The 33rd annual Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival will take place Thursday through Sunday, March 16-19, at Tumbleweed Park in Chandler.
This event not only includes chances to see the unique namesake birds, but also many types of entertainment and other fun for Arizonans of all ages.
Carnival rides include festival favorites like the Giant Ferris Wheel, the Century Wheel, 1001 Nachts, Turbo, Wave Swinger, Starship 3000, Giant Scooter and Scrambler, among others. The festival will also feature kiddie and family rides, including the Dizzy Dragon, Tommy Kangaroo, Chopper Hopper, Wacky Worm Coaster and more.
A comprehensive list of rides and attractions can be found on the Festival website.
Additional headliner acts already announced include multi-Grammy Award-winning pop-rock band Train on Friday, Grammy Award-Winning R&B and funk group The Commodores with Nicky Youre on Saturday and Billboard Music Award-winning band Sublime With Rome on Sunday.
Tickets for the festival are on sale now at OstrichFestival.com. General admission tickets start at $30 for adults, $20 for children, children four and under will be admitted to the festival free of charge. Limited VIP tickets are available starting at $150 and pricing for family packs will be available for purchase at a later date.
The festival began in 1988 and is based on Chandler’s early history of ostrich ranching. The event has grown into one of the premier festivals in the southwest. The festival is a family-friendly event featuring national and regional entertainment, a carnival midway, spectacular food, and curated vendors.
Ostrich Experience
Come and meet the infamous Ostriches of the Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival. Ostriches will be roaming freely in their designated Ostrich viewing area.
Imaginology STEAM
Mind Work! is a traveling science museum with a couple dozen of interactive, fun and visually captivating displays and activities. Many of the displays in this fun and interactive exhibit are STEM/STEAM-based and involve critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork.
BMX stunt show
The USA BMX / Monster Energy stunt show features the world’s most extreme bicycle stunt riders in an action-packed show. These national champions use half pipes, quarter pipes and box jumps to ensure a spectacle for their crowds.
The Flying Royals
The Flying Royals is a troupe of multi-generational Flying Trapeze artists and students of the country’s premier Circus schools. The Flying Royals are the first flying trapeze act ever to audition on America’s Got Talent.
Dominguez Circus
As seen on America’s Got Talent and in NBA HalfTime shows, The Dominguez Circus is a family of third- and fourth-generation performers who present top quality, fun, professional shows for adults and children of all ages. The show features the Dominguez Poodles, Cube Manipulations, Arial Lyra, High Wire and Globe of Death.
Jest In Time – Family Fun Tent – Professor Smart
Professor Smart’s Science Shows are primarily built for kids 5 to 13-year-olds but are just as entertaining for adults. Even the youngest kids will be engaged by the juggling, the comedic physicality of the performer and the tempo of the show. Professor Smart uses many volunteers.
Bounce Zone
This year’s Bounce Zone will include adventure-type activities like a zipline, the Ninja Warrior Dome and a bungee trampoline. Tickets are $1 each or 25 tickets for $20.
Curiosity Cube (Saturday and Sunday Only)
MilliporeSigma's Curiosity Cube® is a retrofitted shipping container that has been transformed into a mobile science lab. It features interactive, hands-on science experiments led by MilliporeSigma employees. This allows visitors to ask questions and discuss the possibilities of a future career in STEM.
Live Cooking with Chef
Live cooking demonstrations will be provided by United Catering. The chefs will welcome you and your family to fully indulge in a food tasting experience.
Several chefs will be hosting a variety of live cooking demonstrations to showcase new skills and unique dishes.
World’s Funnest Photo Booth
The World's Funnest Photo Booth is the perfect way to create memories and laughs with the family. Take home your photo for a keepsake from this year's fair.
Picture yourself riding a tiger, shark or even a unicorn.
Bear Hollow
Bear Hollow’s traveling shows bring the excitement of the full-throttle art form to events across the nation. Attendees will be able to watch as professionals carve intricate pieces live. The carvings produced will be auctioned off.
Mango and Dango
Back again, Mango and Dango perform a one-of-a-kind theatrical circus show. Their training includes partner acrobatics, juggling, aerial arts, stilt walking, physical comedy, mime, chair stacking and more.
The duo specializes in both stage and street shows and provide a variety of entertainment and cirque-style performances that engage spectators of all ages.
BOOM! Percussion
Returning again, BOOM! Percussion is a high-energy drum line that has performed in festivals and parades nationwide. The line sports colorful uniforms and LED suits.
Living Zoltar
This comedian, magician and impressionist has reinvented the classic arcade midway attraction – the Zoltar Fortune Teller booth. Simply press the start button and the mechanical figure inside the box comes to life, dispensing comical banter, magical effects and a funny, free fortune.
Great American Duck Races
The duck races will have attendees select their favorite ducks at the start of the show to release the ducks on the water race track.
Prizes are given to the winners of each race. Each show will include five different races.
Piggy 500
These curly-tailed friends will be racing up to 4 times a day.
We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.
