Tempe Festival of the Arts to feature artists, music and food this weekend

PHOENIX – Mill Avenue in downtown Tempe will be filled with over 350 artists, food vendors and street performers this weekend as part of the semi-annual Tempe Festival of the Arts.

The free event started Friday and concludes Sunday, taking place from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day.

Visitors will find 16 different categories of artwork including ceramics, drawings, glass and wood.

Live music can be heard throughout the festival with artists performing at five locations.

Patrons will also find plenty of food options with more than 30 vendors spread across four areas.

Other popular amenities include a fashion show on Saturday from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. that is set to feature over 60 Arizona designers/brands, a section showcasing the work of professional chalk muralists and areas for festival-goers to try their hand at the art form, and a beer and wine garden with 11 wineries and distilleries participating.

The artists of tomorrow are also well represented in the festival with a kids block sporting a young artist exhibition and competition in addition to community partners conducting on-site takeaway projects with young visitors.

While the young artist exhibition will be open throughout the festival, the kids programming with community partners will only take place on Saturday and Sunday in the Snakes & Lattes Parking Lot on Maple Street.

The list of multiple street closures around Tempe that will occur during the festival can be found online.

Both the fall festival and spring festival have been a staple in Tempe for over four decades.

According to the official website, the festival brings nearly 225,000 people to downtown Tempe during the three-day event.

Follow @KTAR923