Experience the best in Arizona agriculture: SE. Corner of Central and McKinley streets in Phoenix, Every Saturday
of Each Month & 6-10pm the first Friday of the month: Cooking and creativity as vendors from across the state will
offer fresh flowers, fruits & vegetables, meat & dairy products, roasted coffee, mouth watering honey, jams & chocolates,
baked goods & prepared foods. For grocery and gift shopping, a meal with friends and neighbors and more – FREE
parking is available on-site. For more information, visit http://www.foodconnect.org

Park of Four Waters Tours
Pueblo Grande Museum & Archaeological Park
602-495-0901

The Hohokam people lived in the Salt River Area from approximately 450AD to 1450AD. They were an agricultural society, growing corn, beans, squash and cotton. In order to support there extensive agricultural system, the Hohokam people constructed miles of canals in order to direct water from the Salt River to their fields. The Park of Four Waters tour will take you on a tour through undeveloped, natural desert to the ruins of some of these canal systems. Tours of the Hohokam irrigation canals in the Park of Four Waters are offered at 10:00am on the last Saturday of each month (September through April).

Another March Festival is the National Festival of the West. This three-day event is a western fans holiday, and if you love the American West, this is the place to be because it’s not only one of the biggest western events in the country, but we have Arizona’s notoriously beautiful March weather.

Then, there are the fun ethnic festivals: The Highland Games have the Scots showing us a fling or 2. The kilt-clad guys can toss a 16-pound hammer or a 28-pound weight. Or launch a 50-foot pole called a caber. Or shot-put a massive stone from a standing start.  These chaps are artsy, too. Some are dashing drum majors who lead bagpipe brigades to bring “wind in the wood” to our desert terrain.

For centuries, the men got to huff and puff and the women, when they finally got to join these throwing games, had to toss bean bags, frying pans and rolling pins. But at the 30th annual Scottish Highland Games, no more! The women threw whatever the men threw, whether it was poles, stones, hammers or temper tantrums.

The Matsuri Festival of Japan (602) 262-5071 takes place in the historic district of Phoenix, celebrating the food and art of Japan as well as martial arts demonstrations, traditional Japanese dancing and music. The festival is informative as it is beautiful.

The Scottsdale Culinary Festival occurs in mid-April, and begins with a black-tie event, the Mayors’ Culinary Cup Dessert Competition on a Friday. Saturday showcases the “hail to the Chefs” who present cooking demonstrations throughout the day. Then Sunday is The Great Arizona Picnic, an international food-tasting celebration. More than 30 area restaurants, caterers, and gourmet shops present a diverse selection of goodies.

Auction Action

The Kruse Auto Auction (602) 273-0791 attracts international attention each January when 1500 cars go on the auction block in a five-day extravaganza that features a wide-range of autos from vintage collector cars to 60s muscle cars.

Also in January, 1000 muscle, high performance, Formula One, and antique cars go on the auction block at the Barrett-Jackson Car Auction held at Westworld in Scottsdale.

Russo and Steele Sports and Muscle in Scottsdale

This is the Auction event Enthusiasts wait for every year. We feature the finest in European Sports, American Muscle Car and Street Rods and Customs.

RM Auctions Vintage Motor Cars in Arizona: The 2007 Arizona Biltmore Auction represents the finest event of its kind in the world.

Silver Auctions Fort McDowell is Silver’s 10th year for our Arizona flagship auction during the world-renowned Arizona-in-January extravaganza of collector car auctions.

The Fountain Hills Arizona Great Fair
(480) 837-1654, is two days of family fun in February in the shadow of the world’s tallest fountain. Over 40 colorful hot air balloons can be viewed before the ascension. More sky entertainment includes a talented parachuting group. There is also plenty to eat, and over 400 arts and crafts booths selling and displaying work by artists from all over the nation.

Old Town Tempe Spring Festival of the Arts (480) 967-4877
This three-day event is the number two art festival in Arizona and one of the top art shows in the U.S. Over 450 artists-hand picked from nearly 1,000 applicants-display their wares, so you can imagine how beautiful some of the handmade items are, stained glass, ceramics, jewelry, paintings, pottery, leather goods, and drawings. This is a street fair of grand proportions, covering several blocks of Old Town Tempe.

The Scottsdale Arizona Arts Festival (480) 994-2787
showcases some of the finest arts and crafts in the southwest along with outstanding entertainment by Arizona performers. The three-day elebration of the visual and performing arts is present in the garden-like setting of the Civic Center Mall in downtown Scottsdale.A unique feature of the festival is an area dedicated to arts-related projects for children. Youngsters are given an opportunity to explore the arts on a “hands-on” basis through painting and crafts experiences.

Glendale Jazz & Blues Festival (623) 930-2299
in April features both local talent and nationally renowned performers for a night of music in the park.

The spacious 80-acre park in Glendale is perfect for a picnic you bring yourself or a relaxing meal of food sold there (from Thai to Mexican). Over 100 wild peacocks strut the grounds of Sahuaro Ranch Park – hence the name of the festival.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Festival

In a city the size of Phoenix, you would expect to find a city-sized festival, which is exactly what this event is. But what it lacks in small-town charm it makes up for in big-city excitement and top-quality food. A new chapter in bowl history: January 8, 2007, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl with the City of Glendale will host the first-eer Tostitos BCS National Championship Game in the new Cardinals Stadium!

The Red Rock Festival presents a world-class orchestra, chamber music & master classes that both connoisseurs of fine music and the vacationing family enjoy. Performed in the scenic Sedona, you can listen to classical music on the rocks!

The Arizona Festival of Flight adds an exciting aerial show both days, with bi-wings, acrobatics, and Air Force jet fly-bys. Also impressive is Saturday night’s Balloon Glow, where many of the balloons are inflated and then their burners lighted-talk about night lights!

Other activities during the weekend include sky-diving, skateboarding, and hang-gliding demonstrations, and tethered balloon rides. The festival takes an international turn with the food booths serving items from Germany, Holland, Italy, and Mexico. Proceeds from this event go toward scholarships at the Thunderbird, The Garvin School of International Management

The Arizona Renaissance Festival celebrates their 8th annual event in February and March, presenting a re-creation of a sixteenth century European marketfaire, a 25-acre Festival village with an action theater show of armored knights re-creating Medieval jousting tournaments. Mingle with royalty and townsfolks in a beautiful country fair setting. The 18th annual Festival in 2006 in Apache Junction 16th Century European Village celebrating romance & revelry of Renaissance Europe, music theater, comedy, hearty food & drynk, crafts, games & knights jousting, $6-16, 5 & under free, weekends, 10 am – 6 pm, 520-463-2700

Spring Pow Wow - Top Indian dancers, drummers, singers gather in Tempe each spring for their annual ceremony. Tribal dancers from Oklahoma, Minnesota, South Dakota and as far north as Canada take part in competitions. Many dancers travel on a pow wow circuit and compete. The dances are competitive, and prize money can be sizable.

Arizona Country Thunder rolls into town in Queen Creek each year. More than 15,000 people flood the rural town to take part in three days of country music, dance and other entertainment. It takes about 10 days and 500 personnel to set up the event and about five days to break it down.

Country Thunder 1979 E. Broadway #1, Tempe, AZ (480) 966-9920

All Festival Information

Arizona Senior Olympics 602-261-8765

Barrett-Jackson Antique Auto Auction

Carefree Fine Art and Wine Festival 480-837-5637

Celebration of Fine Art 480 443-7695
Chandler Ostrich Festival   480-963-4571
Craft and Sewing Festival (800) 96CRAFT
Countrywide Tradition 480-595-4070
El Zaribah Shrine Circus 602-231-0300

Goodyear Rodeo Days 623-932-3811
Celebrating Goodyear’s western heritage, the
Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce brings a Senior Rodeo
to Goodyear each year. The event is held at the rodeo grounds.

Rawhide Fun in the Old West!
Rawhide now opene at Wild Horse Pass on the Gila River Community.
5700 North Loop Rd, Chandler, AZ 85226

IMAX Theatre at Arizona Mills 480-897-1453, Ext. 212
Indian Artists of America 520-398-2226
Kruse International Scottsdale Desert Classic
Lost Dutchman Days 480-982-3141
MAMA Spring Festival of the Arts 480-967-4877

Maricopa County Fair 602-252-0717

Musicfest 480-488-0806
National Boat Show & Fishing Expo 602-514-7809
Native American Arts Festival 623-935-6384
PGA Golf Tournament 602-870-4431
Parada del Sol Rodeo and Parade 480-990-3179
Peacock Jazz Fest 602-435-4100

Sedona International Film Fest

Independent Films celebrate annually the best in cinematic art.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Irish Faire 602-280-9221
State Farm Women’s Tennis Classic 480-321-1000

Thai American Friendship festival will be held October 21-22 in 2006

Touch of Class Miniature Horse Show 480- 312-6802
Used Book Sale 602-265-6805
Wildlife World Zoo

World Championship Hoop Dance Contest 602-252-8848 at Heard

World’s Smallest Museum

Events Calendar

Event Calendar Ticket Master
There are many, many festivals not included above.
If you would like a list of those held during your visit, please ask me.