Arizona’s wine industry is growing, and if you haven’t tried it yet you are missing out!
We have a list of upcoming festivals that will offer you an opportunity to try some of Arizona’s finest.
Patagonia Fall Festival
http://patagoniafallfestival.com
October 9 – 11
The Town of Patagonia held its first fall festival 27 years ago. The purpose of the festival is to showcase extraordinary talent and artistry against the beautiful backdrop of the Patagonia community, which is nestled at over 4000 feet in the mountains of Southeast Arizona.
The festival hosts top-of-the-line entertainment on each day of the event. Entertainers represent a great mix of styles sure to please every taste. The arts and crafts exhibitors bring you the most unique and unusual high quality desirables, produced with excellent care, creativity and craftsmanship. There will also be a special area set aside for not-for-profit and information booths as well as the famed Patagonia Library book sale.
This festival also features food and beverage vendors for every taste along with the offerings of Patagonia’s well-known eateries such as the Velvet Elvis, Gathering Grounds, Wild Horse, Mercedes, Ovens of Patagonia, and the Wagon Wheel Saloon. The Beer and Wine Garden will have booths set up from the Arizona Wine Growers Association, Coronado Vineyards, Page Springs Cellars, Golden Rule Vineyards, Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, Su Vino, Wilhelm Vineyards, and more.
The festival helps support the activities of the Patagonia Area Business Association (PABA) such as their new Visitor’s Center. It also helps support the Park Preservation Fund of the Town of Patagonia. Funds will be utilized to preserve, maintain and improve the park’s trees and landscaping as well as its facilities.
Willcox Wine Country Fall Festival
http://www.willcoxwines.com/events.html
October 17 – 18
The Willcox Wine Country Festival is a two-day fun-filled event at historic Railroad Park in downtown Willcox. Just an hour’s drive east of Tucson on I-10 – the Willcox Wine Country Festival is a perfect getaway for Phoenix & Tucson residents. It’s not too far, but feels a world away.
Admission to the festival is FREE – listen to music, browse vendors featuring locally grown and made products, and browse wine booths without charge. There are several downtown shops and cooperative events within walking distance. Tasting glasses and tickets may be purchased for $20-$25.
Choose from over 50 wines from 15 Arizona wineries! Participating wineries (subject to change): Aridus Wine Company, Bodega Pierce, Carlson Creek Vineyard, Cellar 433, Coronado Vineyards, Deep Sky Vineyard, Golden Rule Vineyards, Keeling Schaefer Vineyards, Kief-Joshua Vineyards, Page Springs Cellars, Passion Cellars, Pillsbury Wine Company, Sand-Reckoner Vineyards, Sierra Bonita Vineyards and Zarpara Vineyard.
The Arizona Wine Growers Grand Wine Festival
https://www.arizonawine.org/events.html
November 21 – 22
This year’s wine festival (Formally the Festival at the Farm) will be held at the historic Crowne Plaza Phoenix Chandler Golf Resort. They are still in the works on this one and more details and ticket information will be released over the next two weeks. Check in with their website posted above or their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/GrandWineFestival, for more information.
Tempe Festival of the Arts
http://www.tempefestivalofthearts.com/about/
December 4 – 6
As many as 400 artist booths line Mill Avenue and the surrounding streets presenting unique, and hand-made artwork that offers visitors a distinctive shopping experience.
While the Tempe Festival of the Arts focuses on visual art and the artists who create it, there also is a wide variety of other activity for guests to enjoy. Live entertainment provides fun for festival-goers. Performances throughout the venue keep audiences in high spirits throughout the day. In addition to the Festival Stage, street performers, food and beverage vendors, sponsor exhibits, and entertainment booths are set up for the amusement of Festival visitors.
You can enjoy The Art of Beer featuring local microbrewery sampling and sales or visit the Arizona Wine Festival for tastings and sales by the glass, bottle, or case. The Arizona Wine Festival partners with eight of Arizona’s best wineries to complement the ambiance of a fine arts festival environment! Wine Tasting is $12 for six tasting tickets and a commemorative tasting glass. The Arizona Wine Festival is located on 7th Street, just West of Mill Avenue.
Anyone may enter. Patrons 21 years of age and older can sample, be served by the glass, and purchase bottles or cases of wine made from grapes grown exclusively in Arizona. Please drink responsibly.