Food festivals in Phoenix worth planning a trip around, by month.
Food festivals in Phoenix worth planning a trip around, by month.
The Devour Culinary Classic is Local First Arizona's flagship February tasting at the Desert Botanical Garden, gathering dozens of the state's top restaurants and chefs.
Focus: Arizona chefs, wineries and breweries
Tip: It is a 21-plus walkable tasting in the garden; early-entry tickets beat the midday crowd.
The Arizona Taco Festival fills Salt River Fields each October with taco makers, agave-spirit artisans, lucha libre and live music across a two-day Scottsdale weekend.
Focus: Tacos, tequila and agave spirits
Tip: It runs two days in October at Salt River Fields; buy tickets ahead, as prices climb at the gate.
The azcentral Food & Wine Experience is a two-day Scottsdale tasting event from the USA Today Network, with celebrity-chef demos, grand tastings and wine seminars.
Focus: Celebrity chefs, wine and spirits
Tip: Held at WestWorld in autumn; the grand tasting tent is the densest run of restaurant samples.
The Scottsdale Culinary Festival is the Scottsdale League for the Arts' spring food event, a fundraiser running since 1978 with restaurant tastings, wine and live music.
Focus: Arizona restaurants and chefs
Tip: It anchors a season of spring culinary events; the main weekend festival fills the Civic Center lawn.
Arizona Restaurant Week runs spring and fall editions when 270-plus Valley and statewide restaurants serve multi-course prix-fixe menus at fixed price tiers.
Focus: Statewide prix-fixe menus
Tip: The spring run lands in May; book the higher-tier menus at top rooms before they fill.