Rawhide Western Town Review

We attended the Zedtown NERF war event here and it was super fun and just a blast of an experience. The town layout is spacious and definitely detailed, with plenty to see and explore. I would love to see other events held here and experience them as well. We would return here for any future Zedtown excursions for sure!

Went on a Friday. They open at 5 and close at 9. I will never go again.

Here reviewing for the event side and a run. decent parking and concessions prices however the food is not so good and parking was expensive since we paid to run the terrain race already .

Rawhide moved !! It is now south of Tempe. I think being near the casino hurts rather than helps. Had rattlesnake appetizer which was very good and steak which was ok. Everyone's food was good but place was EMPTY.There are some shops and gunfights and attractions for the young'uns.

It wasn't nearly as busy as the old North of Scottsdale location which I last visited in 2001 during the World Series.

Really good Thanksgiving buffet. Well worth the $24 per person. Chefs will cook certain items to your liking if you ask them. Non-alcoholic drinks are included in the price. Blue Moon on tap is $5 per pint glass.

Classic western town feel, awesome for kids and families.

Had a good time with my cousin's
Norma Patricia Vasquez & Delia Vasquez
And Her Daughter Mary Jane
Good Food Ended It

A really cool event center. In this case I was at a 5K miss run. Raise always seems to have something going on

Great venue for a large group. Lots of room and a great staff.

Had a great time with my family here. So much to do and so much to pay. That second part was ok, it's a vacation and we expected it. Groupon had deals on the wrist bands, too, so that was good.

Enjoyed our lunch. My son wanted to try the snake... Not bad at all.

Very fun town. Boys got to go to jail. My son was sad and scared,!! Super funny.

Really neat venue. They host several events with other companies/ organizations

Definitely a place to go check out. There are things for kids to do, bars, and short theater shows. We went to a wine and food tasting. It was fun.

Had a great time during the Pot of Gold concert, just wish there was more cover seating areas. Day time was so hot with not many options outside to sit and enjoy the atmosphere

A good western place. Looks likr a western movie... Anf they always have fun event every year.

The Arizona Root Festival was a total win. It was amazing. Well organized on parking, drop off and pick up. Drinks were really good and fairly cheap. Food, well you could get anything you wanted pretty much. All the bands put up some great shows. It was awesome.

For $15 you can go to all the shows and ride you want. Great place for the family.

Always had a great experience at Rawhide, neat little western town. Blacksmith does amazing work!

Great atmosphere. Great staff. Family friendly. Awesome food!

Very disappointed in snowy Christmas. Rawhide seems to have gone downhill over the past few years. Very touristy and over priced.

Great for kids! Thank god there is a bar for adults... :) gun show is worth the $5 for the family- actors do a good job. I would skip the wrist bands if your kids are over 10. We took the boat from the Sheraton Wild Horse- if you are a guest that's the way to do it or walk the 1.5 mile path along the river, shuttle service runs from hotel as well but it's a pretty ride or walk. Pete's bar seems to be a landmark- Pete has been there 30 years and has more history than the fake town. He refers to the
Women as "boss lady" and has a great sense of humor. Drop in for a drink and head to the gun show and then get the hell out!!! We didn't eat at the steak house but heard it was worth skipping- and from the peek we took, I would agree.

Ligts of the World is beautiful and fun for all ages.

Not sure what is going on in this place but each event has its own appeal. They need to be cleaner.

A unique multi use venue. A lot of great music festivals are thrown here like Gold Rush, Crush, Decadence etc. Lots of space to roam

Went there for Phoenix lights and venue was well set up and prepared for the amount of attendees. Lines were always short and we were able to get through all check points quickly.
However, possibly due to no fault of the venue itself but moreso the staffing company, the first day we ran out of water. Also the rules regarding acceptable sunscreen we're unclear causing a lot of hassle as far as what could and could not be allowed in. And once inside the general store ran out of saleable sunscreen and they put that responsibility on the individual.

Visited the place on a date and she loved it. Food was delicious, server was on top of his game checking up on us making sure our visit there was delightful will definately visit again.

Great place for concerts, or just to visit. Great place for kids as well

Loved seeing Zeds Dead here. Have only seen that single show and havent visited for any other reason but will definately have my eyes open for more shows here.

Great time! Love love love Cody Jinks! Thank u so much!

We went there on 24th Dec. I called earlier to make a reservation they did not call back. We decided to check in when we got there about 530 to eat at 7. The hostess told us there was no need to reserve a table they were not busy. We went to the restaurant at 7. We were told we would have to wait 20 mins. We waited 40 minutes. I asked the hostess what was happening there appeared to be plenty of empty tables in the steak house. She told us we were next. She then called us and said we were being seated in the Saloon as there were too many peopke with reservations for the steakhouse to be seated in front of us. I told her at 530 and at 7 we only wanted to sit in the steakhouse. She shrugged her shoulders and said that is all I can offer you. We asked her why she did not take a reservation at 530 while there were still tables. Unbelievably, she said I did not lnow it would get this busy. Seriously, we did which is why I tried to reserve a table. This was complete incompetance. She should have taken our reservation I assumed she knew what she was talking about. Completely oblivious to the terrible impression she had given us of the place she looked the other way when we walked out. I ubderstand it was holiday time but do not use clueless inexperienced staff to run the front of house.

We made reservations, and when we got there a sign was posted in the front stating they were only taking in reservation guests only. The hostess stared blankly at us when I told her the name ours was saved under. I finally had to look at the screen myself and point it out (wasn't even that hard of a name, LeBlanc).
The restaurant was practically abandoned, only about five tables occupied. Nonetheless our server didn't show up for almost twenty minutes, and then she just mumbled "What would you like to order?" Literally it was as if we were in line at McDonalds. We pointed out we hadn't even been asked for our drink order yet. She sighed heavily and reluctantly took our requests, and it took another twenty minutes to get our drinks and for her to finally take our order. Keep in mind this is an establishment that charges $32 for a steak, we aren't picky however we expected some level of courteous service if we're paying for it. We were brought a basket of rolls, only four of them. There were six of us at the table. The server told us an extra basket would cost $5. We pointed out the obvious, that there were six of us so why would they bring us only four rolls. She just sighed again and said it was their policy. Wow. Even Olive Garden doles out the rolls complimentary, this place couldn't be bothered and didn't care either way.
My husband and I each ordered a Fireball on the rocks. They charged us $10 FOR EACH!!! I didn't find this out until the end. I tried pointing out to the server that the price was ridiculous even for a tourist restaurant, but she refused to even go back and question the bartender.
This place is beyond a tourist trap. They did have a decent country band which performed quietly on stage for the twenty people total that were there.
When we left we saw people walking up to the steakhouse and reading that the sign that said they were full and leaving. This place was turning people away for an empty restaurant!! I cannot for the life of me figure out the business strategy of this restaurant, because it's surely not customer service or profit-oriented. I suppose they get by well enough just charging the hell out of those they do actually let in.
The steaks were good, I will give them that, but certainly not worth the $110 bill we were given for two people.
Run away from this place, unless you have expendable income and loads of patience.
The shops and atmosphere of the rest of Rawhide was charming. The Blacksmith shop and the jail staff in particular were awesome.
Just make a wide arc around the steakhouse.

there food at this location is always hot and fresh and u can get thru the drive thru pretty quickly

Very cool place, huge concert setting along with other cool attractions

Great day trip for the family, just not in the heat. Best part was the western show and the old timey photo. Prices are a little high but it's to be expected.

Fun western town experience for all ages. Visit during Halloween for a haunted house and hosts music festivals during the year as well.

Would be great for kids, but not much for adults. We spent 30 minutes there and saw all we needed to see. A little on the cheesy side!

2017 Review of Lights of the World

For 2017, the Lights of the World Lantern Festival was moved to the State Fair Grounds, and is held in the parking lot. Enter from 19th Ave.
Tickets are $15 each for adults, under 65. There is Senior Discount.
Parking is $10; CASH only. Tickets can be purchased online or at the attraction entrance gate. If purchased online, they are good any night, and for one visit only.
The festival will held each night until January 2, 2018, except for December 26.
Hours are: 5-10PM.
Oriental food can be purchased and tables are set up to eat. Portable johns are scattered across the grounds for your convenience.
The area is well lit and there was no problem with safety. There is quite a bit of walking.

The light displays were quite good, without too much loud music.
The China Dragon was the most impressive.

I still think we were a bit disappointed, enough to know that we will not go see this another year. The prices, plus parking, were too high for what we saw, even with the discount of $1.50 for the senior member of my party. And while this is Called Lights of the WORLD, the focus is clearly on oriental displays. They were quite nice, but we expected a boarder international flavor.

It was a lovely evening for this and the photos turned out good, but this was a one time visit.

I was here for a Rugged Maniac mud run. It was awesome.