Chandler food festival attendees indulge, endure rain

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

Even though a debut Chandler event happened to be held on one of the few stormy Saturdays of the year, it still drew in thousands of attendees.

Frybread Festival 2025 brought visitors from multiple states to the Rawhide Event Center on Nov. 22. The live entertainment on the outdoor Sonoran Lawn stage had to be staggered as storms rolled across the Gila River Indian Community, though most attendees stayed for the all-afternoon event.

Vendor trucks had long lines, at times, for their frybread and other favorites popular at Indigenous events across the Southwest U.S. A carnival was set up on the lawn as well.

The headliners and emcees were actors and entertainers Funny Bone and Lil Mike. They were cheered every time they took the microphones — even if it was simply to pass along event information.

Funny Bone and Lil Mike might be best known for their roles as Mekko and Mose, the wisecracking bicyclists and gossipers on the Hulu series Reservation Dogs.

Stateline, a dance hall country group from the Navajo Nation; local Gila River alternative rock band One Way Sky and Gertie N The T.O. Boyz, from the Tohono O’Odham Nation, were part of the all-Indigenous bill of live bands on the lawn stage.

Under the adjacent Rawhide Events Center roof, dozens of performers performed traditional dancers on stage, with artisan and other vendors set up around the building.

Jason W. Brooks can be reached at jbrooks@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as those meet our  Civility Guidelines.

INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.