PHOENIX — Forget those chalky, Valentine's Day candy hearts because there are a lot of tasty opportunities happening around town in February.
From chili samples to barbecue and poutine; and bourbon, beer and sweets, there are at least 25 food-and-drink festivals that you're probably going to want to check out.
We've gathered some of the top foodie events happening around the Valley in February. Did I miss one? Send me an email: Josh.Frigerio@abc15.com.
Related: Upcoming festivals in March, April and May
Feb. 2 - The Great Canadian Picnic: A free community festival at the South Mountain that celebrates Canadian heritage with poutine, rock climbing, classic cars, live music, a snow slide, and petting zoo. More information .
Feb. 2-3 - Arizona Vegetarian Food Festival: Explore and learn about vegan-friendly and plant-based foods and products at this two-festival. There will be guest speakers, chef demonstrations, and live entertainment. More information .
Feb. 7-16 - Arizona Beer Week: For ten days, breweries, taprooms and restaurants will host special beer pairings, tap takeovers, specialty brews, and collaborations. Events happen throughout the state so you will want to check the website for an updated list of events. All of it leads up to the Arizona Strong Beer Festival, Feb. 9. More information .
Feb. 8-10 - Wickenburg's Gold Rush Days: Experience a bit of the Old West and learn about Wickenburg's history at this three-day celebration. The event includes a carnival, rodeo, parade, a theater show, classic car show and artisan fair. More information .
Feb. 8 - 10 - Chinese Culture and Cuisine Festival: A three-day food and culture festival with martial arts demonstrations, dragon dances, lion dances, music, tea garden and food vendors. More information .
Feb. 9 - Arizona Strong Beer Festival: This festival is all about beer. Whether you like ales, IPAs, stouts, or everything in between, there will be hundreds of beers to taste at the Arizona Strong Beer Festival. More information .
Feb. 9 - CulturePOP Block Party: A community culture and food festival with live entertainment, street performers, kids activites, and food and wine from around the world. More information .
Feb. 9 - D-backs Fan Fest: Get to know the Arizona Diamondbacks before the start of Spring Training and the 2019 season at Salt River Fields. There will be chances to meet D-backs players, get autographs and take photos. There will also be inflatables, batting cages and other baseball-themed activities. More information .
Feb. 9-Mar. 31 - Arizona Renaissance Festival: Hear ye! Hear ye! Step back in time to the Renaissance with live jousting, jesters, oversized turkey legs, fried foods, wooden rides, and an artisan marketplace. More information .
Feb. 9-10 - Glendale Chocolate Affaire: Love chocolate? You'll want to know about this event. Nearly 40 chocolate makers will be part of Glendale's Chocolate Affaire. The annual chocolate event is presented by the Cerreta Candy Co., a local business that makes its own candy and offers tours of its factory. More information .
Feb. 9-10: Buckeye Air Fair: A free two-day airshow at Buckeye Municipal Airport. There will also be vintage aircrafts on display, demonstrations, AZSciTech exhibitions, and entertainment. More information.
Feb. 9-10 - Corks and Cactus: Sip on wine and walk around the Desert Botanical Garden. There will be 40 wineries on each day. Gertrude's, the garden's restaurant, will have cooking demonstrations. Feb. 9 is sold out, according to the website. More information.
Feb. 9-10 - Arizona Indian Festival: Learn about Arizona's Native American tribes, culture, food and music at this two-day festival. It will take place at Scottsdale Civic Center mall in Scottsdale. More information.
Feb. 16 - Queen Creek S’more Sweets Festival: Whether you like chocolate fountains or candy-themed cocktails, candy is the name of this relatively new festival to the Valley. More than a dozen businesses will be there selling different candies, treats and confections. There will also be games and kids activities. More information .
Feb. 16 - Laveen BBQ Festival: You can taste different barbecue creations from restaurants and pitmasters at this community festival at Cesar Chavez Park. There will also be local music, craft beer and inflatables. More information .
Feb. 16 - Chili Bourbon Festival: The second Chili Bourbon Festival moves to downtown Chandler in 2019 where restaurants and chefs will showcase traditional, spicy and regional chili recipes. There will also be more than a dozen bourbons to sample, along with eating contests, country music and lawn games. More information .
Feb. 16-17 - Street Eats Food Truck Festival: Sample menu items from more than 60 food trucks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Each truck will have a $2 sample item as well as their regular menu items. Guests can expect live music and lawn games, eating contests, cooking classes, a marketplace, and a kids zone. More information .
Feb. 16-18 - Arizona Cocktail Weekend: A weekend of cocktail-themed events and tastings, including The Cocktail Jam; Top Bars, and Last Slinger Standing, a bartending competition. More information.
Feb. 17-24 - Devour Week: A week of premium culinary events and competitions, including the Devour Culinary Classic, Seven Chefs Dinner, Devour The World, and the Devour Bartending Competition. Devour Culinary Classic is a two-day food and drink event with unlimited samples from the Valley's top restaurants, hotels and chefs. More information .
Feb. 21 - Mar. 26 - Cactus League Spring Training: Baseball is back! Grab a mitt and some friends and head to one of Arizona's 10 spring training stadiums to watch a game. Fifteen teams come to Arizona for spring training: Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Red, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. More information .
Feb. 21-24 - Lost Dutchman Days: An annual celebration in Apache Junction that consists of a bratwurst and beer party, parade, carnival, royal court, arts and crafts fair and rodeo. The events and times vary over the span of four days. More information .
Feb. 22-24 - The Great Fair of Fine Arts & Crafts: A three-day outdoor art fair in Fountain Hills featuring artworks from nearly 500 artists and artisans from around the world. There is also food vendors and a beer garden. More information .
Feb. 23-24 - Matsuri Festival of Japan: Learn about Japanese culture, cuisine, art and music at this free three-day festival, which celebrates its 35th anniversary in 2019. This year's theme is "Japan Old and New." More information .
Feb. 23-24 - Italian Festival of Arizona: Experience Italian food, music and culture at this two-day festival in Scottsdale. This year's music lineup has not been announced yet. More information .
Feb. 23-24 - PHX Vegan Food Festival: Learn what it means to be vegan, how to make vegan-friendly food and connect with vegan-friendly restaurants and businesses at this two-day festival. This will also be live music and cooking demonstrations. More information.
