The Agave Heritage Festival is back this week, with more than 30 scheduled events celebrating the ancient plant taking place over a four-day fiesta.

Tucson is the destination for “all things agave” and was officially designated the “City of Century Plants” during the 2022 festival.

But the festival long precedes that designation, launching in 2008 as a Cinco de Mayo celebration focused on tequila. In the years since, it has evolved into a broader celebration of the plant and its cultural significance, with the Tucson basin home to more than 100 varieties of agave.

The festival was created to explore the cultural, sustainable and commercial significance of the agave plant, with this year’s events including seminars, agave planting and pit roasting, spirit tastings and world-class culinary experiences.

Attendees of the festival will be able to sip, savor and celebrate all things agave, but will also gain an awareness and understanding of the relationship between people and the agave’s ecology.

"Now more than ever, the binational relationship between Arizona and Mexico is so significant, and I can only hope that the Agave Heritage Festival plays a role in creating a strong connection and prosperity for all," festival founder Todd Hanley told Tucson Spotlight.

Benjamin Wilder, co-chair and event organizer, says agave is more than just a plant, but a rich blend of history, biodiversity and craftsmanship.

"Agave is just kind of a quintessential desert plant," he said. "The festival really tries to honor and also educate on, and then perpetuate, the long relationship between people and this plant in particular. It's kind of a symbiosis, this reciprocal relationship between plants and people for thousands of years.”

This year's theme, “City of Century Plants,” embodies the deep history of Tucson’s role as a hub for agave. Thanks to centuries-old traditions, mezcal and other tequilas have deliciously complex flavors, according to Wilder.

Festival organizers consider the event a collaborative melting pot. With agave grown around the world, the festival brings together people from all walks of life to showcase their skills and share their stories.

"It's about getting that collaboration and really putting our words into action," Wilder said.

The week’s events will kick off Wednesday night with a pre-launch “Sip, Savor and Celebrate” event at the University of Arizona Women’s Plaza of Honor at Centennial Hall. The event will feature a preview of the festival, with an exclusive mezcal-based cocktail and a sneak peek into the festival’s culinary experiences.

The festival will officially begin Thursday at 8 a.m. with agave planting at Mission Garden, with several other hands-on events taking place throughout the duration.

For the first time, the festival will present an Agave Lifetime Career Award, given to Paul and Susy Phish for their lifetime of research on ancient agave cultivation and its role in the Sonoran Desert’s rich history.

The presentation will include a valuable discussion for farmers who want to learn to grow agave in Tucson.

Signature events include the “Agave Fiesta Grande” at Borderlands Brewing Co. on Saturday, which features tastings from more than 50 artisanal agave spirit producers, live music and small bites.

For those craving a margarita made by a master mixologist, the bar takeover events at local venues like the Monsoon Room and Hotel Congress aren’t to be missed.

And for those who don't drink alcohol, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate. More than half of the festival’s programming is dedicated to non-beverage-related activities, so this event is about more than just the drinks.

Other events include interactive drop-ins that underscore the festival’s commitment to shared knowledge, like panel discussions and mezcal tastings from Raices Imports and Origin Raiz del Espiritu.

The festival not only brings together the agave community but also stakeholders from various other sectors, including conservation, business and science. The festival isn’t just about boosting the local economy, but supporting the environment as well.

"Those actors, the movers and shakers, the doers and the larger agave space, and leaders in our community have an opportunity to come together and talk, collaborate, and communicate," Wilder said.

These collaborations include La Tierra de Jaguar, a nonprofit focused on agave conservation efforts in Mexico.

The Agave Renaissance Summit will be held Friday at Hotel Congress and will be the center of these cross-industry conversations. Attendees can expect discussions on sustainability, heritage preservation and innovation.

For first-time attendees, Wilder recommends the Howard Scott Gentry Lecture on Thursday, which will focus on sustainable agave harvesting practices, and Borderlands’ lively “Fiesta Grande” on Saturday, which should provide an unforgettable night of spirit tastings and community.

The festival invites all to connect with the past and look toward the future.

"It's about lighting that fuse and sparking those conversations that come and those collaborations that go," Wilder said.

Angelina Maynes is a University of Arizona alum and reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact her at angelinamaynes@arizona.edu.

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