A trio of food festivals this weekend will certainly have your stomach growling. The toughest decision will be choosing with one to attend...or deciding to attend them all.
MAC AND CHEESE FEST (NOV. 17 & 18)
This year's Mac and Cheese Fest has moved to a new location and expanded from one day to two. More than 20 restaurants will be at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick whipping together different mac and cheese-inspired dishes, Nov. 17 and 18, 2018. Hours are 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. both days. Restaurants include Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers, Bottled Blonde, The Duce, Babbo Italian Eatery, Dave & Buster's, Trapp Haus BBQ.
Each restaurant will have at least one sample-sized dish for $2.
There will also be a beer garden for those 21 and up. General admission is $15 and includes access to the festival. Food and drink tokens are bought separately. VIP tickets are $75 and include VIP entrance and bathrooms, four drink vouchers and five mac and cheese tokens. Beer garden tickets are $20, but you do have to buy a general admission ticket first. Salt River Fields is located at 7555 N Pima Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85258. More information.
PHOENIX PIZZA FESTIVAL (NOV. 17)
Between 15 and 20 restaurants and food trucks will be at Margaret T. Hance Park in Phoenix spinning dough for the third edition of the Phoenix Pizza Festival.
Restaurants include Floridino's Pizza & Pasta, Saffron Jak, Kono Pizza, Freak Brothers Pizza and Buddyz Chicago Pizzeria, among others. Each restaurant will have pizza slices for $2-$4 each. Some will have half- and pull-pies available. The festivals runs Nov. 17 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Admission is $10 and has to be bought online. Tickets will not be sold at the gate. Organizers expect the festival to sell out. Admission includes access to the festivals, the games and entertainment. Food and drink are additional costs. Margaret T. Hance Park is located at 67 W. Culver St, Phoenix, AZ 85003. More information.
DOWNTOWN DONUT FESTIVAL (NOV. 18)
The Downtown Donut Festival is one of the newest festivals to the Valley. It will make its grand debut Nov. 18 at Margaret T. Hance Park in Phoenix.
More than 30 doughnut shops and restaurants will have different doughnut-inspired creations. Samples will be available for $1 each. Some may cost more.
Pokitrition, a poke shop, will be there with sushi rolls shaped like doughnuts. Jewel's Bakery & Cafe will have gluten-free popcorn chicken and doughnut holes baskets. Donut Parlor will have large pink doughnuts inspired by The Simpsons.
There will also be music, backyard-style games and a vendor market. Admission is $8 and has to be bought online. Tickets will not be sold at the gate. The event is expected to sell out. Margaret T. Hance Park is located at 67 W. Culver St, Phoenix, AZ 85003. More information.
