This is a free and large festival that happens in the heart of downtown Tempe twice a year; once in…read morespring and once in winter. The only thing that costs money is the parking which can be up to $20. However, one tip I can give you guys is to find a public place a bit further out to park for free. For instance, the Tempe Westside Multi-Generational Center is a public park/facility that you can park at and it's only a 9 minute walk from the festival. As the name implies, there are a ton of art vendors. If you're not from Tempe, there's even more choices because some of downtown Tempe businesses are open during the event. Also, they've got a great selection of food vendors, snacks, and downtown restaurants to choose from. They even have a free water station to fill up your water. I always suggest bringing a small cooler with water bottles and napkins/wet wipes. So even if you're not a fan of the art, it's still a great place to go to if you're a foodie or want to browse other miscellaneous products. For instance, I got a free massage at a physical therapist booth and SugarBee was giving away free apples at one of the events. It's a great place to go if you want to support local.

Have not been to the Tempe Arts Festival in many years. Found myself nearby for a Happy Hour Event…read moreon Friday and theater afternoon event at Gammage. On both days, spent some time walking around Tempe Arts Festival. It was a was a secure and well organized event. Made some purchases of ceramic pottery and a hand made knife and sheath. The artisans close down at 5:30 each day. Parking is available, plan to pay about $20 to $30 per day. Alternatively you can find plenty of nearby restaurants. I parked in the street the second day and took an Uber. Overall a pleasant event.

This was my first year attending. One of the main reasons for the unpleasant experience was the…read moreweather. The venue has no control over that. However, they do have control over the misting truck that was smack dab in the middle of the place. In my opinion, since there was few areas with shade on 100F+ day, there should have been a couple more. I stopped for a little bit to try and watch the pig races. Again, no shade to watch them from. The spectator stands were out in the sun. Sidenote, an umbrella vendor would've made a killing this year. I did see a couple people who were prepared and toted around their umbrellas...but the cheapest one I found when I was there was $15, which I couldn't justify buying. It's a nice little event with carnival games and rides. I just think Mother Nature put a damper on this year's shindig. I won free admission tickets in a raffle, so I just had to pay for parking (and the over priced food). If I had to pay parking plus admission, I think I'd pass. I also know that I cannot survive an outdoor event like this when it is super hot outside. I would've liked to have stayed for the Commodores but they weren't scheduled to take stage til 9pm, which makes it a bit late for me since I still had about an hour drive home.

In 2025, I wanted to attend Ostrich Festival for the first time, but my schedule wouldn't allow it…read more I'm glad I was able to check it out in 2026. I was there for the second weekend, to see The Commodores on Saturday and Baby Bash on Sunday. Some of the other main acts over the course of this two-weekend festival were Kansas and Vanilla Ice. This is the first year the festival has been held at Rawhide. There are some things I really enjoyed about the festival, and some things that I didn't enjoy very much. On the plus side, ticket prices were quite reasonable. That isn't always the case when it comes to festivals. On the other end, you have to pay for parking to attend unless you're using ride share. There's nowhere to park for free that would take you less than a 30 minute walk to get to the entrance. Parking is $15 if you pay at the gate and $13 if you pre-pay online. Take that into account so you have a gauge of the full price of the event. On the plus side, Rawhide is a spacious venue. Beyond the main stage, there was a smaller stage, a ton of food options, carnival games, amusement park rides, and more. I was surprised that the Festival reminded me of a rodeo or state fair more so than a music-centric festival. Given the games and rides, you'll see a lot of kids and families there. On the downside, since it's a "Western town," for the most part, it's dirt, gravel, and grass. Meaning you'll probably be leaving the festival with some dusty shoes. Let's go back to the food. A lot of fair food. Which is going to be overpriced. I had two crepes from AZ Crepe, a pretzel from Wetzel's Pretzels, and a smoothie from Fruitilandia. I wasn't a fan of the smoothie, but the rest met my expectations for the venue. If you'd like to save a little bit on the cost, you can bring in an unopened bottle of water. Next up, the music itself. The stage is pretty solid and it was easy to get right in the center of the action. It's standing room only, unless you get VIP tickets, but you can also bring your own lawn chairs or use some of the chairs that are already there if you can snag one. Festivals are typically pretty consistent when it comes to set times. Baby Bash was scheduled to perform at 8:30. He came on at 9:45. They did share on Instagram that the set times had been pushed back, but I unfortunately didn't see the post in time. My mistake, though from attending a bunch of festivals, it is unusual for the set times to change last minute. While I've been to festivals in other states, the only other ones I've been to in Phoenix are Innings Festival and Extra Innings Festival. I like those festivals more in terms of the overall experience, but I still had a good time at Ostrich Festival. I didn't spot any ostriches, but I hear you can interact with them somewhere at the venue.

I have to say I didn't realize how crazy busy this place would be. Of course I like my country…read moremusic so there was plenty of that a lot of different vendors and people just selling products. The wait is very long. I would say parking was difficult Due to how busy it it I lucked out and found one not too far away. I will say if you don't like a lot of crowds this is not for you because you're literally side-by-side with people.

The only reason this gets any stars is because of the kids section. The parking situation was a…read moredisaster. No one to direct traffic in the lots so people were parking TERRIBLY. Once inside the lines for tickets so you could get beer and bbq we're out of control and they kept running out of tickets entirely. Hubs and I ended up not eating or drinking anything. Luckily, we brought water for the kiddos. Got the unlimited rides wrist band for my 4 year old and let him run amuck. He had a blast. Which is good because nobody else did. We ended up leaving pretty early because we were starving and they had AGAIN run out of tickets and the lines weren't moving. Took a while to figure out how to get out of the place since it was set up like a maze. Got to my car which was boxed in along with 3 or 4 other cars in the lot we were in. Police were there to help some people out and after a 47 pt turn I was able to escape the lot, but it was truly nightmare inducing with the overly tired 4 year old and hungry 5 month old. Actually, hungry everyone. Thankfully, I had gotten free tickets so I wasn't out anything but the wrist band. Hopefully they can get some organization together before next year! It has the potential to be a really fun event, but they need to overhaul the drink/food ticket and parking lot situation.

We went to the San Tan BBQ festival yesterday and stayed for one hour. Paid $50 for my husband and…read moreI. We drank 1 beer each, ate a little food and that's it. Save your money! Nothing interesting or exciting about this festival unless you want to get drunk and stuff your face. It used to be fun! I wanted to ask for our money back but we knew that wouldn't happen. Do better for this festival and we may visit again. Maybe better music lineup.

Absolutely amazing! I came here to visit and found this festival on the Arizona website's calendar…read moreof events. I am so glad we went. There was a plethora of vendors from amazing BBQ to your typical fair food. I'm not a big fan of the cigarette smoking all over the place but the event was filled with fun with live entertainment stages, bull riding, inflatable jump houses and slides, eating contests... the list goes on! San Tan: A local brewery that is good on tap but not so good in the can. There were multiple dispensaries but the best was the grapefruit one since it was very fruit forward and refreshing on the "hot" day. For the locals, I'm sure 90 degrees high isn't hot but I'm a visiting weakling. Bourbon Jack's Bar and Grill: I loved how they offered pulled pork tasters at $2 because I wanted to try everything! The pulled pork was juicy and fell apart, but it was missing flavor. I was left craving for more. Phil the Grill: Completely worth the wait! I loved the flavor of their chicken wings which were the best out of the two I tried. They were really tasty, juicy, and cooked to perfection. The rhib tips were tasty, juicy, fall off the bone amazing, and was accompanied by an amazing BBQ sauce. The smokey Mac and Cheese was delectable too. Very different but worth trying! Overall this was an amazing festival and worth every penny paid! I hope am event like this comes to my city!

Such a beautiful day in Arizona we came to the Festival of Lights! You have to park behind it and…read morewalk a bit to get there, 20$ get you an all day pass for kids for the bounce houses. There's two sides of vendors with food and cute things to buy, I do wish that they had signs saying their form of payment because everyone had different forms and you don't find out until you are buying something and the lines are long sometimes and the sun was super bright today. Make sure you put on sunscreen and wear sunglasses. FOOD: there was pita jungle, dumplings, hot dogs, dominos pizza (cash only), pop corn, cotton candy, ice cream and cakes. DRINKS: coffee Goat, a few stands of lemonade and sodas and on the center of the park there was a couple of breweries you have to pay to enter that part. Big stage with entertainment, kids dancing, bands sponsored by BIG O TIRES AHWATUKEE! They also had a Santa stand starting at noon where you can take pictures with him and tell h what you want for Christmas. The line was long all day.

A little disappointed in this year's event. Despite still being free to get in, the booth rental…read moreprices were $400 which led to $9.00 hot dogs $15 funnel cakes and $8.00 cokes. Not to mention that there were nowhere near the amount of places to eat as advertised. I'm assuming the space rental price kept many people away as the marketplace had only two thirds of the vendors as in past years. All in all, a very expensive day for a family outing that didn't live up to the events, concessions and fun as in past years.

The Chandler Jazz Fest was a great time. The weather was perfect, the atmosphere was relaxed and…read moreeasygoing, and the artists were outstanding. If you plan to go, don't forget sunscreen there's very limited shade, mostly just under trees. Bringing a camping chair or blanket is a must unless you want to stand the whole time or sit in the grass with the bugs. Parkin was easy to find and FREE!! There were a few food options, including a lemonade stand, popcorn tent, pretzel cart, and what looked like a burger stand. Most of the other tents seemed to be craft vendors or event sponsors. We went earlier in the day and left before dark, and it's definitely something we'd look forward to attending again next year.

Loved the annual Chandler Jazz Festival this weekend. It's completely free to attend and there are…read morenumerous bands that play all up and down the street, as well as at the main stage set up in the middle of downtown Chandler at A.J. Chandler Park. It was a beautiful afternoon and after watching some of the jazz bands we walked down the street for a glass of wine at one of the nearby merchants.

This was such a fun festival! Lots of great food options, fun music and events. The shuttle service…read morewas convenient and quick. I liked that the bus was air conditioned as well. But the flaming cheese was my favorite!

This is our second year attending this festival .. food, drinks, music, dance.. good times!…read more All the food looks and smells delicious.. I started with the chicken souvlaki, it was basic, the chicken was good but pita was to big for the kabob.. my bf had the gyro also basic (not enough meat) We split an order of calamari, nicely fried and served with lemon, the Greek fries are a must with that lemon sauce & feta cheese (yum!) The spanakopita was a light golden color, nice crunchy exterior, good filling and the dolmades with lemon sauce (2 for $3) were also good. As if we hadn't eaten enough we split a baklava sundae ... sweet and yummy!! Thrifty vanilla ice cream paired with baklava.. yes please We had a couple of drinks and roamed around the vendor booths.. jumped back on the free shuttle that took us back to the lot on Ray & Dobson where we parked for free. See you again next year!

WOW! the hawaiian/poly culture in Arizona is on fire! -thank you to the AMAZING performers who…read moreshared their talents & the hosts who introduced each performance!!! -food plates priced right w/enough food for two to share. -drinks pricey at $15 for a 32oz.

From a foodie perspective, this is one of my favorite cultural festivals in AZ! The aloha festival…read moreputs on such a fun festival with SO MANY yummy food vendors We went on a Saturday and the lines were very long but the food was actually delicious and worth the price! Some of the things we ordered were malasadas, short ribs and garlic shrimp, macadamia nut waffle with coconut chicken, and pulled pork Mac and cheese! There were a ton more food options but some of the lines were just too long to wait in. I would suggest getting their earlier to have more time to visit the booths! There was also plenty of dancers and Polynesian entertainment on the main stage. Overall, I'm sad this is only once a year but glad I got to go this year!

I have been to a few of these Asian Night Markets since the Asian Chamber of Commerce started…read morehosting them here in Arizona. For me, I enjoy the chance to engage with culture, eat a variety of foods, and support our local Asian community. These events typically take place in the parking lot of the AZ International Marketplace in Mesa. Several food and retail vendors fill up the parking lot with all sorts of yummy food and cool merchandise. There is also a stage with live entertainment. I recently attended the Kamayan Festival version of the night market which was part of the celebration for Filipino American History Month. I had a VIP pass to the Sapporo beer garden and enjoyed the perks that came with it. As much as I enjoy being a part of these festivals, the lines are usually insanely long. I come to these to try new things, but find myself getting discouraged by the long waits. I have learned the best time to come to Asian Night Markets is when they first open if you want to try a variety of food.

I attended the January 2022 edition of this annual event, occurring at Lunar New Year. Centered on…read morethe Asian Pacific American community, this event celebrates cultural diversity, cuisine, art, and music. Organized by the Asian Chamber of Commerce, I know that in the past this required admission but this year's was free. I would not be surprised if it becomes an admission-only event in the future as it was packed from the entry time of 5:30. Given that the city of Mesa has decided to invest considerable resources to brand the area as an Asian enclave, I suspect it will get bigger and more impressive each year. While there are a ton of food trucks here, my advice would be not to show up hungry. Nearly every stall had long lines (save the poor coffee vendor). I would like to say that lines moved quickly, but most did not. I think it is better to have eaten a little something first and then show up and have a snack or two or come later in the evening when the live music really gets going. But if you plan to make this your sole dinner stop it will be frustrating. One perk of a big festival like this is that many smaller caterers/restaurants/food trucks that you haven't heard of will show up. There was plenty that was new to me and gave me a bucket list of places to try. I got some bao buns from Hot Bamboo which has a brick-and-mortar location in Chandler as well as a food truck that often pops up at festivals across town. They make Instagrammable character buns. It's a bit cheesy but the price was good and they were flavorful and satisfying. They were temporarily out of some fillings and the employees were profusely apologetic. It did inspire me to want to one day visit their actual restaurant. The vibe was great and the 2022 edition was a nice blend of people from all walks of life eager to celebrate our post-pandemic world (yeah, Year of the Tiger!). Besides food trucks, there were a few vendors selling gifts and other items but nothing popped out as too special. You can find the schedule on their website. Besides the night market, they also organize some daytime activities at parks that focus less on food and more on culture.

A cute little festival located in downtown Ocotillo, Taste showcased over 30 restaurants and…read morecatering companies. Restaurants included Roy's, Grimaldi's, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and San Tan Brewery. For $65 (Or less, if you used a discount code from the Facebook site), you could have unlimited samples, and 12 free drinks. While this is a good deal if you are planning on using all 12 drinks for alcohol, it's expensive admission if you are a designated driver, or if you just don't drink alcohol. Drinks used towards the 12 free drinks included wine, beer, and sodas by the can. Water was also available at the booths, and was unlimited. The only odd part of the night was at the entrance, where volunteers checked for ID. I got my ID checked in the long line before the festival opened, then headed to the entrance when the gates opened. As I was about to cross another volunteer grabbed me by the arm and pulled me aside just as I was going to cross to frantically ask me if I had my ID checked yet. Wtf? Perhaps the volunteers should have more manners than to randomly grab patrons that are WELL over the age of 21 to see if their IDs have already been checked. Just a thought! I was hoping the restaurants would showcase some of their signature dishes, or a representation of what their restaurant's food focus is, and unless most of them focus on bbq sandwiches, a good number of the samples were some kind of slider, usually with pulled pork. After eating my 10th pulled pork slider, I was looking for more variety. Some restaurants did showcase a more unique dish, such as Roy's lobster potsticker, and Otaku's sushi roll with Cheetohs. One of the standouts of the festival was actually a beverage stand. I was impressed with the Espresso Italia booth, which had refreshing varieties of iced tea, coffee, and a mighty cappuccino that was crafted to near perfection. Most vendors had some sort of discount coupon for any future visits to their restaurant. The best of the discounts came from Roy's, who offered a $20 gift card- very nice! Overall, a fun way to spend a Saturday night.