Which city hosts the International Nacho Festival?

The city that hosts the International Nacho Festival is Piedras Negras.

Piedras Negras, in the Mexican state of Coahuila, is widely identified as the birthplace of nachos. The dish is traditionally traced to Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya, who prepared a quick plate of tortilla chips, cheese, and jalapeños for visitors at a restaurant there in 1943. The snack became known as “Nachos Especiales,” taking its name from Anaya’s nickname.

The festival celebrates that local culinary history with food competitions, entertainment, cultural activities, and attempts to create exceptionally large nachos. It is generally held in October, near October 21, a date observed locally as the International Day of the Nacho.

Piedras Negras is often confused with Eagle Pass, Texas, directly across the Rio Grande. The two cities are closely connected, and visitors from the U.S. helped spread the story of the dish, but the festival itself is hosted on the Mexican side in Piedras Negras. Chihuahua City, Tijuana, and Monterrey are important Mexican cities, but they are not the festival’s traditional home.