▼ Café drinks, stay for the music and enter- tainment. There will be performances by Everclear and Ozomatli, luche libre wres- tling, and a mechanical taco ride. 2022 Downtown Chandler Oktoberfest Dr. AJ Chandler Park 178 East Commonwealth Avenue, Chandler October 1 santanbrewing.com/events Two favorite local breweries, Pedal Haus Brewery and SanTan Brewing Co., are forming a dynamic duo to host an epic 2022 Downtown Chandler Oktoberfest. “Oktoberfest is always one of the most festive and fun times of the year,” says Alejandro Fontes, sales director with SanTan Brewing Co. “We’re excited to partner with our friends and neighbors at Pedal Haus Brewery and look forward to serving our award-winning brews and spirits to patrons of the 2022 event in Chandler.” The breweries will serve German-style brews and food, such as Bavarian pretzels and brats. Julian Wright, founder and CEO of Pedal Haus Brewery will emcee the stein holding and sausage eating competitions. We’ll prost to that! Pizza fanatics unite at Phoenix Pizza Festival. Festival-Palooza Here are 12 fall food festivals to dine for in metro Phoenix. BY MER NORWOOD F all in metro Phoenix means one thing, it’s time for food and drink festivals. Whether you’re ready to clink stein glasses at Oktoberfest, chow down on tacos at a taco-topia, or grab a slice or three at a pizza festival, we’ve got all the details on the most delicious eats, treats, and cele- brations in the Valley this fall. Garlic Fest Queen Creek Olive Mill 25062 South Meridian Road, Queen Creek September 16-25 queencreekolivemill.com If you put cloves of garlic in every dish and have an infatuation for this staple ingre- dient, then the ninth annual Queen Creek Olive Mill Garlic Fest is for you. The festival includes organically grown garlic, a garlic shop and gourmet vendor alley, and live cooking demos. This year, the Olive Mill will host an inaugural Tavolo Dinner: The Celebration of Garlic, a five-course feast with authentic Italian recipes. Mexico in a Bottle Walter Studios 747 West Roosevelt Street September 18 mezcalistas.com/mexico-in-bottle Love the taste of agave? Then Mexico in a Bottle is right up your alley. It’s the largest U.S. tasting event for mezcal and craft spirits, with more than 40 brands sharing Flargus Wickenburg Oktoberfest Stone Park 164 East Apache Street, Wickenburg October 1 chooseazbrews.com/wickenburg-oktoberfest Kick off October right. This year, the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild is hosting Wickenburg Oktoberfest in historic Stone Park. With more than 15 Arizona breweries participating, as well as food trucks serving savory German-style fare, the event is sure to be a delicious celebration. “It was an unexpected delight last year — a throwback to the early days of craft,” says Rob Fullmer, executive director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild. The event also includes live music and lawn games. Pedal Haus Brewery more than 150 elixirs, including brands like Del Maguey, Wahaka, and Fidencio, to name a few. There are also special programs of “Art & Vida” by Del Maguey and a Mexican pop-up bar with Illegal Mezcal. “We are very excited to bring Mexico in a Bottle to Phoenix. There has been an upsurge of interest in mezcal over the past year and we feel it is the perfect time for a full-scale celebration of mezcal and the opportunity for people to sample and learn about the breadth of mezcal culture,” says Susan Coss, co-founder of Mezcalistas and Mexico in a Bottle. With Mexico in a Bottle, Cross hopes to raise awareness about mezcal, and Phoenix is the perfect place to do it. “Arizona is a unique place for this event, given the history, geography, and Put on your lederhosen for 2022 Downtown Chandler Oktoberfest. culture it shares with Mexico and specifi- cally the Sonoran Desert, which is home to native agave and agave spirits produc- tion,” she says. Rockin’ Taco Street Fest Dr. AJ Chandler Park 178 East Commonwealth Avenue, Chandler September 24 forty8live.com/rockintacoaz The 11th annual Rockin’ Taco Street Fest comes back to downtown Chandler this fall. With tacos from 20 local restaurants and food trucks, as well as handcrafted margaritas and micheladas, this is not your average festival. Come for the food and Four Peaks Oktoberfest at Tempe Town Lake Tempe Beach Park 80 West Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe October 7-9 fourpeaksoktoberfest.com Tempe Town Lake is always a location for shenanigans, and this October it welcomes back Four Peaks Oktoberfest for its 49th year. The three-day festival includes live music, new carnival rides, a weiner dog fashion show, and a “Runnin’ for Brats” race, plus delicious food and drinks. New on the menu this year are chicken and vegetarian empanadas. Proceeds from Oktoberfest benefit Tempe Sister Cities, a nonprofit sends Tempe high school students to 10 cities around the globe. Admission is $20 Friday and Saturday, and free on Sunday. Asian District Night Market 2022: Kamayan Festival AZ International Marketplace 1920 West Broadway Road, Mesa October 8-9 facebook.com/AZAsianChamber ADNM 2022: Kamayan Festival is >> p 23 21 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES SEPT 15TH–SEPT 21ST, 2022
