The Valley’s wellspring of cultural diversions – festivals, the arts, fitness, et al – have never been deeper or more diverse. Grab your trunks and dive in!
Best (Real) Ballet Class
The School of Ballet Arizona
The adult ballet courses ($18/class) at Ballet Arizona teach true classical techniques – no cardio-Pilates-step fusions here. You’ll start with gentle stretches at the barre, then warm up with pliés and tendus, and close out the session with quick-moving floor combinations. Bonus: musical accompaniment by a live pianist.
2835 E. Washington St., Phoenix, 602-381-0184, balletaz.org
Best Day Party
Hotel Adeline Weekend Pool Parties
Gather your friends, slather on the sunscreen and get ready to rock at Hotel Adeline’s weekend pool parties from March through September. Buy a day pass or splurge on a day bed or cabana (prices vary by date) and spend hours soaking up the sun, listening to a live DJ and sipping your favorite drink.
5101 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, 480-284-7700, hoteladeline.com
Best Way to Spend a Thursday Evening
Fly Tying with Friends
Don’t know what fly tying is? Find out at this weekly gathering (free, 6:15-8:30 p.m.) at AZ Fly Shop. Here, friends and strangers, experts and newbies, all BYOB for a laid-back night of tying fishing flies. If you don’t know how, you’ll catch (ha) on quickly.
3254 E. Cactus Rd., Phoenix, 602-354-8881, azflyshop.com
Best Mobile Tea Party
English Tea Garden
English Tea Garden’s Misty Sumner will come to your home or office and set up afternoon tea served on proper English china. The spread includes tea, a three-tiered assortment of made-from-scratch sweet and savory finger foods (think smoked salmon tea sandwiches and mini fruit tarts) and soft, biscuit-like scones with jam and Chantilly cream.
602-531-1672, englishteagarden.uk
Best Build-Your-Own Picnic
Picnic Point AZ
If you want to up your al fresco grazing game, this luxury picnic company makes it a literal walk in the park. Here’s how it works: Pick personalized elements like picnic blankets, pillows, place settings and fresh flora; snacks like charcuterie boards and chocolate-covered strawberries; themes ranging from whimsical tea party to transportive tropical isle; and nearly 20 popular locations around the Valley, including Tempe Town Lake, Papago Park and South Mountain. Picnic Point takes care of all setup and cleanup – all you have to do is show up.
picnicpointaz.com
Best New Orleans Burlesque Show Not in New Orleans
Spellbound at Grey Hen Rx
At Grey Hen Rx – the whiskey-centric Big Easy concept inside Jason Asher’s Century Grand cocktail playground – Spellbound Burlesque performs the art of the striptease the second Wednesday of each month (free, reservations required). Among a cluster of cocktail tables and dancing candlelight, the shows are both theatrical and intimate – a riveting alchemy of showstopping spectacle and bewitching sensuality.
3626 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-739-1388, centurygrandphx.com/grey-hen
Best Reason to Steal a Shopping Cart
Phoenix Idiotarod Race
For 17 years now, the rules for this event have remained simple: Find five friends, dress them in idiotic costumes and race through the Phoenix streets, stopping at checkpoints along the way to complete challenges. More than 30 teams took up the challenge in 2023. If you want to win, be prepared to engage in tomfoolery and shenanigans. Proceeds go to charity.
azcacophony.org/idiotarod
Best Free Arts Event for Families
Free Art Fridays at the Edna Vihel Arts Center
Every month from September through May, City of Tempe hosts Free Art Friday at the Edna Vihel Arts Center (near the Tempe Public Library and Tempe History Museum, if you want to make it a full family day). Free Art Fridays include a variety of art- and craft-making workshops, dance lessons, face-painting, live music and more. The events are geared toward pre-K kids and their families and usually revolve around themes like A Day at the Beach, Myths & Legends and Dessert Island.
3340 S. Rural Rd., Tempe, 480-350-5287, tempe.gov/government/community-services/community-recreation-centers/edna-vihel-arts-center
Best Free Yoga
Stadium Yoga at ASU Sun Devil Stadium
Fall through spring, Saturday mornings and Tuesday evenings bring free yoga at Sun Devil Stadium, hosted by alternating instructors from studios around the Valley. The sessions are diverse and include various yoga styles (most commonly hatha, yin and vinyasa) but are designed to be accessible to people of all ages and skill levels. It’s free to register, but participants should bring their own yoga mats, towels and water.
500 E. Veterans Way, Tempe, asu365communityunion.com.
Best Drag Brunch
Bacon & Leggs at Copper Blues
Barbra Seville hosts this drunken delight every Saturday, in which drag queens get up on the stage, the bar, the tables and people’s laps, performing all manner of diva ditties (sometimes including Olivia Newton-John numbers, in roller skates). “Bottomless mimosas” are available ($15 for your first mimosa, and then a penny each after that) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There’s never been a better reason to be drunk by noon. Reservations are recommended.
50 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix, 480-719-5005, copperbluesphoenix.seatengine.com
Best Booze-Free Events
Dry in the Desert
It’s no secret that the pandemic was a catalyst for folks to reexamine their relationship with alcohol. Studies revealed that women were particularly affected – heavy drinking among the female population rose by more than 40 percent. If you’re exploring moderation, mindful drinking or abstaining from alcohol altogether, sober sage Ellie St. Aubin hosts events around the Valley that cater to the sober-curious crowd. These alcohol-free gatherings allow guests to try new NA beverage brands and craft mocktails, meet like-minded individuals and, best of all, attend a party they’ll remember the next morning.
@dryinthedesert
Best Way to See Phoenix for Free
Culture Pass at Phoenix Public Library
There’s free stuff, and then there’s free experiences. You’ll find the latter through this great program, which allows locals to check out passes for two to visit participating arts and culture institutions. Available at all local library branches on a first-come, first-served basis, Culture Passes offer admission to Arcosanti, Reid Park Zoo, Boyce Thompson Arboretum, most local museums and many more cultural hot spots.
phoenixpubliclibrary.org
Most Promising Free Concert Series
Live! at Murphy Park
Part of a massive downtown Glendale improvement project, this seasonal series of eclectic concerts (tribute acts, indie artists, mariachi bands, etc.) is headed for a revamp this fall. The series will remain free and located in downtown Glendale, house a lounge and vendor area, and will likely have an earlier start time to elicit a broader appeal to families and guests patronizing the surrounding businesses and restaurants.
glendaleaz.com
Best Place to See a Punk Band
The Nile Theater
Wanna slam to Arizona punk rockers Authority Zero or the frenzied old-school sound of FEAR’s Lee Ving? (Yes, he’s still alive.) You can do so with impunity in this industrial East Valley space, which invites punk fans to essentially relive Penelope Spheeris’ cult documentary The Decline of Western Civilization from the relative safety of the 2020s. Also appearing: Japanese power pop, melodic death metal, EDM, deathcore and the occasional night of hip-hop and funk.
105 W. Main St., Mesa, 480-559-5859, theniletheater.com
Best Children’s Museum You Haven’t Been to
i.d.e.a. Museum
Yes, Phoenix has a big, fabulous children’s museum with all the bells, whistles and play areas. But there’s another kid-friendly spot in Mesa that features the work of local artists and shows with a more science-y bent. Grown-up kids will love it, too.
150 W. Pepper Pl., Mesa, 480-644-2468, ideamuseum.org
Best Free Museum Experience for Kids
Children’s Museum of Phoenix – First Fridays
Let the kiddos burn off some energy – and learn a thing or two – at Phoenix Children’s Museum. With a whopping three floors of hands-on activities like the BlockMania! building area, art studio, The Climber adventure sculpture and the Noodle Forest immersive experience, there’s no way your little ones won’t be ready for a nap by the end of this visit. Free the first Friday of every month, from 5-9 p.m.
215 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, 602-253-0501, childrensmuseumofphoenix.org
Best Park to Wear Out Your Kids
Fiesta Bowl PLAY at Hance Park
It’s tough for parents to find an affordable place for their kids to get their wiggles out. Luckily, this $8.6 million addition to Hance Park features a climbing wall, animal-shaped play structures, and a huge, shaded sandbox. And yes, it’s OK for parents to play along.
67 W. Culver St., Phoenix, hanceparkphx.org
