I absolutely love living in Old Town. I recently went to Scottsdazzle for the holiday lights, and I…read morealways have such a great time. It's really nice to see the community come together and have something fun to do. They had Santa and Mrs. Claus, the lights were beautiful as always, and it's pet-friendly and kid-friendly truly something for all ages. They also offer different activities, which makes it even better. The only downside is parking. Parking is a hassle, and if you park near the restaurants (since there's no assigned parking for the event), there are workers who will pressure you to pay to park so they don't call a tow truck. It honestly feels like a hustle depending on who you are or how you look, they'll charge anywhere from $5 to $25.

Scottsdazzle in Scottsdale is such a magical experience. I absolutely loved the lights along the…read morecanal -- walking through and seeing the reflections shimmering on the water made everything feel extra special and festive. It's a beautiful way to enjoy the holiday season, whether you're strolling, taking photos, or just soaking in the atmosphere. The whole area feels lively yet relaxing, and the light displays create a really charming backdrop.

Another fabulous FREE arts festival in Fountain Hills. A beautiful setting with hundreds of tented…read morevendors lining several streets. Regular vendors as well as many juried, and also including food vendors and food trucks. Paintings, sculptures, jewelry, clothing, gifts and SO MUCH MORE!! Always a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Lots of free parking in the area.

We always have the best time at The Fountain Hills Art Festival! On Saturday we took Sapphire for a…read morelittle field trip with us and left the boys at home. She made lots of new friends. James Fry Creatives Metal Sculptures and Maria Mustad Luna Ladies. We are going to donate some of the flocks molted feathers to her for her sculptures. She even met a cute little Sun Conure out with her family for a Saturday stroll. Happy Sunday Everybirdie.

I went to the Tequila Festival with the BF and 2 friends and, honestly, it was pretty fantastic. We…read moregot our tickets through groupon, so it was not terribly expensive. With the ticket, you get 10 drink samples. I tried drinks from Canteen, Cruz tequila, and many others. We got enough alcohol to have a very good time. We also got to try food from the Sandbar (spicy mac and cheese...surprisingly delicious), El Reye de la Torta (always delish), Si Senor (Really good green chile...strong jalapeno flavor, but yummy), and America's Taco Shop (delish pork tacos). I had the added bonus of getting some Yelp sunglasses....fabulous! Overall, we had several hours of fun and entertainment and didn't have to stand in line for crazy amounts of time to do so. We also got to meet Xhibit...so that was....weird. I would go again next year.

SO MUCH FUN! Went with friends for this event and enjoyed the whole day!…read more The different types of tequila were interesting (Cocoa Patron, nuff said) but the lines were a little long as the day wore on. Just glad that we went early and got done early because as we were winding down, some people were just starting to get crazy! I'll totally go back next year if friends want to go!

FUN AND ENTERTAINING! A great way to spend a weekend. They have a farmer's market and always unique…read moreand creative booths to shop from. You can bring your dogs too which is nice for them to get exercise and stretch their legs as well as you! :) It's worth coming to see and check out. The only negative about it is sometimes the music totally sucks! Haha Each week they have a different band come and play so it's hit or miss on wether your ears are going to be ringing after you leave! :D

The Scottsdale Street Fair is a great place to hang out on the weekends. They have great food…read morevendors, craft vendors, and support local businesses. I have had a booth there in the past and found it helpful for my business. Kid Murals by Dana Railey had a few new clients as a result of Scottsdale Street Fair and their great advertising and support of local business owners. Also, I loved the fact that they had organix produce form local farms to purchase as well! As long as the weather is perfect, come on down to the Scottsdale Street Fair with your family and have a great time!

The Scottsdale Culinary Festival is two days of food, drinks and entertainment spread out around…read morethe Scottsdale Civic Center Mall. Calling the event a "culinary" festival might be misleading but "The Food, Wine, Beer, and Music Festival" is kind of long and not very exciting. When you arrive, do not pay for parking because there is plenty of free parking around the area. You can use the money you saved to buy your food tickets to spend at the festival. I got discounted tickets online (2 for $10) from coupon site. These were general entry tickets and did not include food tickets or the Beer Garden and VIP areas. But, did include areas like: Big Green Egg Grill-tainment Zone, Kid's Zone, Teen Cook-Off, and 3 music stages. The event makes great use of both indoor and outdoor space around the center which include the outdoor amphitheater, water fountains, a lagoon, and Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. We went on Sunday, which was the second and last day of the festival. It was a breezy afternoon but felt warm-ish due to minimal shade. Luckily, many of the booth lines were short, if there was a line at all. Lots of the vendors gave out freebies like coupons, stickers, energy drinks and snack bars. There were many different booths to choose from but not everything we tried was that good. It is really just depends what you pick. However, a few of my favorite tasty items from the day were: Fried Mac N' Cheese Bites with Chipotle Aioli from Aioli Burger, Honey Sesame Chicken Biscuit from Two Brothers and Bailey's Cheesecake Beignets from the Beignet Babe. If day-drinking is your thing, buy tickets for the Beer Garden and you'll probably be happy. If people watching is your thing this event provides plenty of opportunity to do so. And if listening to music while trying food and drinks is your thing, then you'll enjoy spending time at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival.

Almost everything you wanted to eat you could find here, a…read morelittle bit of everything. A plethora of Food Trucks, Food Stations, Beer and Wine Gardens. They also had two stages with Live Bands, a Kids Zone and more.

This is a free and large festival that happens in the heart of downtown Tempe twice a year; once in…read morespring and once in winter. The only thing that costs money is the parking which can be up to $20. However, one tip I can give you guys is to find a public place a bit further out to park for free. For instance, the Tempe Westside Multi-Generational Center is a public park/facility that you can park at and it's only a 9 minute walk from the festival. As the name implies, there are a ton of art vendors. If you're not from Tempe, there's even more choices because some of downtown Tempe businesses are open during the event. Also, they've got a great selection of food vendors, snacks, and downtown restaurants to choose from. They even have a free water station to fill up your water. I always suggest bringing a small cooler with water bottles and napkins/wet wipes. So even if you're not a fan of the art, it's still a great place to go to if you're a foodie or want to browse other miscellaneous products. For instance, I got a free massage at a physical therapist booth and SugarBee was giving away free apples at one of the events. It's a great place to go if you want to support local.

A nice day for a Festival of the Arts strolling. The street is closed off to vehicles making it…read moresafe for the public. There are several blocks of artists and vendors selling their items. Live music permeates the air. The shops along Mill Avenue ,where the festival is held, are also open. You can spend more than a few hours, walking the streets and looking at art. Plenty of restaurants to choose from. Port-a-potties every few streets. Street and lot parking available.

We visited the Scottsdale Waterfront to see the annual Canal Convergence. Admission is free and it…read morewas teaming with people. There is an immersive light show at hourly times. The show is played to music. There are also several other light displays throughout the canal. It is a site to behold. The show will continue through November 16. Free lot parking in the Scottsdale Waterfront parking lot or street parking as well.

We had a good time, it wasn't a super busy Sunday night affair which was nice. However tents for…read moreactivities made for long lines that blocked sidewalks making it more challenging to move around the crowds. The show was fun as always!

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!