Fort McDowell Casino to host annual Fountain Hills Arts Festival

Destination Arizona
B. Thomas Cooper
Editor


The annual Fountain Hills Festival of Arts and Crafts, running Friday, November 13th, through Sunday, November 15th, is being hosted this year by the Fort McDowell Casino, east of Phoenix, and will feature arts and crafts exhibited by over five-hundred world class artists.

Organized by the Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce, this unique cultural event is expected to draw nearly a quarter of a million visitors. In addition to arts and crafts, the festival will also feature performances by Mediterranean musicians Sahnas Brothers, and the Andean Nation, described as folk inspired.

Did I mention the food? Visitors to the festival can also expect to be greeted by a variety of irresistible aromas. Enjoy exquisite southwestern cuisine in the breathtaking setting of Fort McDowell, nestled among the McDowell Mountains .

Fort McDowell Casino, the oldest in the state, is an ideal location to stage the annual festival, having recently introduced a new 246 room Radisson Fort McDowell Resort.

Located twenty-three miles northeast of Phoenix, Fort McDowell wasn't always the modern resort and gaming community it is today. Established September 7, 1865 along the western banks of the Rio Verde (Verde River), Fort McDowell began as a humble but vital military installation.

On April 10, 1890, the installation became the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation, serving the Mohave, Apache, Yavapai, and Pima tribes. In all, over 25,000 acres were set aside for the reservation with additional land being granted in 1903.

Fort McDowell Casino can be reached from Phoenix by taking highway 87 North, toward Payson, or by taking Shea Blvd eastward past Fountain Hills. Gas, lodging and other accommodations are available at the Radisson, and in Fountain Hills, only a few minutes drive by car. Festival hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival is free, as is parking.

Destination Arizona
Destination Arizona