Downtown Chandler Art Walk

An awesome atmosphere but not a great selection of food vendors or restaurants in the area. Other than that, downtown Chandler is a lovely place to go at night. Took my lady here and we had a nice time walking around. There was a couple of jazz gorups playing that night’ Be ready to really search for parking.

I went to this art walk two weeks ago and overall I was very impressed. I walked into the show thinking it would be limited to art paintings of landscapes and/​or cultural significances. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I spotted various types of jewelry, photography, pottery, paintings, glass work, apparel and much more. Although the space allotted for the art show was quite small, they made space with the room given and there was plenty of room to move about.
My favorite part of the show was when I spoke to a lady who was very passionate about her art. She created dotted pictures with a very fine Indian pen and created art that resembled different types of insects like dragonflies, butterflies, and caterpillars. What blew me away was her attention to detail and the fact that she had a «hidden heart» amongst even piece of art. However, she didn’t stop at just the detailed pictures of insects. The lady made her art into various type of apparel which could be purchased. I was sucked into her work and the passion she presented in each work of art.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this art walk. There was a different piece of art to catch anyone’s eye. There were also several raffles and giveaways. Everyone I talked to was very sincere and passionate about their art which made me more interested. There was art for all the ages. Music was being played outside and beverages were available for purchase. I had an excellent experience at this art show and I would recommend it for anyone looking for something to open there eyes to a whole new culture.

So hubby and I took a stroll through the Art Walk last Fri. can’t say I was blown away or wanting to buy everything I saw, but it was nice to see some local craftsmen and photographers, painters and enjoy their work.
I thought the gourd vases were beautiful — simple, natural beauty. I also thought some of the photography displayed would look great in my office. I didn’t buy anything except for food nearby (they have a lot of pic-​nic tables to relax at) but I think next time I’d like to peruse a bit longer and take home a thing or two that catches my fancy.
The bands playing were not to shabby and provided some good up-​beat ambiance. Lots and lots of cops-​on-​bikes that night… not saying I don’t appreciate it, but it felt like a bit much, esp considering the ‘art walk’ crowd isn’t a bunch of rowdy-​ass thugs or gang-​bangers. What, they think we’re gonna swipe one of those sweet AZ Cardinal’s baby’s bibs or maybe a handful of those flowers made out of melted-​CDs? come on now.

I love coming to downtown Chandler on the 3^rd Friday of the month! So many cool vendors selling the most unusual items; even if you are not planning to buy anything it is fun to browse. They sometimes have live music which makes it even more fun. And there is no entrance fee or anything — it is totally free. There are a good amount of people there when the weather is nice but it never feels too crowded. We can usually find free parking on one of the side streets or in the parking garage on Boston St (east of AZ Ave.). The best part is that all the shops and restaurants along Arizona Avenue and Boston Street stay open late and often have special discounts on the night of the event. It really creates a fun atmosphere when all the doors are open and the owners are just hanging out on the sidewalk chatting it up with the artists.
Hang out in the square with your friends or special someone, listening to the music and people watching. Later, grab one of Betty’s Paletas and stroll along the sidewalk admiring the beautiful paintings, pottery, and jewelery. And then end the evening drinking wine at one of the wine bars or beer at SanTan (my favorite!). That is my recipe for the perfect third Friday.