The Ostrich Festival is a beloved event held annually in Chandler, Arizona, that celebrates the city’s unique history with ostriches. I’m a resident of Chandler who’s moved around the valley. So I’m a little ashamed to admit that this was my first year attending the event. However, I’ll do my best to provide a brief history of the event along with some highlights of what it has to offer.
A little History of Chandler and their Big Birds
The festival began in 1989 as a way to showcase Chandler’s Ostrich ranching past, which dates back to the early 1900s.
Portrait of an Ostrich at Chandler Ostrich Festival
The City’s Founder, Dr. Alexander John Chandler, was himself a Veterinarian and Ostrich Rancher. At that time, Ostrich feathers were a highly valued commodity and Chandler had become one of the largest Ostrich ranching areas in the world.
This festival was originally a small, one-day event held at the Chandler Fashion Center, and it included ostrich races, carnival games, and live music. As the years went on, the Ostrich Festival continued to grow in popularity and size. Then in 1991, the festival moved to its current location at Tumbleweed Park, which offered more space for attractions, and activities.
Today, the festival spans three days and includes a wide variety of activities, including a parade, live music from national acts, a carnival, performance artists, a petting zoo, and of course, Ostrich races. This year the Musical performances were by Train, The Commodores, and Sublime with Rome. I’m a little bummed I missed those acts, because I’m a fan of them all. The event website didn’t give information regarding performance times from what I found, so I couldn’t plan accordingly.
My Experience at the Festival
While I couldn’t stick around long enough to witness the Ostrich races, or the live music. I did get to see a fun Daredevil show, and some fun performance art. There’s on thing I can always make time for. And that’s some food!
Barbecue Food Vendor at Chandler Arizona Ostrich Festival.
There was a ton of food vendors, and of the many choices, my wife and I went with some Barbecue and topped it off with some delicious dessert crepes. I’d have eaten more, but I’m trying to lose weight, so I had to abstain.
I’m honestly pleased with the event. It’s far from perfect, but I’m far from a critic when it comes to a beautiful day and folks doing their best. In all, between admission, parking, and concessions; I spent around $150 without riding any rides. My wife is pregnant, and carnival rides make me dizzy unless they’re bumper car related. This may come as a shock to some, but I found myself entertained just watching people enjoy the festivities and enjoying the weather with my wife.
Closing Reflections
I often walk my three dogs at Tumbleweed Park, and was amazed at how well the space was utilized for this event. One of the facets that interested me most about this event is the economic impact. As the biggest event Chandler has to offer, it generated over $9 million of economic impact in 2022 for the City of Chandler according to an Article from the Phoenix Business journal. As a Real Estate Professional who often volunteers for Church events, it always interests me to see local business and events thrive. I’m pleased that we can enjoy times like this coming off of the strange times that the 2020’s have been thus far.
If you’re in Chandler during the Month of March, I’d definitely recommend this event. Please enjoy this small gallery of photos I took at the event, and don’t forget to let me know if you have any Real Estate needs. Have a beautiful day, and thanks for reading.
