Great Food Festivals in Phoenix and Scottsdale

Looking for beer or wine events? Do you enjoy gourmet delights or gumbo? No matter what your taste, there is sure to be a festival in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area to suit you. You can relax outdoors while snacking and sipping, or dress up to see and be seen while you sample the efforts of our best chefs. Go with an appetite and leave the calorie counting and daily point limitations at home!

Note: Almost all of our hundreds of festivals in Greater Phoenix include food and beverages, but these are the ones where the true focus of the event is sampling culinary creations.

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Street Eats

A festival of truck food sampling! Held at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Street Eats usually takes place in January.

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Arizona Beer Week

Patrons and bartenders in a busy, upscale bar scene — Unsplash / Pixabay

The Arizona Craft Brewers Guild and its members invite the public to the Arizona String Beer festival, as well as to many beer sampling activities, restaurant specials and bar events around town and cities across Arizona. This festival usually takes place in February.

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Devoured Food + Wine Classic

The main entrance of the Phoenix Art Museum — Judy Hedding

Held at the Phoenix Art Museum, this culinary festival is usually held in March and spotlights local artisans, farms, restaurateurs, food producers, and vintners.

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Bon Vivant

A fun, casual, food and drink tasting event held at Rawhide. Wear your favorite western gear or dress to impress and help raise money for more than 30,000 children and teens who count on the Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley. This festival takes place in March and features live entertainment and a 21-and-up age requirement.

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Channel Eight's "Check, Please!" Festival

Aerial view of downtown Phoenix, Arizona — David Sucsy / Getty Images

Held in Downtown Arizona, this is a culinary showcase of Arizona’s favorite independent restaurants, wineries, and craft breweries. The festival focuses on those establishments that have been featured on the local Channel 8 television program and usually takes place in March.

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Great American BBQ & Beer Festival

Workers serve BBQ products at a festival — Judy Hedding

The Great American BBQ & Beer Festival is not just another barbecue competition. It is a family festival in the streets of downtown Chandler where you can listen to music, have fun and enjoy great food and beer. This festival usually takes place in Spring.

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Arizona Barbecue Festival

A patron tries a food sample at a festival — Judy Hedding

This festival, held in Scottsdale in Spring, features about 50 barbecue teams that will compete—and you get to taste them all.

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Great Southwest Cajun Fest

Celebrating Cajun culture and handcrafted beer, the Great Southwest Cajun Fest will showcase the heart and soul of New Orleans paired with Arizona fusion and flavor. There is live musical entertainment and the festival usually takes place in Spring.

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AZ Wine & Dine

Finger foods are displayed at a food festival — Judy Hedding

Formerly known as Forks & Corks, this festival features more than 20 of the top chefs from renowned local restaurants and resorts. The experts set up and prepare a specialty or two from their menu while festivalgoers enjoy musical entertainment. This is an evening event and is limited to those aged 21+ only. Held in Scottsdale, Wine & Dine usually takes place in April.

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Flavors of the West

Samples of Mexican foods with brochures from a festival — Judy Hedding

West-siders have a culinary festival to love, with West Valley restaurants participating. Instead of an admission charge and then tickets for samples, your admission allows you as many samples as you'd like. Held in Litchfield Park, this event usually takes place in April.

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Scottsdale Culinary Festival

The Scottsdale Culinary Festival includes wine dinners, chef events, specialty beverage events, and food competitions between both local and nationally acclaimed chefs. This event usually takes place in April.

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The Original Taste

At Scottsdale Waterfront — The Original Taste

The Taste began more than 35 years ago—it's a spring event attracting an average of 6,000 guests annually. This event is a benefit local charities supported by Executive Council Charities to fund youth programs. Scottsdale. This festival usually takes place in April.

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Nirvana

A picturesque pool scene in the middle of a desert landscape — Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain

A four-day event at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa, featuring world-acclaimed chefs and winemakers for a series of tastings, special meals, and a celebrity golf tournament. Located in Paradise Valley, this festival usually takes place in April.

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EPICURIAD

A visitor samples a beer at a culinary festival in Scottsdale — Beer for Brains Foundation

A Food, Craft Beer & Wine Pairings event in Scottsdale hosted by the Beer for Brains Foundation, a Scottsdale-based national non-profit organization of craft beer lovers, distributors, and brewers committed to raising public awareness about brain cancer. The main event includes sampling gourmet food, craft beer, and wine from Street Food Chefs, breweries, and vineyards. This usually takes place in April.

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Phoenix Cooks!

Delicacies being prepared by the Chefs at Different Pointe of View in Phoenix. — Judy Hedding

Attend Phoenix Cooks! classes, culinary demonstrations, sample Chef creations, and spirits as well as a foodie marketplace. The ultimate foodie event is the Phoenix Cooks! Dine-Around and usually takes place in August or September.

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Arizona Restaurant Week

A modern restaurant dining room with a nighttime view of a city — Different Pointe of View

Several major cities around the country set aside a week where local restaurants can showcase their menus by offering a special meal at a special price. It's a great way to get to know some of the local dining options around town, some of which might have prices that are a bit out of reach when they aren't running a special promotion like this. Restaurant week is usually in September.

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Taste of the Biltmore

Biltmore Resort and Spa, Phoenix, Arizona — Buyenlarge / Getty Images

National Bank of Arizona hosts the annual Taste of the Biltmore, a block party featuring local restaurants and eateries with musical entertainment. This event is a benefit for a local nonprofit. It takes place in the Fall at the bank headquarters in Central Phoenix.

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Arizona Taco Festival

Tacos plated and displayed at a food festival — Arizona Taco Festival

Sample tacos and side dishes, listen to music and enjoy cool beverages while various competitors vie for cash prizes and top honors for the best tacos in the land. A family-friendly event in Scottsdale, this festival usually takes place in Fall.

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Greek Festival in Chandler

A festival worker prepares food in a frying pan — Judy Hedding

You can experience a slice of Greece at this outdoor festival featuring traditional Greek foods, Greek products, live Greek music, costumed folk dancing and a Kids Fun Zone. This event usually takes place in Fall.

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Dish It Out

A nighttime festival, viewed from above — Dish It Out

Local participating restaurants and experiences serve up their Sunday best to thousands at this benefit for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Phoenix. The “Culinary Clash of Champions” features a cooking competition where local prominent chefs offer up their best creations for a celebrity judge. Dish it Out usually take place in Fall.

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Chile Pepper Festival

Hanging bouquet of chili peppers — Mr.TinDC / Flickr

A local food, music & talent event in the Roosevelt Row community in downtown Phoenix. Local restaurateurs and chefs prepare hot and spicy samples. Expect cooking demos, music, activities for kids. There is free admission, but a charge for food. The Chile Pepper festival usually take place in Fall.

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Best of Phoenix A'fare

Portions of food prepared for a food festival — Akila McConnell

An evening, event, cocktail attire. Cuisine from about 30 restaurants from all over the Valley, along with wine, cocktails, beer, entertainment, and surprises. This event is for ages 21+ only and usually takes place in Fall.

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Taste of Cave Creek

A festival worker stands next to a sign advertising BBQ food — Taste of Cave Creek

Hosted by the Town of Cave Creek and located in Downtown Cave Creek, this event showcases food and drink from about 20 local restaurants and beverage purveyors. This event usually takes place in October.

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Cooks & Corks

A group of chefs pose for a portrait outdoors — Cooks & Corks

Cooks & Corks used to be part of the Scottsdale Culinary Festival, but in 2013 it split off into its own event. It's a one-night-only, self-guided, outdoor culinary tasting event spotlighting Arizona’s top local chefs and a world-class collection of winemakers. This event usually takes place in Fall.

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Chiles and Chocolate

A display of chile peppers and chocolate — Desert Botanical Garden

A culinary festival at the Desert Botanical Garden with flavors both spicy and sweet. Celebrate the unique taste of the Southwest at an open-air market: Sample savory treats such as gourmet chocolates and zesty salsas; purchase products from local vendors; enjoy cooking demonstrations, children’s activities, and live entertainment. This event usually takes place in Fall.

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Arizona Wine Growers Festival at the Farm

A wine festival takes place under large palm trees — Arizona Wine and Dine

The state's top winemakers showcase their finest wines at an interactive event where guests learn about Arizona wine production, walk through exhibits of the state's grape growing regions, taste dozens of wines and ultimately vote for their favorite. This event usually takes place in Fall.

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Certified Local Fall Festival

Close-up of people toasting cups of beer at a festival — Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images

A celebration of all things local: Food samples, food trucks, and a beer and wine garden featuring Arizona-produced wine and beer. This event is family-friendly and usually takes place in Fall.

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azcentral.com Food & Wine Experience

Chocolate and wine at a food festival — Judy Hedding

Enjoy food samples, wine tasting, craft brewers, distillers, and interactive foodie experiences at this event that usually takes place in Fall.