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ARIZONA NEWS

Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival moving to new location with more space 2026

The Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival, an annual fixture at Tumbleweed Park for over two decades, is moving to a new home in 2026.

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PHOENIX – The Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival, an annual fixture at Tumbleweed Park for over two decades, is moving to a new home this year.

The 2026 version will be held over consecutive weekends — March 13-15 and March 20-22 — at Rawhide Western Town and Event Center.

The new site will provide the Ostrich Festival with an opportunity to expand, which is no longer possible at Tumbleweed Park, the event’s home since 2003.

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“The Ostrich Festival has become such a beloved and expansive event that it’s ready for a new home,” Terri Kimble, president of the Chandler Chamber of Commerce, said in a press release Thursday. “Rawhide provides the space and infrastructure to take the festival experience to the next level for our community.”

Tumbleweed Park has been losing open space as it evolved to include amenities such as an 18-court pickleball facility, a four-field diamond sports complex and multiple multipurpose fields. Additionally, the city is in the early stages of creating a mixed-use district at the park near McQueen and Germann roads.

How is new Ostrich Festival site different than old one?

Rawhide Western Town is located about 12 miles east of Tumbleweed Park at 5700 W. North Loop Road, near Firebird Motorsports Park off Wild Horse Pass Boulevard.

It can accommodate larger crowds and has more space for parking, attractions, rides and activities than the previous site. It also has better infrastructure, with running water throughout the grounds and permanent restrooms.

The festival was created in 1989 to promote ostrich ranching in Chandler.

It has grown to become one of Arizona’s largest family-friendly events with an array of national musical acts. Ostrich races were a big draw initially, but they were discontinued because of concerns about the birds’ welfare.

The 2025 concert lineup included Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, The Fray and Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line.

This year’s performers will be announced soon.

Kevin Stone KTAR.com Senior Editor

Kevin Stone is KTAR's Senior Web Content Editor. He is a seasoned journalist who was born in New York and grew up in Phoenix. He got his start doing agate for the Mesa Tribune sports section in the 1990s while completing his print journalism degree.… Read more

Comments

1 Comments

C
Colonel Angus 6 months ago

Rawhide Western Town is located about 12 miles east of Tumbleweed Park at 5700 W. North Loop Road, near Firebird Motorsports Park off Wild Horse Pass Boulevard.

Kevin the "Senior Editor" of KTAR.com has the same sense of direction as my wife and does not realize that the new location is west of the old location.