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!

Absolutely total rip off not worth the price some attraction are 15 extra even with wrist band ,…read moredon't bother to get front of line there isn't one because word is out . Do anything else

It's a cool event and free! However very crowded (of course) so that kinda over takes the…read moreexperience. You actually just walk with crowds of people the entire time.. a little stressful but nice to get out and see everything

I have been to a few of these Asian Night Markets since the Asian Chamber of Commerce started…read morehosting them here in Arizona. For me, I enjoy the chance to engage with culture, eat a variety of foods, and support our local Asian community. These events typically take place in the parking lot of the AZ International Marketplace in Mesa. Several food and retail vendors fill up the parking lot with all sorts of yummy food and cool merchandise. There is also a stage with live entertainment. I recently attended the Kamayan Festival version of the night market which was part of the celebration for Filipino American History Month. I had a VIP pass to the Sapporo beer garden and enjoyed the perks that came with it. As much as I enjoy being a part of these festivals, the lines are usually insanely long. I come to these to try new things, but find myself getting discouraged by the long waits. I have learned the best time to come to Asian Night Markets is when they first open if you want to try a variety of food.

I attended the January 2022 edition of this annual event, occurring at Lunar New Year. Centered on…read morethe Asian Pacific American community, this event celebrates cultural diversity, cuisine, art, and music. Organized by the Asian Chamber of Commerce, I know that in the past this required admission but this year's was free. I would not be surprised if it becomes an admission-only event in the future as it was packed from the entry time of 5:30. Given that the city of Mesa has decided to invest considerable resources to brand the area as an Asian enclave, I suspect it will get bigger and more impressive each year. While there are a ton of food trucks here, my advice would be not to show up hungry. Nearly every stall had long lines (save the poor coffee vendor). I would like to say that lines moved quickly, but most did not. I think it is better to have eaten a little something first and then show up and have a snack or two or come later in the evening when the live music really gets going. But if you plan to make this your sole dinner stop it will be frustrating. One perk of a big festival like this is that many smaller caterers/restaurants/food trucks that you haven't heard of will show up. There was plenty that was new to me and gave me a bucket list of places to try. I got some bao buns from Hot Bamboo which has a brick-and-mortar location in Chandler as well as a food truck that often pops up at festivals across town. They make Instagrammable character buns. It's a bit cheesy but the price was good and they were flavorful and satisfying. They were temporarily out of some fillings and the employees were profusely apologetic. It did inspire me to want to one day visit their actual restaurant. The vibe was great and the 2022 edition was a nice blend of people from all walks of life eager to celebrate our post-pandemic world (yeah, Year of the Tiger!). Besides food trucks, there were a few vendors selling gifts and other items but nothing popped out as too special. You can find the schedule on their website. Besides the night market, they also organize some daytime activities at parks that focus less on food and more on culture.

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.

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!

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!

This is becoming an annual tradition. Yes the tickets are a little pricey, but in my mind, it's…read morewell worth a beautiful evening among the candlelight botanical gardens. It's beautiful- there are a lot of different music options too. Last night included handbell choirs, classic choirs singing a cappella, as well as these two amazing brothers playing Guitars and they were fabulous! As you stand in the middle of the garden, you can hear all the different types of music playing just follow the path to what you want to listen to. lol As far as food options, what we found was a food truck in one area which I've posted their menu as well as the patio restaurant had an ordering encounter. Bars are plentiful throughout as well as they have a margarita station. I know they had hot chocolate somewhere, but we did not find it They had s'more's kits as well and plenty of kids were lining up for that If you wanted to go high-end, you could make a reservation at Gertrude's but we really didn't enjoy their food last year With as many people that attend, it never felt claustrophobic either, just take one of the candlelight paths and explore to your hearts content. They did have people stationed throughout, helping you in case you felt lost. Make sure to go back and see the owls, that was pretty cool too.

As a visitor to Scottsdale (another so-called short-term snowbird), I wanted to check out the…read moreDesert Botanical Garden since it is so highly rated. I figured I could hit two birds with one stone by getting a Las Noches ticket so I could see the garden with the nighttime lights. I was partially right. The place is clearly popular--even the overflow parking lot was almost full. I did the main loop and some of the smaller loops. There were performances, art installations, and food and drinks for sale. The issue is that the garden just does not show very well at night. I stood in reverence of the giant cacti but really wished I could see them in the daytime. While the administration has put up signage and maps to make things easier, I still found the whole place confusing to navigate. Save your money (it is almost $50 for entry) and visit the garden during the day.

I have to say I didn't realize how crazy busy this place would be. Of course I like my country…read moremusic so there was plenty of that a lot of different vendors and people just selling products. The wait is very long. I would say parking was difficult Due to how busy it it I lucked out and found one not too far away. I will say if you don't like a lot of crowds this is not for you because you're literally side-by-side with people.

The only reason this gets any stars is because of the kids section. The parking situation was a…read moredisaster. No one to direct traffic in the lots so people were parking TERRIBLY. Once inside the lines for tickets so you could get beer and bbq we're out of control and they kept running out of tickets entirely. Hubs and I ended up not eating or drinking anything. Luckily, we brought water for the kiddos. Got the unlimited rides wrist band for my 4 year old and let him run amuck. He had a blast. Which is good because nobody else did. We ended up leaving pretty early because we were starving and they had AGAIN run out of tickets and the lines weren't moving. Took a while to figure out how to get out of the place since it was set up like a maze. Got to my car which was boxed in along with 3 or 4 other cars in the lot we were in. Police were there to help some people out and after a 47 pt turn I was able to escape the lot, but it was truly nightmare inducing with the overly tired 4 year old and hungry 5 month old. Actually, hungry everyone. Thankfully, I had gotten free tickets so I wasn't out anything but the wrist band. Hopefully they can get some organization together before next year! It has the potential to be a really fun event, but they need to overhaul the drink/food ticket and parking lot situation.