The Phoenix Traveler

Bars in Scottsdale will celebrate with a huge block party, the W hotel will host a masquerade, the Tempe Improv will do comedy with Frank Caliendo, and Valleywide restaurants and bars have special dinner/dances planned for New Year’s Eve. But what if big crowds getting blitzed doesn’t rock your world? If you like your celebrations to be a little more low key, here are a few alternatives that will help you greet 2009 on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008:
Game night with family or friends: I’ll be heading over to a friend’s house where we’ll play board games till the break of …read more

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Mill Avenue in Tempe hustles and bustles with pedestrian traffic year-round. It’s not the place to go if you want peace and quiet. And though I’d say the majority of the people you’ll see milling around are Arizona State University students, urbanites from all over the Valley of the Sun head over on evenings and weekends to shop, dine at the many restaurants, hang out in the taverns, and walk, ride bikes or rollerblade over to Tempe Town Lake.
This coming weekend, however, pedestrians will flock to Mill Avenue–one of America’s “ten great streets” (American Planning Association, 2008)–for one of …read more

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More than 20 Arizona authors will sell and sign their books at the 15th Annual ArtFest of Scottsdale today and tomorrow. New for this year’s event, “Book Street” gathers the authors all in one area, near the Scottsdale Mondrian hotel at the northwest corner of the festival site, in Old Town Scottsdale.
A few travel writers, including Christine K. Bailey, author of Destinations: A Complete Guide to Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona and Central Arizona, and Teresa Bitler, whose Great Escapes Arizona was just released are scheduled to appear.
Also plan to see arts & crafts booths, food and live music at the festival …read more

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A few of the original cast members and VIP’s from the iconic TV show, “Happy Days”, will be in the Gammage Theater audience on opening night for the Tempe debut of the musical stage version of the hit TV show.
Producer/writer/director Garry Marshall, Anson Williams (Potsie) and Don Most (Ralph Malph) are among the noted celebrities who will attend the Tuesday, Nov. 18 performance.
Heeeeey, it should be cool. The cast and VIP’s plan to arrive in classic 1950s cars and walk the red carpet.
Gammage, part of Arizona State University, is located on Mill and Apache. 
SHOW DETAIL:
HAPPY DAYS ● NOVEMBER 18-23, …read more

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What’s happening in theaters, museums and outdoor venues in Greater Phoenix? You can find out easily just by showing up.
Showing up online, of course. The above link takes you to a Web site created in 2003 by the Alliance for Audience, a non-profit organization consisting of arts and cultural groups in the Valley of the Sun who wanted a way to promote what they’re doing so you can take part in it.
Want to attend a live theater performance, a poetry reading or take an art class? Do you like concerts? It’s all here…times, dates, locations. Even maps. Get tickets, read …read more

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Now through October 2009, three museums in Mesa (Mesa Contemporary Arts (pictured above), Arizona Museum of Natural History, and Arizona Museum for Youth), all within walking distance, are open free to the public on the first Sunday of every month, noon to 5 p.m.
Other free events: MACFest, a downtown Mesa art and cultural festival every Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the October Storytelling Festival; and Day of the Dead and Holiday Art & Music festivals coming in November.
The city of Mesa, Target and the Arizona Republic launched the free museum program, 3 for Free, this month.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Mesa Contemporary …read more

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It was probably the most fun I ever had in class when I studied improvisational acting at Theater 168 in Scottsdale several years ago. And while you may not be able to sign up for a class (if you don’t live in town), you can attend one of their comedy shows if you happen to be here on a weekend.
Owned and operated by Jef and Shurlin Rawls, this family-friendly comedy theater is home to the Jester’Z comedy troupe–a really fun and lively bunch of comedians, ages 18 to mid-40s, who really put on a good show for their audiences …read more

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Members of the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau offer discounts and special offers throughout the year. If you’re headed to Scottsdale any time soon, you can check out what’s available now by clicking here. On the page, you’ll find a checklist. Check off what you’d like and print out your own coupon booklet.
Some of the savings you’ll see include discount travel packages at various hotels, free appetizers at participating restaurants, dollars off on massage therapies, discounts on theater tickets and tour packages, shopping incentives at upscale malls, and even a free lunch.
It might be worth a visit.

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