The best Phoenix food events to fill your weekend, Oct. 16-18

Weekends are the time to treat yourself. For many diners, that means booking a reservation at a splurgy spot well in advance. It doesn’t always have to be that formulaic or well planned. Some of the best experiences come on a whim. A simple text from a friend asking, “You free tonight?” can lead to a memorable evening filled with excellent food.

Phoenix’s tight-knit community of chefs and bartenders always seems to have a collaboration, pop-up or one-off dinner cooking. And often, those events come together at the last moment. We’re here to make sure you don’t miss out on any of these fleeting opportunities.

This weekend, there are plenty of culinary events to fill your plate. Celebrate fall with pumpkin ales and pie, head to a late-night grocery store party or make your own Harry Potter-inspired cocktails. Make your last-minute plans before it’s too late.

This weekend

Great Pumpkin Beer Day
Thursday
Multiple locations
O.H.S.O. Brewery ushers in fall much like Charlie Brown by obsessing over pumpkin. During the Great Pumpkin Beer Day, each outpost of the brewpub will serve a selection of ales spiced up with the seasonal gourd and slices of pumpkin pie until they run out. O.H.S.O.’s five locations in Phoenix, Gilbert, Surprise and Scottsdale feature different beers made by O.H.S.O. and other brewers. Sip Pumpkin Fluff Daddy, the brewer’s milkshake IPA with marshmallow and pumpkin pie spice, at any location. See each spot’s taplist online.

The Original Phoenix Greek Festival
Friday to Sunday
1973 E. Maryland Ave.
Bring your appetite to the Original Phoenix Greek Festival’s 65th celebration. Sample sizzling gyros, roasted lamb shank, flaky spanakopita, creamy hummus and sweet baklava over this three-day fest. Pair your feast with Greek beer, wine, ouzo or Metaxa brandy. Shop the Agora Market for feta cheese, olives and other foods imported from Greece, along with unique jewelry, ceramics and art. Learn traditional folk dances and tour the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Admission is $5. Children under 12 are free; seniors over 60 receive free admission on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free parking, with a shuttle bus, is available on 24th Street and Lincoln Drive, or attendees can park at the church for $15.

Saturday Mercaditos at Malegria
Saturday 
1031 Grand Ave. 
The Grand Avenue cafe Malegria is worth a visit on its own. But this weekend, there’s another reason to stop by. Its courtyard mercadito returns from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Order brunch at the counter or pupusas from a local food truck while a DJ sets the mood. We’re partial to Malegria’s huge breakfast sandwiches and spicy papas machas. After you’ve fueled up, shop the vendors in the welcoming patio space.

Seafood City Late Night Madness
Saturday
3111 W. Chandler Blvd., Suite 04A, Chandler
Seafood City, the popular Filipino grocery store and food hall, made a splash when it opened in Chandler Fashion Center mall in July. People head to the store for more than groceries. Seafood City is also known for its viral late-night parties featuring DJs, dance battles and Filipino street food. The Chandler store will host its first Late Night Madness event on Saturday, starting at 9 p.m. Order exclusive dishes, including lumpia, Filipino-inspired street tacos, takoyaki and popsicles flavored with avocado. Before the party kicks off, Seafood City will give diners an incentive to “pregame” at its food hall. Customers who spend $25 at participating food stands will get a $5 coupon to use on Late Night Madness merch. 

Oktoberfest Parties
Saturday
Multiple locations
Head to local breweries and taprooms around the Valley for some Oktoberfest fun filled with steins of beer, pretzels and polka. Stop into Goldwater Brewing Co.’s Mesa outpost or don your dirndl at O.H.S.O.’s Brewery + Distillery’s Gilbert party at The Park. Check out our list of Oktoberfest parties to make your plans for this weekend and the rest of the month.

Arizona Taco Fest
Saturday and Sunday
7555 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale
Arizona Taco Fest is a weekend-long celebration of tacos crafted by local chefs. Expect margaritas and beers, live music, cooking and cocktail competitions and appearances from a few celebrity chefs. James Beard Award winner Aarón Sánchez will judge tacos served at the event. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased online. Tacos and drinks will be available for purchase.

Farm to Fork Restaurant Week
Through Sunday
Multiple locations
Taste special seasonal dishes made with local ingredients at this Tempe-hosted restaurant week. Area restaurants, bakeries and cafes are taking part. Pick up a date bun with goat cheese from Tracy Dempsey Originals. Sample Ghost Ranch’s mole verde, made with Two Wash Ranch Chicken and produce from Valley farm Bene Vivendo. Or, treat yourself with a scoop of prickly pear sherbet from Sweet Republic that uses fruits from Cheri’s Desert Harvest in Tucson.

Pour for a Cause
Sunday
4205 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
The Old Town bar Wine Girl will host a tasting event to support Impact One Breast Cancer Foundation on Sunday. Discounted cases of wine will also be offered at this free event. Proceeds from wine sales will benefit the foundation. The wine bar will also host SimonMed Imaging, which will offer 3D mammography screenings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Harry Potter Potions Class
Monday
4228 E. Indian School Road
If you’ve argued with your friends about whether you’re a Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, this cocktail class is for you. At the Little Woody’s Harry Potter Potions Class, you’ll make your own spirited concoctions using Angel’s Envy bourbon and Bombay Sapphire gin. Tickets are $50 for this 21-plus event and include a welcome drink and all the ingredients you need to create your own potions. Costumes or house colors are encouraged. Stick around to vie for prizes during Harry Potter trivia. 

Halloween Pop-up Bars
Through Nov. 1
Multiple locations
During the Halloween season, several bars around the Valley transform, decking themselves out with macabre decor and crafting potent potions. These spots want to immerse you in the spooky spirit. You can feel like one of the gang riding in Scooby-Doo’s Mystery Machine at The Hot Chick, toast your way through 36 Below’s haunted forest or sip a tiki tipple and watch out for monsters in the Black Lagoon at UnderTow. Read our full list of places serving haunted Halloween vibes all spooky season. 

Save your seats for these upcoming Phoenix food events

Nightmare Before Christmas Chef’s Dinner
Oct. 23
108 E. University Drive, Tempe
Alter Ego, the main-floor eatery inside the Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown, regularly hosts dinners inspired by popular movies. Its “Nightmare Before Christmas”-themed meal was so popular the restaurant team added a second date. This five-course paired dinner starts with a bloody Vampire Brothers’ Toast featuring beet-cured beef, horseradish creme fraiche and a pomegranate reduction. Other courses include chile and citrus-glazed tiger shrimp in a spiced pumpkin bisque and a cola mole-braised short rib. The dinner starts at 6 p.m. and is $89 per person. See the full menu and save your spot on OpenTable. 

RARE Steak Championship
Nov. 12
7555 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale
A new food festival and culinary competition will debut at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick this fall. RARE Steak Championship will host more than 25 Valley steakhouses and restaurants serving, you guessed it, plenty of red meat. Those eateries include Maple & Ash, TEXAZ Grill and Pa’La Wood-Fired Kitchen. In addition to feeding guests, participating restaurants will vie to cook the best traditional and creative steaks. Tickets start at $125 and can be purchased online.

Phoenix Pizza Festival
Nov. 14-15
1202 N. Third St.
Slice lovers, assemble: The Phoenix Pizza Festival returns for two days in November. The event at Margaret T. Hance Park brings together some of Arizona’s finest pizza makers, including Pizzicleta, Otra Pizzeria and Freak Brothers Pizza. They’ll serve slices alongside a kids zone, a live music stage and a spritz bar. Tickets are $20 and must be purchased online; admission for kids ages 5 and younger is free. Pizza and drinks can be purchased from vendors separately.