This was maybe not the most fun festival I have been to in the Phoenix area but I think it was because this year was not so pleasant due to the weather. It was cloudy and muddy. Very muddy. But overall, I was really impressed. I was expecting something a little cheesy... sort of like the luaus they do at the resorts in Maui. Instead the festival had a surprising amount of authenticity. It is obviously that many different cultural groups in the city, people from all different island nations or of native Hawaiian or Polynesian decent come together in Phoenix for this annual event and I think that is really cool. There was a wide variety of food vendors around ranging from typical festival fare like bbq and turkey legs, to Hawaiian dishes like steamed pork and plate lunches, to a variety of Asian and even a few Caribbean options. There were also a lot of different vendors selling all types of island style clothing and accessories. We had a lot of fun walking around looking at these. But the best part is the dance shows. So many different hula performance groups, each with different music and costumes. I recommend coming early and getting a seat to enjoy the show. I will definitely be here next year and hopefully the weather will be better.