The Valley’s wellspring of cultural diversions – festivals, the arts, fitness, et al. – has never been deeper or more diverse. Grab your swimsuit and dive in!

Best Puppet Guy 
Shaun McNamara

This is not your kid’s puppet show. In fact, Shaun McNamara’s All Puppet Players productions are for mature audiences only. It’s not unusual to see giant radioactive ants or an homage to Ridley Scott’s Alien, but you might want to start with McNamara’s annual holiday crowd-pleaser, Die Hard. We can’t wait to see what gore-drenched movie classic he adapts next. 1850 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-254-2151, allpuppetplayers.com 

Best Storyteller
Carly Davis 

The Phoenix storytelling scene will live happily ever after – thanks to Carly Davis. She teaches at South Mountain Community College’s Storytelling Institute (the local gold standard for spoken-word sharing) and pushes boundaries with a “dirty” storytelling show, and another where the audience has to decide which performer is lying. The truth: Davis is the best! southmountaincc.edu

Best Ballet 
Ballet Arizona’s Frida

This biographical production was not choreographed in-house – but Ballet Arizona deserves applause for mounting the U.S. premiere of choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s telling of iconic feminist painter Frida Kahlo’s story. From the costumes to the music to performances by Ballet Arizona dancers, every detail was gorgeous and heartbreaking, like Kahlo herself. balletaz.org  

Best Music Festival Resurrection
VIVA PHX

After a long hiatus starting in 2017, Live Nation, Best Life Presents and Crescent Concerts revived Charlie Levy’s beloved music festival last spring, showcasing more than 70 local and national underground bands performing across various streets, bars and concert venues in Central Phoenix. For one night, Downtown never sounded so good. vivaphx.com

Best Multi-Hyphenate Farm
Schnepf Farms

The Schnepf family takes “DIY” to a whole other level. U-Pick seasonal fruit and vegetables? Check. Holiday parties celebrating produce from peaches to pumpkins? Yes, ma’am. Bakery and country store offering everything from biscuits and gravy to cinnamon rolls (regular and gluten-free)? Oui, chef. Wedding and special-events venue? Affirmative. Glamping? But of course. Is there anything those industrious Schnepfs don’t offer? 24810 S. Rittenhouse Rd., Queen Creek, 480-987-3100, schnepffarms.com

Best Affordable Movie Night
West Wind Glendale 9 Drive-In

The lone remaining traditonal drive-in movie theater in the Valley is also it’s most wallet-friendly, charging a scant $2 for movie fans between 5- and 11-years-old. So break out the folding chairs and enjoy the summer’s upcoming blockbusters – including Superman (July 11) and Fantastic Four (July 25). Or, if you have an EV, roll up the windows and enjoy the AC. 5650 N. 55th Ave., Glendale, 623-939-9715, westwinddi.com

Best Community Theater 
Mesa Encore Theatre

There’s lots to love – getting to see friends and family take the stage, celebrating grassroots efforts, supporting fledgling actors – but no one said community theater was actually going to be enjoyable. Unless we’re talking about this theater, a mainstay of the local scene and a sure bet on a wonderful performance. 1 E. Main St., Mesa, 480-834-9500, mesaencoretheatre.com

Best Way to See Star Wars
The Phoenix Symphony

The “Imperial Death March” in The Empire Strikes Back always sends a delicious tingle of dread down our spines when those first, descending notes fall out of space – but you haven’t experienced the piece until you’ve heard it performed live by a 75-piece orchestra while the movie is projected on a giant screen overhead. Such is one example of the populist programming pinache at the Valley’s symphony of record, which has Return of the Jedi (May 23-24, 2026) lined up for the coming season, along with several other movie-inspired performances and the usual posh stuff. 75 N. Second St., 602-495-1999, phoenixsymphony.org

Best Seriously Vintage Footwear
Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West

In the old-school shoes department, My Sister’s Closet has nothing on the moccasins at Western Spirit, fashioned from stuff like hides and porcupine quills in Minnesota for a Dakota (Eastern Sioux) wearer circa 1725. On the other hand, these 300-year-old loafers aren’t for sale. A pity, since they’re fabulous. 3830 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale, 480-686-9539, westernspirit.org