The 41st annual Scottsdale Culinary Festival provides a weekend of the Valley’s best in eatertainment experiences, with a robust tasting tour of renowned Arizona restaurants, culinary demonstrations, brewmasters, winemakers, spirit producers and local and national food exhibitors.
Guests are encouraged to become food explorers and travel the festival grounds with free, passport-style guide books in hand. Restaurants participating in the tasting tour include Aioli Gourmet Burgers, Bobby-Q BBQ Restaurants, Butcher’s Choice, Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free, Don Jose Mexican Food, Famous 48, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Floridino’s Pizza and Pasta, La Senora at The Saguaro Hotel, Lulu’s Italian Waterice, Nitro Live Icecreamery, Pitch Pizzeria, Pokitrition, Rodizio Grill – The Brazilian Steakhouse, So Delicious Dairy Free, Social Hall, Sushi Roku, Trap Haus BBQ, Butta Cakes and more.
Guests can attend free demos on two stages sponsored by Sub Zero, Wolf, and Cove presented by culinary experts including Shark Tank-featured Teaspressa, Suzanne Clark from World Food Championships and Challenge Dairy, Chef Aimee Novak from the University of Arizona’s Cooperative Extension, World Food Championships Winner Chef Anthony Serrano, Mark Lewis of Chmachyakyakya Kurikuri discussing cactus fruits and foraging, Midtown Microgreens, Garden Goddess Ferments, Chopped Champion Jennifer Caraway of The Joy Bus, and Zak’s Chocolate. Topics include making chorizo, how to ferment vegetables, making chocolate, preparing easy at-home dishes and more.
In addition to the variety of restaurants, guests can enjoy beverages for every taste and age. Ages 21+ can enter the Four Peaks Beer Garden ($30, 200+ beers presented, 20 tastes), buy sampling cards for specialty areas including Liquid Arizona presented by Phoenix Magazine and Chocolate & Wine presented by Celebrity Cruises featuring chocolates paired with Jackson Family Wines, or enjoy free access to the Tito’s Handmade Vodka Lounge (cash/credit cards). Beverage booths offer select beverages (cash/credit cards). Beverage exhibitors include Kicking Horse Coffee, Stella Artois, 3 Amigos Blanco Tequila, AZ Distilling Co., Huss Brewing Co., Stone Brewing Co., Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Cuties Lemonade, Java Monster by Monster Energy Drink, Canada Dry, RC Cola, CORE water, Jackson Family Wines, 3 Amigos Tequila, local spirits and wine purveyors, and more.
Four Peaks Beer Garden features craft beer tasting, music and more. Participating are Alaskan Brewing, Arizona Light Lager, Barrio Brewing, Callaghan Vineyards, Deschutes Brewery, Firestone Walker Brewing, Four Peaks Brewing Co., Guinness, Helio Basin, Hop Valley Brewing Company, Huss Brewing, Kona Brewing, Loco Patrõn Mexican Brewery, Lumberyard, Mother Road Brewing, Mudshark Brewery, New Belgium Brewing, Oak Creek Brewing, Odell Brewing Company Prescott Brewing Company, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Smirnoff, Stella Artois, Stone Brewing and The Beer Shop Co.
Liquid Arizona participants include Arizona Distilling, Barrio Brewing, Callaghan Vineyards, Lumberyard, Mother Road Brewing Company, Mudshark Brewing, Oak Creek Brewing, Prescott Brewing Company, Roger Clyne’s Mexican Moonshine Tequila, Sand-Reckoner, The Beer Shop Co., 3 Amigos Tequila and Three Wells Distilling.
Festival info:
The festival is open Saturday, April 13 from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, April 14 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. One-day general admission costs $12 online and $15 at the gate, food and beverages cost extra. Tickets for the Four Peaks Beer Garden cost $42 online and include entrance to the festival and Four Peaks Beer Garden, 20 beer samples and a souvenir tasting mug. The festival also offers VIP tickets (ages 21+, tickets cost $150 on Saturday, $125 on Sunday), which include premiere entertainment viewing, catered food inside the exclusive VIP tent, a drink card for complimentary drinks throughout the grounds and access to the Four Peaks Beer Garden with tasting samples. Ages 12 and under are free. Berlin featuring Terri Nunn plays on the Stella Artois Main Stage Saturday night – concert is included in price of Saturday GA ticket, lawn space is limited.
Scottsdale Civic Center Mall is located at 7380 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale. The City of Scottsdale is a premier destination for things to do in Arizona and is the host sponsor of the Scottsdale Culinary Festival weekend, which includes the festival kick-off event, The Cocktail Society on Friday April 12.
For an up-to-date lineup of restaurants, craft beer, spirit and entertainment participants, visit Scottsdalefest.org or follow Scottsdale Culinary Festival on social media:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/scottsdaleculinaryfestival
Instagram: www.instagram.com/scottsdalefest
Twitter: www.twitter.com/scottsdalefest
About Scottsdale League for the Arts: Formed in 1978, the Scottsdale League for the Arts presents the Scottsdale Culinary Festival, the longest-running festival of its type in the nation. The 501(c)(3), non-profit, volunteer organization supports local arts programs through culinary fundraising events. In 2018, grant recipients included Ballet Arizona, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Free Arts for Abused Children, Phoenix Theatre, Southwest Shakespeare Company and Valley Youth Theater. The League has donated more than $4.5 million to the arts since 2000.
