Arizona loves food. This is evidenced by the fact that we have a host of food festivals, from glamorous and expensive to simple and cheap (or not). Most of these culinary events are in Scottsdale or Phoenix, but now there is one that is more convenient for people who live on the west side of the city. The opening of Flavors of the West took place in 2013. Some proceeds from this event will be donated to Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
See photos of the 2013 event. Of course, the participants and activities at the festival will change from year to year.
When is Flavors of the West?
February 23, 2014 from noon to 6 pm
Which will take place?
In the center of Litchfield Park, across from the Wigwam Resort. Here is a map with directions. Street parking is available, free of charge.
How do I get tickets and how much do they cost?
Tickets are $ 45 general admission and can be purchased online in advance. Tax and service charges will apply. Tickets will also be available at the door. Your admission includes unlimited stops at restaurant stations and ten drink tickets that you can use to purchase bottled water, soft drinks, beer, wine, and spirits. Drinks are priced between 1 and 3 tickets each. A Wigwam VIP ticket (21+ only) costs $ 100 and entitles you to desserts, access to shaded seating, open bar, and other benefits.
Kids 12 and under are $ 20, which includes tickets for drinks, access to a fun zone, ice cream and hot dogs. Yes, of course, they can also participate in regular food sampling.
Are discounts available for Flavors of the West?
An advance price of $ 75 is offered online for two adult tickets through January 10, 2014. That’s a savings of $ 15.
What else do I need to know?
This event takes place outdoors. There will be live music, a subzero / wolf cooking demonstration stage and a children’s area. All these activities are included in the ticket price.
Participating restaurants have a presence on the west side of the city and want you to experience their creations. Scheduled to participate: Betty’s Nosh, Caballero Grill, Eest Asian Bistro, Flavors of Louisiana, India Garden, Gigino’s, Gourmet Command Center (food truck), Ground Control, Max’s Sports Grill, Rubio’s, Soleil at The Renaissance, Soul to Soul Café, TAPS, and Verrado Grille.
What if I have more questions?
Visit Flavors of the West online.
Page 1: Festival summary, dates, tickets
Page 2: Ten Tips to Know Before You Go
All dates, times, prices and offers are subject to change without prior notice.
I attended the inaugural Flavors of the West food festival in Litchfield Park in February 2013. While I am sure there will be some changes in the years to come, here are some comments about the event that may be helpful before purchasing your tickets. Here are some photos from the Flavors of the West festival that I took while there. The weather was perfect and everyone seemed to be having a good time.
- Unlike many culinary events, the entrance fee here is higher, but once you’re inside, you’re invited to partake in as many food samples as you like. Your entrance fee also comes with drink tickets, which cover you for water and sodas, a few beers, or a couple of glasses of wine or drinks. Additional tickets are for sale if you need them. Bring cash.
- There are activities for children here, at no extra charge. Throwing balls, hoops, bouncy houses, make a chef’s hat. There were also video games, but they weren’t working when I was there. Hopefully the glitch was fixed later in the day.
- Parking in downtown Litchfield Park is free, but it can be a few blocks walk if you don’t get there early in the day.
- I like to arrive early to culinary events; Those who know me know that I do not like to fight, push or wait for food scraps! We arrived at approximately 12:15 pm, a quarter of an hour after opening. The good news is that there are no lines at that time. The bad news is that if you go early, there are always some participating restaurants that are not ready.
- Around 1:15 p.m., the lines began to lengthen at some restaurant stands.
- I was very impressed with the amount of food that most restaurants provided as a sample. I have been to some culinary events where I went out to eat after the event, I was still very hungry. At this event I would say that I probably had samples from about eight restaurants and that it was full for the rest of the day.
- As the name implies, this food festival highlights restaurants located in the West Valley. Not always known for its fine cuisine, this event shows us that there are worthy restaurants outside of Phoenix and Scottsdale.
- There seemed to be a focus on barbecue and tacos here. There were even a few food trucks that made the items as ordered.
- The VIP ticket is hefty, and offers an open bar and a private area with tables and live music. The Wigwam supplied a few tastes here, but in my opinion it wasn’t special enough to justify the extra cost unless you’re a heavy drinker.
- I especially appreciated not having to walk around to find tickets and plan what sample bites and how many tickets I’m interested in buying. That’s annoying to me and, of course, at those other events I always have extra tickets that I give away because I don’t like being in long lines. Not the case here, this was a lovely and tasty event!
Page 1: Festival summary, dates, tickets
Page 2: Ten Tips to Know Before You Go
All dates, times, prices and offers are subject to change without prior notice.
As is common in the industry, the writer received complimentary tickets for review purposes. While you have not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy. All prices and offers mentioned in this document are subject to change without notice. 02/13
