West of Western Cukinary Festival

West of Western Culinary Festival: Ten Tips

1. The culinary portion of this event is held outdoors in the Dorrance Sculpture garden of Phoenix Art Museum. The only entry point for the festival is through the main museum entrance.
2. The Wine Table portion of the event is held indoors. You can only access this area if you purchased a ticket that included wine tasting. Once you have done so, just pick up a glass and taste away--there's no limit.
3. The busiest part of the day at the West of Western Culinary Festival is the first two hours, since most people arrive at that time. During the third hour of the event, it seemed much more relaxed, although I did notice one chef had run out of food already at that point, and another was packing up to leave with still two hours of the event left (2008).
4. Most people dressed in casual or resort casual attire. Dress comfortably, and wear comfortable shoes. You may be walking on grass or uneven surfaces. Try not to bring too much to carry; you'll need two hands to munch while you stroll from chef to chef!
5. There are plenty of seating areas in the sculpture garden if you want to relax while you taste, or if you just need to take a break before you start all over. Musical entertainment is provided periodically throughout the day.
6. Get a schedule of lectures, demos and seminars when you enter the event. If any of them interest you, get directions to the locations at that time.
7. I hope that at least some people took advantage of the fact that general admission to Phoenix Art Museum was included with their ticket. Phoenix Art Museum is a local treasure!
8. Bottled water is provided. Usually there is at least one participant offering tea or coffee beverages. Food or drinks are not allowed into the museum.
9. You can't leave the Wine Table area with any beverages of any kind, because that's in the museum (see previous item).
10. Check the schedule for programs involving cooking with children. The museum also has a hands-on area for kids.

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