TIJUANA.- In the ongoing movement to support Baja California's culinary industry, and show off the richness of this region, for the fourth year in a row the Baja Culinary Fest will return.

Ives Gabriel Lelevier, Vice-Secretary of Tourism for the State announced that the event will take place from October 29th through November 2nd.

"We are very excited, because this festival has become one of the most important culinary events in northeastern Mexico, with an extraordinary effort on behalf of the private sector and backing from the State's Government via the Secretary of Tourism (SECTURE)", said Lelevier.

Lelevier also indicated that according to the work plan under Governor Francisco "Kiko" Vega de Lamadrid, the Secretary of Tourism functions as a support platform for these types of events, which is one of the primary tourism incentives for both foreign and national tourists arriving in the state of Baja California.

"During our last analysis, at least 10% of those that visited us were here to try out local food from the Baja region, including local wine and craft beer; before this sector was a only a complement of tourism, but now it is a star", she said.

Lelevier stated that the Baja Culinary Fest will host eight thematic dinners in the most renown restaurants in Tijuana and Ensenada; a contest of the "Sweet and Sour of Baja" will also take place at the Culinary Art School with participation of students from throughout the State. Additionally, a related event called "Ensenada Gastronomica" will take place, where various workshops instructed by well-known chefs from Mexico and throughout the world.

"To mark the 60th anniversary of Mercado Hidalgo in Tijuana, this will be the site of the inaugural dinner on October 29th. The idea is to highlight the smells, flavors, and colors of traditional Mexico in an emblematic place in our State. The program of activities is very complete: there are tours, workshops, dinners, and a little bit of everything with the purpose of showing the great diversity and quality of life that characterizes Baja California", said Lelevier.

Lelevier added that this event will, for the first time, include the urban gastronomy movement in a festival of Food Trucks in Valle de Guadalupe, and added that in order to see the complete schedule of the program, costs, and to purchase tickets, to check out the website www.bcculinaryfest.com/es, or the Secretary of Tourism's official website www.descubrebajacalifornia.com.

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