Animals, arcade games and open space to breathe. DAZ Festival Al Ain is a family day out that gets it right
We went out to Al Ain thinking we’d do a quick loop of DAZ Festival and head back. That did not happen.
The moment you walk into Al Jahili Park, it hits you. Kids laughing, music carrying across the grass, queues forming around the petting zoo by Al Ain Zoo. Not impatient queues either. The kind where children bounce on their toes waiting for their turn to ride the ponies There is a boy proudly holding a snake while a small crowd gathers, half curious, half unsure. A few steps away, owls sit calmly on perches, falcons watching everything with that steady, unbothered gaze. It feels alive from the start.
Then the energy picks up. You hear it before you see it. The zipline cuts across the park, people flying through the air with that mix of fear and thrill written all over their faces. Right next to it, an obstacle course where kids race each other, climb, fall, get back up and do it again. It is constant movement, constant noise, the kind that makes you want to join in rather than step back.
There is plenty to slow things down too. Workshops where kids sit cross-legged, hands deep in clay or brushing away at fossils like tiny archaeologists. Pony rides loop quietly in the background. And then, just when you think you have seen it all, you land in the food truck zone with 18 outlets, including SALT, Meokja, T’Parletje and Brooki.
This is where everyone gathers again. Families sharing fries, friends leaning against counters, arcade games lighting up in the corner with that familiar buzz and clatter. It is easy to lose track of time here.
With DAZ Festival wrapping on April 12, this is your last window to go. It is about an hour from Abu Dhabi, but it feels like a full day away. And honestly, it is worth every minute
The details:
Location: Al Jahili Park, Al Ain
Time: 4pm to 12am; until April 12
Cost: From Dhs25
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