Scottsdale Blog - Things to do in Scottsdale, Arizona » Scottsdale Culinary Festival

The Great Arizona Picnic

Josh Kenzer — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:29:19 +0000

GAP is part of the Scottsdale Culinary Festival and takes place during the last weekend of the festival – April 18th and 19th. Visitors can sample food from over 50 restaurants, and enjoy cooking demonstrations from local and national chefs. Taste Absolut Vodka drinks and Patron Margaritas as well as over 200 beers in the Southwest Festival of Beers’ beer garden. Here are the details of the event schedule:

Great Arizona Picnic

Saturday, April 18, from 12:00 to 10:00 PM
Sunday, April 19, from 12:00 to 6:00 PM
Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza
$10 per person. $1 per tasting coupon
Attire: Casual

Absolut Bistro

Enjoy a variety of vodka drinks presented by Absolut. Must be 21yrs and over for admittance

Saturday, April 18, from 12:00 – 10:00 PM
Sunday, April 19, from 12:00 – 6:00 PM
Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza
$5 per person (separate from the Great Arizona Picnic $10 admission fee)

Camarones Margarita Village

Enjoy the best margaritias in the Southwest presented by Patron.

Saturday, April 18, from 12:00 – 10:00 PM
Sunday, April 19, from 12:00 – 6:00 PM
Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza
$5 per person (separate from the Great Arizona Picnic $10 admission fee)

Southwest Festival of Beers

A spectacular Beer Garden featuring more than 200 specialty beers presented by New Belgium. Food, fun and special musical entertainment featured on the stage.

Saturday, April 18, from 12:00 – 7:00 PM
Sunday, April 19, from 12:00 – 6:00 PM
Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza
$10 per person, Saturday/$5 Sunday (separate from the Great Arizona Picnic $10 admission fee)

Saturday Cooking Demonstrations

Come out and watch chefs showcase their skills and show you how to make some great meals. Presented by Westar.

Saturday, April 18, from 12:30 – 4:30 PM
Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza
Price included in $10 Great Arizona Picnic admission fee

Challenge to the Chefs

Part of GAP, this event features four chefs, cooking on identical Viking cooktops, each presented with identical “mystery baskets” of ingredients. The challenge: create an appetizer and en entree – all within a time limit. Mixologists will also compete alongside the chefs using Bombay Saphire Gin to create new and innovative drinks as part of the challenge.

Sunday, April 19, from 1:00 PM
Challenge to the Chefs Tent, Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza
Price included in $10 Great Arizona Picnic admission fee

Experience the Scottsdale Culinary Festival

Josh Kenzer — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:14:05 +0000

From April 14-19, Scottsdale will host six food and wine-filled days to satisfy even the most sophisticated palate. Festival events will feature food, drink and music from the Valley’s most notable culinary personalities, and cooking demos from nationally renowed chefs.

For a complete schedule of activities, check out the events schedule on ScottsdaleCulinaryFestival.org.

Cold Weather Blues Nowhere to Be Found With Array of Outdoor Events

Josh Kenzer — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:09:07 +0000

As the cold winter weather continues in most cities, Scottsdale visitors can experience a myriad of outdoor events while soaking up the mild temperatures and sunny skies.

Foodies should make their way to Scottsdale April 14-19, 2009, to experience the Scottsdale Culinary Festival, an extravaganza presented by Scottsdale League for the Arts that draws more than 40,000 patrons each year. Events include the James Beard dinner, Cooks & Corks and the Great Arizona Picnic, an outdoor event boasting food samples from more than 50 restaurants and cooking demonstrations from renowned chefs. Enjoy special appearances by local and national celebrity chefs, including Robin Miller of the Food Network and “Top Chef” season five winner Lee Ann Wong during the 31st annual event. For more information, visit www.scottsdaleculinaryfestival.org.

For a true Western experience, look no further than the Parada del Sol. For 55 years, Scottsdale residents and visitors have experienced this month-long celebration culminating in a magnificent parade and five action-packed professional rodeo performances. The events kick off on Jan. 30, 2009, when the Hashknife Pony Express rides into town from Holbrook, Ariz. with two dozen riders delivering 20,000 first-class letters by horseback. The events continue with the world’s longest horse-drawn parade on Feb. 21, 2009, followed by the infamous Trails End Celebration in downtown Scottsdale. Other events include dances, live country Western music, children’s activities and more. For more information, visit www.paradadelsol.org.

Visit 100 artists’ studios all in one day in the big white tents at Celebration of Fine Art Jan. 16-March 29, 2009. Visitors can have an up-close-and-personal experience with the artists as they work in the full spectrum of art media including oil, watercolor, pastels, sculpture and assemblages to glass, ceramics, stone, furniture, jewelry and more. Enjoy a wide range of works from realistic and impressionistic to western and contemporary from well-known and emerging artists. For more information, visit www.celebrateart.com.