This year was the 3rd annual South Pacific Island Festival and the first time visiting the festival…read morefor us. The downtown Mesa location was perfect with lots of areas to sit and it was no problem finding parking close by. The festival itself is very small and has a limited number of food and merchandise vendors but it was still fun to browse the wares and we tried out some food we had never had before. The main draw at this festival is probably the cool acts on the stage. There was fire dancing, some trivia, and all sorts of different cultural dances which we enjoyed. For the future it would be nice to see a list of vendors online and also a list of the different acts and performances so we know what time to come. We got here towards late afternoon and it looked like a few vendors had already packed up and left which was disappointing since the event was supposed to be going on until 9 and there weren't that many vendors to begin with. Some vendors I remember at the festival: - Aloha Express - Afe Mai island cuisine - Island Boba - Rohana Face Painting - Malasadas booth As for merchandise, there were a lot of island pride merchandise (i.e., Samoan, Hawaiian), sarongs, the requisite Hawaiian shirts, and jewelry. There was also a fabric merchant there selling beautiful bolts of island prints. If only I had better sewing skills I'd be tempted to get a few yards of something!

WOW! the hawaiian/poly culture in Arizona is on fire! -thank you to the AMAZING performers who…read moreshared their talents & the hosts who introduced each performance!!! -food plates priced right w/enough food for two to share. -drinks pricey at $15 for a 32oz.

From a foodie perspective, this is one of my favorite cultural festivals in AZ! The aloha festival…read moreputs on such a fun festival with SO MANY yummy food vendors We went on a Saturday and the lines were very long but the food was actually delicious and worth the price! Some of the things we ordered were malasadas, short ribs and garlic shrimp, macadamia nut waffle with coconut chicken, and pulled pork Mac and cheese! There were a ton more food options but some of the lines were just too long to wait in. I would suggest getting their earlier to have more time to visit the booths! There was also plenty of dancers and Polynesian entertainment on the main stage. Overall, I'm sad this is only once a year but glad I got to go this year!

We had a great time bowling with my son, daughter-in-law and grandson and the manager Steve gave us…read morea free bowling game!

We actually came for a private screening of the documentary Sanctuary and because we came at the…read moredinner hour, we ordered our food and it was delivered to our seats. That's really fun! The seats are big, comfortable recliners with attached trays that have cup holders and is big enough to set all your food on. I had the grilled chicken sandwich and wife did the sliders. Everything was fresh, seasoned, and cooked perfectly. I actually loved the chicken sandwich with it's crusty chicken breast that was juicy and delicious. Great experience overall.

I met up with some friends here and loved it! It's dog friendly, DJ played French music, and each…read moreslice of pie is $3. You buy the sample tickets at the ticket booth near the entrance, go to a pie booth, drop a ticket in their bucket and get your sample. Pretty simple. At the very end you vote for your favorite at the DJ booth! My favorite pie was Josephine's Sweet Potato Pie which had Ube, candied yams, brown butter caramel, condensed milk, buttermilk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, egg whites, sugar, butter and cinnamon. I was informed that Josephine is a new restaurant which will open downtown in January 2020 and I look forward to eating that Ube pie again, MMmm! Other pie contenders were familiar stars of Roosevelt Row and the surrounding downtown area like Welcome Diner, Cartel, Farish House, Breadfruit & Rum Bar and many many more! I'd like to also mention that I came at 3pm and two booths already sold out of their pies so go right at opening at 2pm! This year the Roosevelt Row Pie Social was on November 10th from 2 to 5pm at Hance Park. I found this info on their website at http://www.piesocialroro.com/ Since this festival is on the smaller side there was enough parking very close to Hance Park. I parked in the lot near the Historic Ellis-Shackelford House and that lot was only half full! Such a relief. There is also coffee at the festival and shaded seating. Today was very warm and hot so the shaded seating was a good call. I can't wait to go again next year! The only thing missing was some entertainment or bar games like corn hole, connect four, jenga, etc. Or maybe add pie related games?

We love to festival so we walked from the apartment down to the festival. It was dog friendly so…read morebrining Bella was a fun perk. It was great to see so many people walking around enjoying the food, music, and cooler weather. The booth vendors were all friendly and served is some really tasty Filipino food (Lechon Paksiw and pork skewers) and Mexican drinks (lemon lime & Strawberry). I am sure the music and dancers were voluntary but we were hoping to see a bit more diversity in the performers. All that did perform were fantastic and provided great energy to the festival.

I didn't expect too much from this little event but I was surprising entertained…read more The Multiculture Fest highlights our cultural diversity through music, dance, art, storytelling and more. This free event was held in the downtown Chandler Library Plaza. Parking was plentiful (library garage) and lots of room to roam. The 2011 event had 2 stages. They performances ranged from Flamenco dancing, American Indian hoop dancing, Japanese Aiko, Jaguar step team, Chinese dances, & African rooted music w/ Puerto Rican dance forms. The stage was a little small from some of the performers so they did their thing on concrete. The food vendors were as mixed as the performances from Indian fry breads, Navajo tacos, tamales, beef kabob, mini donuts, crepe lunch truck, dipping dots, Caribbean cuisine & Mexican paletas. There's the usually fare of shaved ice, kettle corn, & hot dogs. There were plenty of tables to eat & sit on. Food & drinks prices were very reasonable. The arts / craft vendors were very limited. For free kiddie fun, there was 1 jumpy and climbing ring which were too crowded from my small kids. Tips: use the library restrooms if you hate the potty johns.

Was blown away by the 4th annual Day of Play held over at Tumbleweed. Day of Play is a statewide…read morecelebration to promote health, fitness & wellness for kids of all ages. The best part....it's all FREE (except for the 5k race) - 10 or so inflatables / slides to let the kiddies jump till their eyes popped out http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/7ppWB_-VhrePMxrQDEFFtw?select=Tm2wY5z7LkJ6GPnYtSBGcA - 2 stages with performances from dance to Aikdo to Mascot Olympics: Sun Devil's Sparky Carndials' Big Red Coyotes' Howler Diamondback's Baxter & Sun's Gorilla http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/7ppWB_-VhrePMxrQDEFFtw?select=6Uc9PzmtRSHNoJ5JZFqTQg - 80+ booths from non-profit org, local biz & municipal that provided games / freebies / nicknaks / educational information to keep you & your family healthy & happy - Photo opp w/ SpongeBob & Dora http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/7ppWB_-VhrePMxrQDEFFtw?select=dj7Mt9qE6pSkV7EB4NH1yQ - Food vendor giving out free samples / certificated for free kids meals - Face painting, crafts, tug-o-war w/ NFL alumni, water balloon....etc We only played for 2 1/2 hours since they shut down at noon but the kiddies would be here all day if I let them. Next year, I need to start a little earlier or do the 5k walk/run. Even though temps were in the high 80's it got really hot towards the end. Luckily, they provided bottle waters for everyone (room temperature but can't complain). Remember to bring a hat, stroller (to hold all the freebies) & make the kiddies wear their tennis shoes in case they participate in any sports event

The age average is probably 70ish. I've been here now twice as both occasions were gifted for my…read morebirthday. I still enjoyed my time each time even though we were probably the youngest as someone got my husband and I tickets here for my birthday the past two years. The music was fantastic and we saw the variety show and the Grand Finale show and I enjoyed seeing multiple genres of music. The lead singers and musicians were phenomenal, and I absolutely loved the costume changes. The outfit changes really held my attention and was a great part of the show. The food, however, was just okay. I wouldn't come here for the food alone, but rather for the overall experience and to do something different. The meal included vegetables, potatoes, mashed potatoes, spinach cheese ravioli, chicken Parmesan, pulled pork dish, and a pineapple fish dish. This was the same food both times we went, so I'm not sure if they ever change it, I wish they did for a change. The pulled pork and cheese ravioli were good, but I wasn't a fan of the other dishes. The chicken Parmesan was probably the worst I've had as it wasn't at all what I expected from a traditional chicken parm. Dessert is a slice of chocolate cake that's already at your table when you arrive. I did think it was a nice touch that they pass out foil before the show ends so you can take it home and not waste it. The recommended tip listed on a sign at the table is $5 per person, so in addition to your ticket price, expect to pay at least that much extra. Drinks are also not included, so that's another added cost. Overall, this is a great experience, more so for 50+ and would make a fun gift, especially for a couple looking to do something different. I wish they had a family friendly show where it encouraged families with kids as I could see my kids who love music at 2 and 4 enjoying the show and dancing! I sat about in the middle of the theater and had a good view of everything. I really think most seats will be just fine!

A full evening of dinner and a show for around $50. It's a great deal!…read more Went to see the Elvis and Friends show with an awesome group of people. You start with the buffet. There's a variety of food and it was all delicious. There's a few different proteins, this night was swiss cheese chicken, pulled pork, and beef stroganoff. The was roasted red potatoes and garlic mashed potatoes with gravy. And sides that included suateed vegetables and cheese raviolis , dinner rolls and butter. There was also a salad bar, but after a little bit of everything previously mentioned I was way too full. Had to save room for the chocolate cake. Then came the show. I never saw Elvis when he was alive, so I was excited to see this show. The guy does a great Elvis impersonation, taking you from the 60s Elvis, advancing to the Vegas Elvis era. And, since "and Friends", other folks in the crew did tributes to act like Bobby Darrin, Nancy Sinatra, Tony Orlando, Barbera Streisand, Melissa Manchester, etc. All people Elvis worked with to some level in his lifetime. Interspersed, was information about Elvis, the things he did for people, and discussions of the songs he sang. It was informative and very entertaining. The whole crew were incredibly talented at both singing and playing their instruments. The Silver Star also offers other variety shows, like a Country Music one, classic radio music one and a couple others. I had never been to a dinner theater before and really enjoyed it. If you're looking for something to do for a full evening or maybe have people visiting and looking for something to do, you should totally go!

Food festivals generally cost money and this festival is awesome because it's free. This would be…read morethe 4th time this is happening and it happens once a year. It was held this year in the Mesa Community College. I think the first bad part was that they needed more signs for where this was located since the campus was pretty big. My GPS made me come in from the opposite side and although I found signs, they led me to a parking lot that was nowhere close to the venue. I had to ask a staff member where it was located. They really need to do better on that. Two of the public parking spots are quite far from the venue when there's perfectly close parking right next to the venue which I found quite odd. Like most cultural festivals, there's a plethora of non-food vendors and food vendors. Not only that, but there's a stage that has consistent performances from dances, martial arts, singing, to instrument playing. The selection of food includes Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Filipino foods. I felt sorry for the food trucks which were far from all the other food vendors. One of the food trucks, Frios Pops, got so little foot traffic that they left before the event was halfway done. Overall, since it's free, it doesn't hurt to come check the place out if you're free for the weekend it happens.

This is one of those rare times when someone asks me if I'm Asian, I avoid confirmation like the…read moreplague! I was hoping for a good ol time, but what I got was a hungry tummy and a mouthful of drools. The food selection was sad, but even sadder were the lines u have to stand in just to get a few bites! Not sure if the planning for this event was subpar due to covid, but there were so few food selections, and the selections available were over priced. There were roughly 8 food selections. 3 of which piqued my interest (viet, thai, and filipino), but the lines were horrendous and we just couldn't justify waiting in such long lines to get a few bits & pieces of over priced left overs. They did have some performances with vocals & drums, which kept our interest for a few minutes, then our ADHD kicked in, and we had to bail. I don't regret checking out this fest, but it just didn't have enough pizazz to keep our interest. Here's to hoping for more variety as well as an increased number of food tents and more fun activities at this fest next year!