Best Live Music Venue Crescent Ballroom
This live-music haunt attracts a more diverse crowd than its earlobe-plug-wearing-hipster core clientele would suggest. Brick walls and local art aside, it’s the free live concerts in the cozy lounge that draw us in at all times of day (that and the Tuesday/Thursday $5 beer and burrito special). The main ballroom has choice acoustics worthy of such indie acts as Miniature Tigers and Sparta, plus a row of bleachers for days you want to avoid the frenzied grinding of “the pit.” 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix, 602-716-2222,
crescentphx.com
Best Little Theater That CouldBrelby Theatre Company
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night was a fitting season opener for Brian and Shelby Maticic’s nomadic troupe. Much like The Bard’s storm-tossed characters, the Maticics were forced to improvise when permit delays and a lack of air conditioning kept them out of their new studio. Brelby’s solution? Set up chairs on a nearby bar patio and perform in 100-plus degree temps, under broiling portable lights. We’re confident any company that garners positive reviews under such circumstances will weather the Valley’s stormy theater scene.
brelby.com
Best 2012-2013 Performing Arts Season Arizona Theatre Company
ATC has a penchant for offbeat shows with an equal chance of attracting or appalling audiences. Case in point: last year’s God of Carnage, which spotlighted the troupe’s affinity for projectile vomit effects. Now, they’re tackling such touchy topics as mental illness and race relations in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal and Clybourne Park. Upcoming performances will appeal to everyone from Cheeseheads (Lombardi, about football legend Vince Lombardi) to anglophiles (a musical version of Jane Austen’s Emma) to deep thinkers (Freud’s Last Session, which pits the atheist psychoanalyst against religious writer C.S. Lewis). Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe St., Phoenix, 602-256-6995,
arizonatheatre.org
Best Three-Course Museum ExperiencePhoenix Art Museum
While mainstream movie theaters bring you predictable prequels, Phoenix Art Museum debuts a nowhere-else-in-town lineup of films like National Theatre Live’s London presentation of Danny Boyle’s electrifying, role-switching Frankenstein; Christopher Plummer’s take on The Tempest; and provocative award-winners from Latin America. Pre-film, check out the museum’s latest exhibits, like “Modern Spirit: Fashion of the 1920s,” and hit on-site café Palette to sip Arizona wine and discuss burning topics like the confluence of Prohibition and fashion. 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-257-1222,
phxart.org
Best Elvis SightingsMIM Elvis exhibit and Elvis Chapel
Elvis may not be singing karaoke with the Instant Classics or gobbling peanut butter and banana desserts at Cornish Pasty Co., but The King is alive in Phoenix. You’ll find Elvis’ spirit – and fans – lingering over his tooled leather guitar cover and fringe jumpsuit at the Musical Instrument Museum. We suspect Presley’s ghost might also watch himself on the big screen at the Elvis Presley Memorial Chapel, a reconstructed clapboard church from Apacheland Movie Ranch that plays Charro and other flicks. Musical Instrument Museum: 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, 480-478-6000, themim.org; Superstition Mountain Museum: 4087 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction, 480-983-4888,
superstitionmountainmuseum.org
Best Place to Actually See Art on First FridayWillo North Gallery
Tired of fighting the First Friday masses to get even a quick peek of the art works stashed along Roosevelt Row? Then step off the beaten path and check out this gem on Seventh Avenue, which consistently hosts high-caliber curated shows from local pop artists. Previous exhibitions included Paul Wilson’s “My Life with Lee Harvey Oswald,” which re-imagined JFK’s alleged assassin as everything from a teen heartthrob to the model for Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” and an “Icons of Phoenix” exhibit featuring Jason Hill’s deco paintings of local landmarks. 2811 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix, 602-448-9041,
willonorth.com
Best Outdoor Shooting RangeRio Salado Sportsmans Club
When you tire of “shooting the breeze,” shoot something more substantial at this paradise for rifle-rousers. Set on 140 acres, RSSC features seven ranges – including a pistol range, a high power rifle range, and a 12-station sporting clays range. Their programs feature NRA-trained instructors teaching topics like gun safety, and a champion-producing junior smallbore division program. 3960 N. Usery Pass Rd., Mesa, 480-984-9610,
riosaladosportsmans.com
Best Way to Channel Your Inner Alice Cooper School of Rock
Screw the Suzuki method: Who wants to repeat scales over and over when you could be thrashing the bass line to Pink Floyd’s “Money”? Instructors at Scottsdale’s School of Rock, which opened in late August, understand this. Fledgling and advanced students from kids to adults play popular tunes, and band members can snag industry advice via an artist development program. If your kid really rocks, he or she can live out their rock star fantasies as part of the All Stars traveling troupe. 13610 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, 480-483-7625,
scottsdale.schoolofrock.com
Best Annual EventsBarrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction
Gearheads from around the globe flock to this vintage auto show featuring more than 1,000 classic and collectible automobiles. The 42-year-old event at Westworld of Scottsdale raises millions of dollars for local charities. On the auction block this January: a newly restored Shelby prototype dubbed “The Green Hornet.” (January 13-20, 2013)
barrett-jackson.com/scottsdaleCelebration of Fine Art
One month and one building isn’t enough to accommodate this massive Scottsdale art show, which stretches across 40,000 square feet and three mild-weather months. Meet 100 well-known and emerging artists, peek inside their studios and watch them create masterpieces. (January 12-March 24, 2013)
celebrateart.comGreat Arizona Beer Festival
Tempe Beach Park in balmy March, more than 200 beers, beer-friendly barbecue, and live music – how much more convincing do you need? OK, how’s this: You’re doubling as a do-gooder. The festival raises money for Sun Sounds of Arizona, a local reading and information service for the blind.
azbeer.comDevoured
While some food fests pad their numbers with generic chain eateries, Devoured programs only the best local fare. Culinary masterminds from across the Valley convene at the Phoenix Art Museum each March to serve up nibbles and dish out demos and vino. When you’re done devouring, feast your eyes on the museum’s cutting-edge exhibits.
devouredphoenix.com Phoenix Comicon
Proud nerd or not, you’ll get a kick out of the costume-clad, 32,000-strong crowds at this convention for all things comic book-related, which attracts celebs such as William Shatner and Stan Lee and spotlights everything from blockbuster films to animation, fantasy novels and video games. (May 23-26, 2013)
phoenixcomicon.com
Best Outdoor FunSecret Cliff Dwelling Hikes
Hundreds of crumbling, ancient Native American villages hide in plain sight in the foothills around the Valley. Guided by Dave Wilson’s equally obscure book Ruins Seldom Seen, you can scout local ruins Indiana Jones-style, like the cliff structure in the Superstitions built by the Salado Indians circa 1150.
arizonaruins.com/salado/superstitionsArizona Climbing and Adventure School
Experience Arizona’s geology up close while enjoying the satisfaction of combining laser-like focus and muscular brawn to scale a scenic cliff. The school’s 23-year track record of safety and 37,000 students testify to the instructors’ skill on the rocks. 480-363-2390,
climbingschool.com Full Moon Hikes
At night, the desert cools down and comes alive with the thrum of nocturnal critters, while the moon bathes the rocks in a lunar glow. Park rangers guide hikers on monthly two-hour hikes (free with park entry fee) at local preserves, including McDowell Mountain Regional Park. 16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr., Scottsdale, 480-471-0173,
maricopa.gov/parks/mcdowellDolly Steamboat Tour
Get a spectacular new vantage point of the Superstition Mountains via Canyon Lake’s steamboat tour. The Dolly looks like it sailed straight out of the Roaring ’20s, largely because it did – it’s been in operation since 1925. Be a part of its history on a narrated nature cruise, a twilight dinner cruise or astronomy cruise. 480-827-9144,
dollysteamboat.com
Best Fun Learning ExperiencesBirds ‘n’ Beer
Why wasn’t biology class fun? Because you weren’t drinking Four Peaks beer while listening to waggish scientists pontificate on subjects that almost all begin with “The Sex Life of...” Join the diverse crowd at the Rio Salado Audubon Center to discover how much fun learning while drinking can be. Nominal donations benefit the center’s youth outreach programs. (Every third Thursday of the month, 5:30-7:30 p.m.) 3131 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-468-6470,
az.audubon.org Whiskey School
Swirling glasses of absinthe, sampling Scotch, muddling Old Fashioneds – now that’s our idea of education. Held at Old Town Whiskey bar in the Saguaro Hotel, monthly two-hour Whiskey School classes alternate between whiskey-tasting and cocktail-making sessions. Head bartender John Christie enlivens the mixology with jiggers of history and culture. Bonus: You get to drink your homework. 4000 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, 480-970-4444,
jdvhotels.com/dining/arizona/old_town_whiskeyAdults’ Night Out at Arizona Science Center
Who says kids get to have all the fun? At ANO, an adult-only crowd is set loose to explore the center’s four levels of science fun (including those hands-on exhibits you know you still get a kick out of) and enjoy fascinating lectures. (Sample topic: How geckos regrow limbs.) First Friday of every month. 600 E. Washington St., Phoenix, 602-716-2000,
azscience.orgWorkshops at the MIM
Where else are you going to get the opportunity to play an African thumb piano or a Balinese gamelan? The Musical Instrument Museum’s workshops encourage visitors to try their hand at any number of fascinatingly exotic instruments. All ages welcome; times and prices vary. 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, 480-478-6000,
themim.org
Best Family FunOctane Raceway
You know it’s serious go-karting when a race suit and helmet are provided upon arrival. Luckily, no racing experience is necessary to reach speeds of up to 45 mph at this thrill-a-second indoor track for adults and kids ages 8 and older. 317 S. 48th St., Phoenix, 602-302-RACE,
octaneraceway.comFree Friday Nights at Phoenix Children’s Museum
On the first Friday of every month from 5-9 p.m., take the kiddos to a place where they can run, play and learn for free. From the Noodle Forest to the Texture Café, the myriad exhibits are sure to delight minds of all ages. 215 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, 602-253-0501,
childrensmuseumofphoenix.orgPhoenix Zoo Water Park & Campouts
Phoenix Zoo’s Leapin’ Lagoon Sprayground (open April-October; included with zoo admission) is a zero-depth water play area for rambunctious kids and their dare-to-get-soaked parents. For a drier experience, go nocturnal at the zoo’s occasional campouts, when the night air comes alive with the sounds of animals. 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, 602-273-1341,
phoenixzoo.orgIce Rink at CityScape
Downtown freezes over at the NRG Ice Rink, where you can create Rockefeller Center-esque moments, meet Santa, and sip cocoa surrounded by city lights. $10 per person for skate rental and unlimited skating. Late November to early January. Jefferson St. and Central Ave., Phoenix, 602-772-3900,
cityscapephoenix.com/icerink Hall of Flame Museum
This museum – the largest firefighting museum in the world – may not be on your radar yet, but it should be. Learn the history of firefighting from as far back as 1725 while touring a collection of more than 130 fire engines and 90 restored pieces of firefighting equipment from around the world. Who knows – it may inspire a career path for your bravest little ones. 6101 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix, 602-275-3473,
hallofflame.org