance Network with the support of the Maricopa Chamber of Commerce and sponsors. For more information on Salsa Festival, please contact Brenda Campbell at (520) 316-6963 or visit www.maricopa-az.gov.