Annual Phoestivus market to be held in downtown Phoenix this week and next

PHOENIX — For those of us who still need to grab some holiday gifts or want to celebrate the season, an annual event held this week and next may be just the ticket.

The Seventh Annual Phoestivus runs 5-8 p.m. on Thursday and will happen again on Dec. 15. The festival is being held at the city’s open-air market located near Central Avenue and Pierce Street.

State Rep. Ken Clark, the event’s founder and a Phoenix Realtor, said he based the celebration on markets he saw in Germany as a child.

“We thought, ‘We don’t have a downtown market like [Germany’s] Christmas market,'” he said. “‘Why don’t we have one?’ And, we decided to just start it.”

All the gifts and crafts are from either the Phoenix area or elsewhere in Arizona.

“There’s local plants that are used in making hanging gardens,” he said. “There’s some locally-made peanut butter that I have to buy every year, because now I’m addicted to it.”

Phoestivus shoppers can also enjoy baby goats dressed as reindeer and a special ale made for the occasion by Phoenix Ale Brewery.

The event is for all ages. Free parking is available near the light rail station at Roosevelt Street and Central Avenue.

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