PILSEN — Mole de Mayo will once again bring together Pilsen's best chefs this weekend to find out whose version of the Mexican classic reigns supreme.
The sixth annual outdoor fest, featuring a mole cook off, lucha libre and live music, will be staged Saturday and Sunday on 18th Street between Ashland Avenue and Loomis Street in Pilsen. The festival will be open from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.
The centerpiece of the fest remains the mole competition, pitting the best of the neighborhood's chefs and restaurants against one another. Restaurants will compete for two awards: Mole de Mayo's Best Mole Award and the People's Choice Award.
A staple in most Mexican households, mole is a traditional sauce typically made of chili peppers, spices, nuts, chocolate and various seasonings. While the sauce comes in a variety of flavors and ingredients, the classic mole version is dark red or brown in color and served over enchiladas and meats.
Participating Mole de Mayo restaurants include Yvolina's Tamales; Taqueria La Ciudad; Don Churros; Juanita's Restaurant; Taqueria Sabor y Sazon; La Cebollita Restaurant; Esperanza's Restaurant; El Campion; De Colores; Más; La Catrina Café; Nuevo Leon Restaurante; Maria's Funnel Cake; and Rica Nieve.
The fest will also feature lucha libre wrestling matches at 5 p.m. both days, live music on two stages and an open-air market featuring Pilsen businesses and artisans.
Chicano Batman, Dos Santos, Los Franco, Bubac Joe and traditional Aztec dancers are expected to take the stage. A full entertainment schedule is available online.
Chicago-based StarEvents is producing the fest for the first time. Mole de Mayo is sponsored by the Eighteenth Street development corporation, Montejo beer, Wintrust Bank and Pachanka Music Culture and Pepsi, among others.
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