2nd Annual Big Red Rib & Music Festival Kicks Off Today (4/26)

From Thursday, 4/26 to Sunday, 4/29 the Big Red Rib & Music Festival will take place on the Great Lawn at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.  While the big draw on Thursday might be the Cardinals Draft Party, let's start with the AZFoodDude's main concern, the food.  The eight rib cooking teams from around the country, who may or may not also be cooking pulled pork and beef brisket, that are scheduled to participate include:

• The Barbecue Company - (Arizona)
• Chicago BBQ Company - (Illinois)
• Cowboys Barbecue & Rib Company - (Texas)
• Coyote Roadhouse BBQ - (Illinois)
• Johnson's BBQ - (Virginia)
• Porky Chicks BBQ - (Arkansas)
• Texas Thunder BBQ - (Texas)
• Uncle Bub's BBQ - (Illinois)

Gates open at 4pm on Thursday & Friday, 11am on Saturday and 12pm on Sunday.  General admission tickets for Friday and Saturday are $5.  If you are a senior (60 & over) or active or retired military, tickets are $1 and children 12 and under are free.

The musical acts performing are as follows:

• Second Shift - 7:30pm (Thursday)
• Carvin Jones Band - 6pm (Friday)
• K.C. & The Sunshine Band - 8:30pm (Friday) - Reserved Seats Available
• Daisy Train - 1pm (Saturday)
• Elvis Before Noon - 3:15pm (Saturday)
• The Chris Parker Project - 6pm (Saturday)
• Kenny Loggins - 8:30pm (Saturday) - Reserved Seats Available
• Whiskey's Quicker - 1pm (Sunday)
• Beatlemania Live! - 3pm (Sunday) - Reserved Seats Available

For more information, detailed parking, maps and directions, check out the event website.

Art & Culinary Festival in Litchfield Park This Weekend (3/10 - 3/11)

Photo by: Vermillion Promotions

Yesterday, the AZFoodDude reported on the Scottsdale Arts Festival and the dozen food trucks that will be serving up food for the event, but not to be outdone, the west valley has an event of its own this weekend.  The 14th Annual Litchfield Art & Culinary Festival will be taking place in downtown Litchfield Park at 300 W. Wigwam Blvd. Litchfield Park, 85340. 

The "celebration of the visual, culinary and performing arts" will take place from 9am to 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday.  Additionally, parking and admission are free for the event that will have wine tasting, demonstrations by expert chefs, and "irresistible culinary samplings with more than 250 extraordinary artists exhibiting original fine art and exquisite handcrafted creations."

Check out the Vermillion Promotions page for more information.

Three Valley Food Festivals This Weekend (10/15-10/16)

Taste of Cave Creek - Going on Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm, over 20 Cave Creek restaurants will be participating. Tickets are $10 and food samples range between $2 and $4. 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd. Cave Creek, AZ 85331

TASTE in Chandler - On Saturday from 12pm to 6pm, Over 30 restaurants will be involved with online pre-sale general admission tickets costing $35 ($45 at the door) and three separate individual "experience lounges" costing $10 each. Your general admission ticket entitles you to unlimited food sampling and 12 beverage tastings. Note: The website mentions 21 and over, but it is unclear if this is just for the alcoholic beverage tasting and "experience lounges" or the entire event itself. 3 S. San Marcos Place, Chandler, AZ 85225

Arizona Taco Festival - Taking place on Saturday from 10am to 7pm, general admission is $10 (kids under 12 are free), VIP tickets are $100 and tickets for the Tequila Expo are $10. Food samples will cost $2 each. 7025 E. Via Soleri Drive Scottsdale, AZ 85251

For more detailed information, including specific restaurants and other events going on at each festival, click the links above. 

Queen Creek Peach Festival's Last Weekend

This Saturday (5/21) and Sunday (5/22) from 7:30am - 4pm, is the last weekend of the Peach Festival out at Schnepf Farms, located at 24810 E. Rittenhouse Rd. Queen Creek, AZ 85142. Along with picking peaches, apricots and other fruits, there is food sampling, celebrity chef demonstrations, carnival rides, tractor rides, a petting zoo, pie eating and even peach pit-spitting contests. Prices do vary for activities and food, such as pancakes, burgers, hot dogs and chicken, but admission to the festival itself is free. The article by the East Valley Tribune states that the fruit is $1.90/lb.

While this is the last weekend for the festival, you can pick peaches, apricots and other fruits every Thursday through Sunday in May from 7:30am - 4pm, which leaves next Thursday - Sunday (5/26 - 5/29).

If you're interested in pricing and the time of different activities please check the event calendar at the Schnepf Farms website.