Serving the Community Since 2002
Arizona Beer Week Returns In February
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Valley residents will be packing patios and kicking back with a couple cold ones to celebrate Arizona’s craft beer-brewing community during Arizona Beer Week February 9-18. Now in its seventh year, Arizona Beer Week presents a great opportunity for breweries to showcase brand-new beers, new food menus, special brewing techniques and anything else they want to share with the masses who come out in full force during the nine-day celebration. Think special tappings, craft beer crawls, beer-pairing dinners and meet-the-brewer nights, among other beer-centric special events, and, as always, there will be ample opportunity for free swag and other giveaways at participating bars, restaurants and breweries statewide. Among the marquee events of Arizona Beer Week is the Arizona Strong Beer Festival, which will make its seventh appearance at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix Saturday, February 11. For more about what’s on tap during Arizona Beer Week 2017, visit www.arizonabeerweek.com.
Food Truck Experience Takes Over Salt River Fields Arizona’s premier food truck event, Street Eats at Salt River Fields, returns this month for a weekend packed with an anticipated 70 food trucks dishing out everything from comfort classics to gourmet grabs. The much-anticipated event fills guests’ stomachs and offers a kids’ zone, live music, cooking demonstrations and an array of zany competitions on a contest stage. Plus, festival goers get more bang for their buck with this year’s ticket that includes admission to UnCommon Markets, a showcase of goods handcrafted by regional artists and artisans. UnCommon Markets highlights a vast array of artists and goods; from art that benefits social change to upcycled home furnishings, serving as an ideal source of custom goods, perfect for those on the list who have everything. The monthly market joins the Street Eats footprint and adds to the weekend of festival fun. Street Eats takes place Saturday and Sunday, February 11-12, 11am-6pm. Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is located at 7555 North Pima Road, Scottsdale. General admission is $12; children 12 and under get in for free. VIP tickets are available for $60 and include six beverages, four food tokens, access to VIP Lounge and private restrooms. For tickets and additional information, visit www.streeteatsaz.com.
Explore Valley Vegan Offerings At Second Annual Festival The PHX Vegan Food Festival, presented by Davisson Entertainment, returns to the Valley on Saturday, February 25, from 11am-5pm at the Phoenix Theatre / Phoenix Art Museum campus. The outdoor, family-friendly festival kicks off at 11am, with one-hour early entrance for VIP ticket holders at 10am. Event highlights include vegan and vegan-friendly food trucks, restaurants and products, demonstrations and presentations by chefs and vegan experts, plus a kid’s activity area by Free Arts of Arizona. Presented by The Listening Room Phoenix, three entertainment stages will showcase a full day of live and local music. Additionally, several no-host bars will be located throughout the event. The PHX Vegan Food Festival will feature more
than 65 vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants, food trucks and vendors, such as 24 Carrots, Café Lalibela, The Coronado, Juice Core, Local Lunchbox, Mi Vegana Madre, Pomegranate Café, Urban Beans, Simon’s Hot Dogs and Southern Fried Vegan.
Guests will enjoy small bite samples from restaurants, plus food and beverage artisans. They will also have the option to purchase selections from these businesses, as well as a variety of food trucks. In addition, local vendors will be showcasing and selling their veganfriendly services and products including cookbooks, body care items, and clothing and accessories, to name a few. There will also be cooking demonstrations and discussions by culinary and nutrition experts. General admission is $25, with VIP admission of $50. Kids 12 and under are free. The Phoenix Theatre/Phoenix Art Museum campus is located at 100 East McDowell Road, Phoenix. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.phxveganfest.com. Photos by Carl Schultz