Starting on Friday, vendors from near and far gathered to share creative offerings ranging from birria ramen to boba drinks. Plenty of deep-fried festival foods were available from deep-fried oreos to whole, deep-fried squid on a stick. Fusion foods such as sushi tacos were popular, and many of the vendors served their takes on Asian cuisine, hinting at the inspiration for the festival which was modeled after Asian night markets.
On Friday afternoon, a large crowd gathered at the gate eagerly awaiting the 3 p.m. start time. Once the gates opened, hungry and curious ticket holders filtered through metal detectors, scanned their tickets (no re-entry allowed) and surveyed their options. As the evening unfolded, lines grew and sweet and savory smells filled the air.
Some vendors quickly sold out, a few credit card machines went down, but overall the crowd buzzed with excitement over bumble bee-shaped bao and lemonade served in giant baby bottles, and a few got their buzz on from the available beer and cocktail tents.
Many of the food items were full-sized meals, so plan accordingly if you want to try multiple things. Some groups of friends and families split dishes to try a bite of the many options available. Make sure to come hungry. Here are 10 photos from weekend one of FoodieLand in Phoenix.
The festival started in California before expanding to Nevada, Texas, Washington and Arizona.
Tirion Boan
FoodieLand featured foods from all over the world. At the Raclette stand, heat lamps melted cheese before it was scrapped onto sandwiches and fruit. The dish was invented in Switzerland and is also popular in France.
Tirion Boan
Hot, gooey cheese, caramel and sliced almonds topped cold pears creating a sweet and savory bite with a cool contrast.
Tirion Boan
The Firecracker Ahi Tuna taco was stuffed with sweet rice and spicy mayo-drenched tuna. The crispy, fried seaweed shell added crunch and made the handheld dish easy to eat.
Tirion Boan
At the first weekend of FoodieLand, most of the vendors were from out of town. A few local spots were sprinkled throughout.
Tirion Boan
One of the local options that never fails to please at Valley food festivals is Hot Bamboo. Their character bao are (almost) too cute to eat.
Tirion Boan
