Phoenix

FESTIVALS

There are many different festivals held in Phoenix every year to celebrate the music, culture and history of the region. The Scottsdale Arabian Horseshow began in 1955 and has been a yearly favorite now for half a century. Each year over 2,000 Arabian Horses are all gathered in Phoenix from across the nation and put on show. There are over 420 different colors and patterns of Arabian Horses to be seen. Children are invited to watch and touch the horses, an event which inspired many of them to pursue equestrian training, in keeping with the history of Phoenix as a Western town. There are booths set up that sell unique and hand-crafted souvenirs. Many of the beautiful horses are also on sale at the festival. This is the largest show of Arabian Horses in all of the world.

Also held in Phoenix yearly is the Phoenix Chinese Week New Year Celebration Festival. This festival celebrates the Chinese Culture in every way imaginable, from masks and language to calligraphy and cuisine. There is constant entertainment throughout the festival designed to educate and inspire people to pursue studies and understanding of the Chinese culture. Chinese food is made available for purchase and to taste and unique booths set up around every corner displaying all sorts of Chinese cultural artifacts.

The Phoenix Exotic Art Shows are also a very diverse group of shows that are held year round and are constantly changing in theme. For example the festival hosts a Monsters Ball, which is a gathering of hundreds of people dressed up in every style of costume imaginable. They also have bands that play all kinds of music from Salsa and Country to Bluegrass and Classical.

The First Friday Fest is very popular with tourists. On the first Friday of every month, the Phoenix art galleries and museums open their doors for free tours of their displayed artwork. Many galleries also serve wine and have performances or poetry reading simultaneously. This weekly event began in 1988 when people began showing a great interest in the culture and education that Phoenix's museums have to offer.

The Gardeners' Garden Tour is perfect for those who enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and like to take a look at what their neighbors are up to in their gardens. Every year, private residences open up their yards to show the beautiful displays of flowers and plants that they have to offer. Individuals on the tour can travel from one store to another, purchasing flowers and plants, or they can just take in the wonderful showing.

The Latino Arts Festival is another very diverse festival to visit that brings out more and more people each year. This festival is held every year to celebrate all that Latinos have accomplished over the years in America. There is Latino food, music and dance at the festival along with displays showing different aspects of the Latino culture. The event is always lively, friendly and filled with classic Latino culture, including Boleros music and Salsa dancing.

The Bug-O-Rama is an event specifically designed for the Volkswagen car enthusiast. Each year, thousands of people bring their cars into Phoenix from around the country to do everything from show them in parades and street shows to race them in drag races. There are thousands of people who go to these events just to watch the races and look at the cars ranging from antiques to brand new.

A favorite festival among children is the Chalk It Up Festival. One weekend every year people ranging from beginners to experts take chalk to the streets of Phoenix, decorating them with every color and image imaginable, from professionally designed renditions of classic art such as the Mona Lisa to first-grade drawings of flowers and butterflies. Even if you're not drawing on the sidewalk, residents of Phoenix and surrounding counties enjoy taking to the streets to observe the creative and artistic talent of their friends and neighbors.

One can observe by the extreme diversity of the festivals held in Phoenix every year, there is absolutely something for everyone who goes there. From children's' festivals, to festivals showcasing one of America's finest animals and festivals highlighting cultural diversity, the people of Phoenix work hard to create a culture of inclusion, excitement and community.