Tempe Festival of the Arts to return in December

Over 300 artists from around the country will be showcased at the Tempe Festival of the Arts this December.  In its 48th year, the festival is ranked as a leading fine arts festival, and will take place December 2nd through the 4th in downtown Tempe. 

The 2016 celebration of the event will see some well-loved traditions, new programming, and holiday highlights all taking place daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.  The artist driven event will have new offerings in a pedestrian area reaching from 3rd Street to University Drive.

The event, which is open to the public, offers free admission and can be accessed via the Valley Metro Light Rail.  As many as 225, 000 guests attend the festival every year looking for gift items such as handmade art pieces, jewelry, home décor, local wines, beer, and food.  During their shopping experience they are able to enjoy live music and entertainment.  There will be live music playing everything from jazz and grassroots to rock and world music.  This year there are three times as many entertainment stages as in previous years and there is also a Kids Block where the younger set can see works by their peers and create some works of their own.  Along Kids Block you will also find Build A Racecar, Childsplay Theatre, Creative Reuse Arizona, Children’s Museum of Phoenix, Girls Rock!, i.d.e.a. Museum, and Phoenix Youth Circus.  This is definitely a family friendly festival for all ages to enjoy.


This season will also see the addition of a new curated section of the Tempe Festival of the Arts where there will be hand selected vendors who are to provide a modern feel.  This section will feature buttons, cards, ceramics, children’s clothing, concrete planters, floral arrangements, hand-made jewelry, letterpress stationery, upcycled furniture, watercolors, woodworks, and more.  Along with all of this, for those who want to take a little of the festival atmosphere home with them, there will also be a “make and take” booth for a hands-on experience. 

A festival would not be complete without a plethora of snacks and gourmet foods and you will not be disappointed.  In the Cottage Edibles section you will find the best packaged hand-made gourmet foods and seasonings and there will also be snack vendors selling kettle corn, cotton candy, fudge, and roasted nuts among other tasty must-have treats.  Also in this section you will find award-winning Arizona-made wines from Arizona Strong Hold Vineyards, AZ Wine Cellars; they will have wine to sample and bottles available for purchase as well. 

If you are craving more than just a sample of wine, the fall festival will have three combination beer and wine gardens which will offer local brew from Tempe-based Four Peaks Brewery, Pedal Haus Brewery, and Gordon Biersch Brewing Company. 

This is the three day festival with something for everyone; with so much to see and do, plan to spend more than one day in downtown Tempe enjoying the sights and sounds at the Festival of the Arts.