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Food festival · Two days · FEX Mexicali
Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, 2026 · FEX · Family Friday, adults-only Saturday
Until the first fire
Presale 2 on sale through September 30: $1,350 MXN per pass ($1,459.49 with fees). It goes up to $1,450 in October.
The organizer sells two separate tickets on Eventbrite, and mixing them up is the easiest mistake to make. The Full Pass (November 6 and 7) starts at $1,350 MXN plus fees and covers both days with the all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink experience — the grilling stations, the tastings and Saturday's open bar. The Primer Fuego ticket starts at $350 MXN plus fees, is valid for Friday only and, in Eventbrite's own description, does not include food or drink: it is the opening night, with music, grill-side atmosphere and craft beer sold separately. If you are coming for the barbecue, the cheap one will not do.
A la Parrilla Fest returns to Mexicali's Centro de Ferias, Eventos y Exposiciones on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, 2026. It is the city's big food festival and is billed as "the most badass carne asada in Mexico": two days of grilling, beer, live music, art and competitions on the same grounds.
This edition goes international. The organizer advertises more than 80 grilling stations and explains that each one represents a different country, with its own techniques, ingredients and dishes, and that all of them hand out tastings included with the full pass.
The two days are not alike. Friday is El Primer Fuego, a family-friendly opening with music and the coals lit. Saturday is the big one: adults only, with open bar, grilling stations and shows. The organizer confirms that split in its own 2026 FAQ.
The festival's most followed contest returns in 2026 with two categories: a popular vote, where the public picks its favourite, and a blind round judged by certified judges who do not know whose taco they are tasting. According to the organizer, the winner takes the title of National Taco Champion and represents Mexico at the World Barbecue Championship held in Texas. The festival also programs grilling shows with guest chefs from around the country; their names for this edition are not confirmed by any source dated 2026, so we do not state them as fact here.
Minors are allowed in on Friday, November 6: that is the family day, with music and atmosphere, and that day's ticket is sold separately and costs less. Saturday, November 7 is strictly 18 and over, because of the open bar. Note one inconsistency from the organizer itself: the Primer Fuego listing on Eventbrite says that ticket does not include food or drink, while its FAQ describes Friday as "a family atmosphere with food and music". If you are going on Friday with the cheap ticket, ask exactly what it covers first. The full pass covers both days.
Prices rise in phases on fixed dates, so when you buy changes what you pay. These are both full Eventbrite tables, with the service fee on each row and the real total charged online. The full pass covers both days; the Primer Fuego ticket covers Friday only. The event's policy is no refunds.
Covers both days, the grilling stations and Saturday's open bar.
| Phase | On sale | Ticket | Fee | Online total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presale 1closed | August 21 to 31 | $1,150.00 | $93.27 | $1,243.27 |
| Presale 2on sale | September 1 to 30 | $1,350.00 | $109.49 | $1,459.49 |
| Presale 3 | October 1 to 31 | $1,450.00 | $117.60 | $1,567.60 |
| Presale 4 | November 1 to 6 | $1,550.00 | $125.71 | $1,675.71 |
| Door price | November 7 | $1,650.00 | $133.82 | $1,783.82 |
Opening night with music and grill-side atmosphere. Eventbrite warns it does not include food or drink.
| Phase | On sale | Ticket | Fee | Online total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1closed | August 21 to 31 | $250.00 | $20.28 | $270.28 |
| Phase 2on sale | September 1 to 30 | $350.00 | $28.39 | $378.39 |
| Phase 3 | October 1 to 31 | $450.00 | $36.50 | $486.50 |
| Door price | November 1 to 6 | $550.00 | $44.61 | $594.61 |
Tables read on September 19, 2026 in Eventbrite's own checkout, phase by phase. Prices in Mexican pesos; every total was checked by adding the ticket and its fee. The dates for each phase are the ones scheduled in the system and may change without notice.
The organizer sells a 30 oz Yeti tumbler for $550 MXN at Cellshop Mexicali and, while they last, at the event's own merch stand. It is the same tumbler that in past editions gave priority access at the bars; for 2026 the organizer only confirms the price, the size and where to get it.
The FEX sits at 955 Río Nuevo, on the west side of the city, the same grounds that host the Fiestas del Sol and Agrobaja: open esplanade, plenty of parking and the entrance off Río Nuevo. Mexicali nights are already cold in November — and Friday runs until 1:00 AM — so bring a jacket. If you are crossing from Calexico, check the border wait first: Saturday afternoon is one of the worst slots of the week.
Dates, venue, sale status and both complete price tables were verified on September 19, 2026 on the organizer's official Eventbrite listings and in its checkout, and cross-checked against the festival's official poster. The split between the two days (family Friday, adults-only Saturday), the 80-plus stations by country and the tumbler come from the organizer's own 2026 FAQ. We do not publish chef or band names because the lists on the official site carry no year and repeat the previous edition's; nor the capacity, host hotel or beneficiary, because those sections are still dated 2024 and 2025. Prices, hours and programming may change: confirm with the official ticket seller before making plans. Illustrative image generated digitally for this page; it is not a photograph of the event.
