A trade show features Western art and cowboy collectibles, and Rawhide's arena hosts the Southwest Cowboy Mounted Shooting Championships and the Ranch Rodeo. Each year the festival honors individuals who have helped preserve the Western lifestyle. Past honorees include Gene Autry, Ben Johnson and Denver Pyle. The event is usually held in mid-March. You will marvel at the ingenuity of craftspeople as you wander through this three-day outdoor festival of juried works.
Vendors show everything from jewelry and pottery to photography and blown glass.
The streets of downtown Tempe, including several blocks of Mill Avenue, are blocked off to traffic for this pedestrian-friendly event. Adding to the festive atmosphere are street musicians and jugglers, food booths and activities for kids. This event in the last weekend of March and a similar festival the first weekend of December are put on by the Mill Avenue Merchants Association. Both are well-attended, but crowds only add to the fun. A relatively new addition to the Valley's slate of annual shows spotlighting Native American art, the Indian Artists of America exhibition draws many of the nation's finest potters, weavers, jewelers, sculptors and painters, representing a number of tribes.