Tigard's El Tigre Fest returns to Cook Family Park on Oct. 3, for the last time as a city-produced event..

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 17005 S.W. 92nd Ave. and celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month and Filipino American History Month with live bands, more than 70 Latin food vendors, artisan booths, kids' activities and community resource tables.

The Tigard Public Library will also have a presence, and elected officials are expected to attend, according to the city's September newsletter.

The festival is the last of four city-produced community events eliminated from Tigard's 2027 budget.

The city cut El Tigre Fest, the Pride Parade & Festival, the Juneteenth Freedom Celebration and the Fourth of July Celebration to help close a $6 million general fund gap, Tigard Life reported Sept. 11.

El Tigre Fest costs rose from $79,000 to more than $107,000 between 2024 and 2025. Attendance fell sharply in the same period, dropping from about 5,000 to roughly 2,500, according to a city staff cost analysis cited by Tigard Life.

"I do not like that we had to cut this funding," Mayor Yi-Kang Hu told Tigard Life in the Sept. 11 report. "At the same time, I respect the difficult recommendation staff made in response to the City's financial situation."

City officials said they are working to find outside promoters to take over the festivals.

Nicole Hendrix, assistant to the city manager, said at a May budget meeting that the city hopes community partners will continue the events in future years, according to Tigard Life.

The festival began in 2022 as a spinoff from a smaller Latino festival that had piggybacked onto Tigard's annual Street Fair.

City digital communications coordinator Leandro Barrientos said in 2022 that city leadership created the standalone event to celebrate Tigard's Latino community, which makes up 11.9 percent of the population, as Tigard Life reported.

Attendees should note that the access road and lower parking lot at Cook Family Park are closed through October for construction of a new accessible dock. Pedestrian and bicycle access remains open, according to the city's August Cityscape newsletter.

The city is still looking for volunteers. Event details and volunteer sign-up information are available on the city's El Tigre Fest webpage.

Upcoming community dates: Hispanic Heritage Month runs through Oct. 15. The city also offers a No School Day Camp on Oct. 9 for kids.