Sunshine, live music and more food than even a competitive eater could handle, it must be Scottsdale Culinary Festival weekend. I personally look forward to this event every year. This is the only chance we get to try dozens of Arizona restaurants all within walking distance of one another. If you’ve never been, this is definitely something you need to experience at least once.
Each participating restaurant (there are over 30!) serves a predetermined, sample size menu ranging from $2-$6 from their booths. You could literally walk in, choose a starting booth and stop at each booth along the path until your stomach cries for mercy. I, on the other hand, like to be more strategic. I check out the listing of restaurants ahead of time, note the ones I’ve wanted to try as well as past favorites and then estimate out how many of them I can hit before my pants no longer fit.
The hardest part – dessert. There are so many delicious dessert options. Luckily, the event runs from noon to 9pm on Saturday and noon to 6pm on Sunday, so there is plenty of time to throw down a lawn blanket, listen to some live music and clear enough tummy space for a few more bites.
I’ve experienced the Festival both with and without a family and, although the days looked very different, it was all fun. If you’re able to go sans kiddos you will probably want to try at least one of the added experiences, a.k.a. bars, located around the park. A bonus this year, there are two specialty bar areas without a cover charge.
If you are bringing the family, there’s plenty to keep the kids happy too. There’s food (duh), wide-open space for them to roam (while supervised of course) and a special Family Zone with fun, kid-approved activities. It makes for a great afternoon with a little something for everyone.
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, this event is a no-brainer. It’s only $10 to enter and has everything you need to have a good time (including the best people watching I’ve ever encountered). Pack your sunscreen, your blanket and your roomy pants and head to the Scottsdale Culinary Festival weekend.
More info at scottsdalefest.org.
