Tequila, tacos and rapper Flo Rida set for Ventura beachfront festival

Grammy-nominated hip-hop artist Flo Rida will provide the soundtrack on Sunday at the annual Tequila & Taco Music Festival in Ventura this weekend.

The two-day festival will feature craft tequila tastings and more than 70 different taco variations Saturday and Sunday at San Buenaventura State Beach. Grammy-nominated Ezequiel Peña will headline Saturday.

“The tequila and taco festival is a really uplifting, positive event. It’s all about the vibe,” said Vincenzo Giammanco, CEO and founder of CBF Productions, which presents the festival.

Approximately 20,000 fans attended the festival last year at the fairgrounds, Giammanco said, and he hopes to match the total this year. The X Games California event on July 21-23, which is already getting set up at the fairgrounds, forced the festival to move.

"We love being at the fairgrounds, but having a beautiful park right next to the beach with trees really does enhance the whole experience," Giammanco said. "We're excited to set it up in this new space and see how the whole thing flows."

Headlining Miami artist Flo Rida has been nominated five times for a Grammy and has three No. 1 hits. They are 2007’s "Low" featuring T-Pain, 2008’s "Right Round" featuring Ke$ha and 2012’s "Whistle."

"Flo Rida, literally, if you listen to his music, all the stuff is really upbeat and really fun," Giammanco said. "Just a good time."

Grammy Award-nominated banda and norteño musician Peña was nominated for the 2006 awards in the category Best Banda Album for "A Mucha Honra."

Also performing will be singer and trumpet player Adelaide Pilar, who will play from 2-3:15 p.m. Saturday in a tribute to legendary Tejano singer Selena, who died in March 1995 after getting shot.

Pilar, who grew up in Texas and is a former member of the Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Divas, said she dresses like Selena but she is not an impersonator.

"I'm a fan of her music," Pilar said. "When I get the opportunity to dedicate one full set to her, I'm always happy to do it. To share my love for her and her music without losing my identity."

Her favorite Selena song to sing is "Si Una Vez," which has sold three million copies.

"The ladies always love that song. It's really dramatic but makes you want to dance," said Pilar, who also makes original music that can be found at adelaidepilar.com and has performed at the festival multiple times.

She said performing at the Ventura festival is always a highlight.

“I love playing in Ventura because it’s such an easy-going crowd. Everyone comes out to have a good time," she said. "You don’t feel like there’s any judgment or ridicule.”

More than just music, the festival is known for its tacos and attendees should “come hungry,” Giammanco said.

"Really what people love is just the authentic tacos from Mexico," he said, many of them family recipes passed down for generations.

There are also more than 20 different small batch, craft tequilas that can be sampled at the event.

If you go

What: Tequila & Taco Music Festival When: 1-9 p.m. July 15; noon-6 p.m. July 16 Where: San Buenaventura State Beach, 901 San Pedro St. Cost: $24.99 to $49.00 for each day plus fees, must be 21 and older for tequila and margarita tastings; $20 to $35 daily for parking plus fees Tickets and information: www.tequilaandtacomusicfestival.com/ventura

Wes Woods II covers West County for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at wesley.woodsii@vcstar.com, 805-437-0262 or @JournoWes.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura taco, tequila fest moves to beach, features rapper Flo Rida