3 Best Things to Eat and Drink This Weekend in Metro Phoenix

Food City Tamale Festival
Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14

This weekend Food City’s annual Festival del Tamal will take over downtown Phoenix for a weekend of food, drink, and dancing. The event will be held on Saturday and Sunday between 1st Avenue and 4th Avenue on Washington Street. Look forward to tamales made from some of the best tamale-makers in the state, as well as Ballet Folklorico dancers, mariachis, arts and crafts, and more. Admission to the festival is free. Gates open at 10 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. on both days. The Best Tamale Contest will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday. For more information check the Food City website or call 480-895-5383.

See also: Eating Christmas: Chow Bella’s Third Annual Holiday Literary Event Goes Down Dec. 16 at Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix

MWC Bistro’s Wine Festival
Saturday, December 13

Following in the steps of its sister spot My Wine Cellar in Ahwatukee, MWC Bistro in Gilbert will host a wine festival this Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. The one-day event will feature 20 wines from four distributors. Each will be pouring “holiday-friendly” wines ideal for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, or other holiday dinners — all featured wines will be available for purchase at a discount during the festival. Musician Aaron Howard will provide live music while the kitchen serves wine-friendly nosh plates such as meat and cheese platters, flatbreads, bruschetta and desserts. Admission to the festival costs $20 in advance and can be reserved by phone at 480-497-1422; cost is $25 if purchased at the door.

The 12 Beers of Christmas
Saturday, December 13

Kick off the countdown to Christmas this Saturday at World of Beer in Tempe. The brew-centric bar is celebrating the season by offering 12 delicious Christmas-themed beers from different breweries. There will also be prize giveaways and a Christmas photo area with props and ugly sweaters to make sure you get a perfect shot. Bring a toy ($5 value or more) to donate to Sunshine Acres Children’s Home and WOB will pay for your first local draft. Here’s the lineup:

Two Brothers Brewing Peppermint Bark
Bell’s Brewery, Inc. (Official) Christmas Ale
Anchor Brewing Company Our Special Ale
Abita Beer Christmas Ale
Avery Brewing Company Jubilation
Port Brewing / The Lost abbey Santa’s Little Helper
Goose Island Brewery Festivity Ale
Ninkasi Brewing Sleigh’r
Samuel Adams Merry Maker
Bison Organic Beer Gingerbread Ale
The Bruery Barrel-Aged 5 Golden Rings
Sonoran Brewing White Chocolate Ale w/ Candy Canes

For more information check World of Beer’s The 12 Beers of Christmas event page.

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