WILLIAMS, CA (MPG) The second annual Guerra de Tacos in Williams on May 4 successfully celebrated a blend of flavor and culture.
The City of Williams Park and Recreation Department hosted the event on the weekend closest to Cinco de Mayo, to pay tribute to shared Mexico and U.S. history – and everyone’s love for the world’s most popular food.
The event attracted food enthusiasts and families alike, eager to feast on the best recipes in the area.
“The tacos were amazing,” said Isabel Romero-Ruiz. “I’m happy they made this a Cinco de Mayo event. I missed the first taco Guerra de Tacos because we were working in the tomato harvest.”
The 2025 taco war featured six fierce competitors vying for bragging rights to Best Taco and Best Salsa, with the winners decided by the discerning palates of four judges.
Tacos El 88, the champion of the first Guerra de Tacos, held on Sept. 16, 2023, to recognize the more widely celebrated Mexican Independence Day, faced off against new or returning competitors: Takitos El Charquito, Tacos Rivera, Taqueria Del Pueblo, Lucita’s D’licia, and Tacos Don Memo. Each vendor showcased their unique culinary creations, but it was Tacos Rivera who won first place in the taco competition with their tasty, marinated pork wrapped in a grilled corn tortilla.
Takitos El Charquito, a local favorite and popular vendor at the Williams Festival of Lights, won second place in the taco competition and first place in the salsa competition.
District 3 Supervisor Kent Boes, Williams Jr./Sr. High School Principal James Welcome, Juan Luna, of Morning Star Packing Company, and La Fortuna owner Berto Guevara served as judges.
Guevara, whose restaurant and bakery is one of the city’s most popular eateries, said the tenderness of Tacos Rivera’s meat and the flavor of their sauce is what put their taco above the rest in the competition.
“Tenderness and the sauce are very important,” Guevara said.
The judges also scored on taste, aroma, and presentation, although aroma was harder to discern on a windy day.
However, the wind did not dissipate the sound of music. Both the Williams High School Mariachi Band and the band Porte Nuevo, composed of Gerry Ruiz, Angel Hernandez, and Ricky Trejo performed during the event.
In addition to the food and entertainment, the community event celebrated the historical significance of the Mexican Army’s triumph over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
According to historians, the first Cinco de Mayo celebration is believed to have occurred about two weeks after the Puebla battle in the mostly Mexican community of Columbia, Calif., located in Tuolumne County, when news spread that the greatly outnumbered Mexican Army, which also included both indigenous and multi-nationality volunteers and mercenaries, prevented the French Army of 6,000 soldiers from invading Mexico City.
Cinco de Mayo marks Mexico’s six-year fight and victory against Napoleon III’s attempt to establish a France-backed empire in the Americas, seen by the U.S. as a violation of the Monroe Doctrine and by Mexico as a threat to their sovereignty after gaining independence from Imperial Spain only a half-century earlier in 1821.
This cultural backdrop added depth to the festivities in Williams with food and family-friendly activities enhancing the celebration, attendees said.
“You don’t need a reason to have a taco festival, but (Cinco de Mayo) is a good day to have one,” said Romero-Ruiz, whose “big, beautiful, blended family” is a mix of Mexican, Native American, Jamaican, Scottish, and Irish. “Cinco de Mayo is like St. Patrick’s Day…it’s mostly for fun with a little bit of culture thrown in.”
Williams Park and Recreation Director Ben Padilla, who organized the event in Venice Park, thanked California Family Foods, Fouch & Son Pharmacy, Colusa County Farm Supply, and Starbucks for their sponsorship, which made the event possible.
Padilla also thanked the judges for their hard work.
“I know it’s tough to eat so many tacos,” Padilla said.
In addition to the judged varieties of tacos, the competitors offered a variety of specialty cuisine to the public. Vendors said they hope Guerra de Tacos will become another beloved Williams tradition in the years to come on par with Pioneer Day and Festival of Lights.