Event: Scottsdale Culinary Festival

The 41st annual Scottsdale Culinary Festival serves up eatertainment for all tastes at this fundraising festival featuring live music on three stages, a grand tasting tour of 35 restaurants and food exhibitors representing food from around the world, and sampling of wines, beers, spirits and cocktail creations during this year’s travel-themed event on April 13 and 14 at the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall.

My Top 5 Places to Try at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival:

Aioli Burger

Pokitrition

Four Peaks Brewing Company

Sushi Roku

The Crepe Club

Here are festival highlights:

Entertainment:

Three stages of live music all weekend, with Berlin featuring Terri Nunn, performing Saturday night on the Stella Artois main stage. Berlin, the synth electro-pop band, topped the charts in 1986 with "Take My Breath Away," featured in “Top Gun” starring Tom Cruise. Confirmed local entertainment is listed and updated on the festival website.

Food-centric experiences:

Local and celebrity food experts to host free culinary demos on how to make sausage, chorizo and chocolate; share tips on foraging, fermented foods and simple cooking for all abilities; and showcase herbs, spices, tea and more. Featured restaurants provide bites at price points that encourage sampling across the festival grounds. Street eats enthusiasts can sample from a curated selection of top food trucks. Food judges discover and recognize the top tastes, decor and more.

Beverage experiences:

Four Peaks Beer Garden with 200 specialty beers and local microbreweries, Tito’s Handmade Vodka deck, Liquid Arizona presented by PHOENIX Magazine featuring hometown spirits, wines, and craft beers, a tea demonstration, Kicking Horse Coffee sampling, and chocolate and wine tastings from a curated selection of chocolatiers and Jackson Family Wines. Beverage sponsors include Four Peaks Brewing Co., Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Stella Artois, CORE Water and Java Monster.

Family Fun Zone provides free opportunities for learning, playing and prizes in a special alcohol-free, gated area.

Festival info:

The festival is open Saturday, April 13 at 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, April 14 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. One-day general admission costs $12 online and $15 at the gate, food and beverages cost extra. Tickets for the Four Peaks Beer Garden cost $42 online and include entrance to the festival and beer garden, 20 beer samples and a souvenir tasting mug. The festival also offers VIP tickets (ages 21+, tickets cost $150 on Saturday, $125 on Sunday), which include premiere entertainment viewing, unlimited catered food inside the exclusive VIP tent, drink cards for complimentary drinks throughout the grounds and access to the Four Peaks Beer Garden with tasting samples. Ages 12 and under are free.

Scottsdale Civic Center Mall is located at 7380 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale. The City of Scottsdale is a premier destination for things to do in Arizona and is the host sponsor of the Scottsdale Culinary Festival weekend, which includes the festival kick-off event, The Cocktail Society on Friday April 12.

For an up-to-date lineup of restaurants, craft beer, spirit and entertainment participants, visit Scottsdalefest.org or follow Scottsdale Culinary Festival on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/scottsdaleculinaryfestival

Instagram: www.instagram.com/scottsdalefest

Twitter: www.twitter.com/scottsdalefest