From music festivals to craft beer, wine tastings and Broadway musicals, April is jampacked with events around Phoenix.
We've rounded up some of the top food and drink festivals, events, concerts and family-friendly shows happening around the Valley. Check them out below!
April 5-8 | Country Thunder 2018: Cole Swindell, Jason Aldean, Toby Keith and Luke Bryan will headline the annual four-day music festival in the middle of the desert in Florence, Arizona. Other performers include Lauren Alaina, Big & Rich, Brett Young and Tracy Lawrence. More information.
April 5-15 | Phoenix Film Festival: Harkins Scottsdale 101 will once again host filmmakers and screenings for ten days. More than 300 films are scheduled to be screened. Individual movies are $15. Weekend passes are available. More information.
April 6-7 | Chandler Jazz Festival: Jazz singers, musicians and artists will take over four blocks of downtown Chandler for two days of music to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month. Performers include Francine Reed-Lewis Nash All-Star Band, Bad News Blues Band, Tucson Jazz Institute and Ellington Big Band. The festival is free and runs Friday, 5 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. More information.
April 6-7 | INDYCAR Weekend at ISM Raceway: All weekend INDYCAR racers will hit the track at ISM Raceway. Tickets cost $10-$20. More information.
April 7 | Fountain Hills Music Fest: The Town of Fountain Hills revamped its spring concert series into a free evening festival at Fountain Park. Sugabeat, Western Fusion and Rock Lobster are scheduled to perform. There will also be food trucks whipping up tasty dinner options. The festival runs 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. More information.
April 7 | Goodyear Lakeside Music Festival: A free music festival at the Estrella Lakes Amphitheatre with two stages and nine hours of music from local singers and bands. There will also be a kids area; and beer, wine and food for sale. The festival runs from noon to 9 p.m. More information.
April 7 | CycloMesa Bicycle Festival: From 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., the Mesa Convention Center will host a bicycle festival surrounding the El Tour De Mesa race. The free festival will have a zipline, rock climbing, BMX Freestyle show and a kids area. There will also be food trucks there. More information.
April 11-15 | Arizona Bike Week: Bike enthusiasts will descend on WestWorld of Scottsdale for a week of vendors and exhibits, concerts and rides alongside Arizona's desert landscape. Collective Soul, Chevelle, Shinedown and ZZ Top are scheduled to perform. Tickets are still available. More information.
April 12-15 | Disney on Ice Frozen: Disney's animated hit has been re-imagined for the ice. The film's main characters -- Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven -- will be in Phoenix for seven shows. Tickets start at $10. More information.
April 13 | Beer N' Bones at The Arizona Museum of Natural History: People 21 and up will be able to walk around the museum, speed-date a scientist, drink craft beer and eat from food trucks at this annual fundraiser. Admission is $20-$25 and includes a glass, t-shirt and food-and-drink tickets. More information.
April 14: City Lights Movie Nights at CityScape: The downtown Phoenix complex will show a free screening of "The Wedding Planner" at Patriot's Park, part of CityScape's monthly movie series. Make sure to bring blankets, chairs and snacks. The movie starts at 6 p.m. More information.
April 14 | Chandler Crafts Spirits Festival: Sample vodka, whiskey, tequila, gin and other spirits from Arizona and boutique distilleries. The festival moved to downtown Chandler this year. The event runs 3 p.m. - 9 p.m. and tickets are still available More information.
April 14 | UFC Fight Night: Dustin Poirier will fight Justin Gaethje, and Carlos Condit will fight Alex "Cowboy" Oliveira for UFC Fight Night at Gila River Arena. The event starts at 12:30 p.m. Tickets start at $60. More information.
April 14 | Movies in the Desert at Odysea: The entertainment complex near Loop 101 and Via de Ventura will show a screen screening of Zootopia in the center courtyard. Games and activities start at 5 p.m. and the movie will start at 6:30 p.m. More information.
April 14-15 | My Nana's Best Tasting Salsa Challenge: Spend the day at Sloan Park, the Spring Training home of the Chicago Cubs, and taste over 100 salsas prepared by Valley chefs and restaurants. The event is all-you-can-eat and benefits the Arizona Hemophilia Association. Tickets start at $15. More information.
April 14-15 | Scottsdale Culinary Festival: More than 30 chefs, restaurants and food trucks will be at the 40th annual Scottsdale Culinary Festival with food and drinks available for purchase. Everclear and Eve6 will headline the event on Saturday, while 20 other bands will perform throughout the weekend. General admission is $12-$15 and gets you into the festival, cooking demos and music areas. More information.
April 14-15 | Polish Festival: The 15th annual Polish Festival at Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, near I-17 and Country Gables Drive, will have polka dance competitions, a pierogi-eating contest, and Polish food for sale. Admission and parking are free. More information.
April 15 | Best of the Fest: Chefs from seven Valley restaurants will create a five-course dinner at this signature event to end the Scottsdale Culinary Festival. Each course is paired with wine. There will also be live music. This is a 21+ event. Individual tickets are $175. More information.
April 17-22 | The Color Purple: The Tony Award-winning musical for "Best Revival" in 2016 comes to ASU Gammage. The show is based on the 1992 novel and tells the story of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South during the early 1900s. More information.
April 19-22 | Nirvana Food & Wine Festival: Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa will host the second annual Nirvana Food & Wine Festival with ten food and drink events. The events will feature local and national chefs, including Mora Italian's Scott Conant, Sanctuary's Beau MacMillan, Beckett's Tables's Justin Beckett, and Audrey Enriquez, of Hotel Valley Ho. Events vary from $135-$300 per person. Some have already sold out. More information.
April 21 | The Great Southwest Cajun Fest, Boil & Brew: This Cajun-style food festival returns to downtown Chandler's Dr. A.J. Chandler Park. More than a dozen restaurants have signed up to make and sell Louisiana-style foods, including crawfish, Jambalaya, etouffee, Creole shrimp and hush puppies. Little Hurricane and The Urban Renewal Project will perform on the stage. General admission is $10-$15 and includes access to the festival, music and extra activities. Food and drink are extra. More information.
April 21-22 | Zapcon: A two-day gaming convention with classic arcade games and pinball machines, tournaments and a console lounge. Games include Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter, and Tetris. Admission includes access to all of the games. More information.
April 28 | The Good Life Festival with Jake Owen: Country singer Jake Owen will headline Encanterra's annual open house and wine-tasting festival. More information.
April 28 | Chalk Art Festival: A free festival at Tempe Marketplace and Westgate Entertainment District where artists will create chalk murals on the ground, and kids and adults can try their hand at their own works of art. The festival runs 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. More information.
April 28 | Halau O Kekuhi: A Hawaiian dance company that showcases the Aihaa style of Hula dancing. It is described as a "low-postured, vigorous, bombastic style of hula ." More information.
April 28 | AmeriCan Canned Beer Fest: If you love craft beer, you probably want to add this festival to the list. General admission gets you 20 tickets to sample more than 250 craft beers from 100 local and national breweries. The festival will also have live music, beer seminars, food trucks and Olympic-style beer games. More information.
April 28 | Original Taste: This upscale food-and-wine event is put on yearly by the Executive Council 70. It features samples from more than 40 chefs and restaurants around the Valley and 50 wines from around the world. It runs 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. at Scottsdale Waterfront. Tickets vary between $125-$275. More information.
April 28 | Wet Electric 2018: Soak up the sunshine at Big Surf Waterpark and tunes from EDM artists. Adventure Club, Bro Safari, Crizzly, Dr. Fresch, Loud Luxury and Sevenn have been tapped to headline the main stage. Festival tickets start at $45. More information.
April 28 | 2018 FOODStock Festival: More than 75 food trucks will be at Peoria Sports Complex for the second Foodstock Festival. Admission is $5. Parking is free. Each food truck with have a $3 sample-sized item. The event runs 12 p.m. - 9 p.m. More information.
April 29 | Dia Del Nino at Phoenix Zoo: The Phoenix Zoo will host its annual "Dia Del Nino" ("Day of the Children") on April 29 with Folklorico dancers, Lucha Libre wrestling, mariachi, pinatas and face painting. Activities are included with zoo admission. The event runs 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. More information.
