Archive for the ‘Featured’ Category

NRG Ice Rink Returns To CityScape

Monday, November 21st, 2011

Why should outdoor holiday ice skating be reserved for Rockefeller Center and backwoods ponds in the Midwest?

CS Ice Rink-9WEB CityScape and NRG have again joined forces to bring skating to the most unlikeliest of places: Downtown Phoenix.

This Saturday, the holiday season gets a fantastic kickstart with the opening of the NRG Ice Rink at Patriot’s Square, along with the ceremonial lighting of CityScape’s holiday tree.

The fun begins at 4 p.m., with the tree lighting commencing at 6:30. There will be a visit from Santa, hot chocolate, and other treats.

Double the size of last year’s inaugural rink, the NRG Ice Rink will be open throughout the holiday season. Admission is $10 per person, which includes skate rental. Dates and hours of operation are as follows:

Nov. 25 through Dec. 18

Monday-Friday 5-11 p.m. / Saturday and Sunday 3-11 p.m.

Dec. 19 through Jan. 1

3-11 p.m. daily

Jan. 2 through Jan. 11

Monday-Friday 5-11 p.m. / Saturday and Sunday 3-11 p.m.

For more great holiday events in Downtown Phoenix visit the Holidays Happen Here home page.

Tags: CityScape, downtown phoenix, Holidays In Downtown Phoenix, NRG Ice Rink
Posted in Arts & Culture, Bars & Nightlife, Business Development, Community Commentary, Deal, Family, Featured, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events, Sports, Travel, Shopping & Leisure | 1 Comment »

Paws On the Patio Sunday

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Downtowners love their dogs and this Sunday, Nov. 20, Sam’s Cafe at Arizona Center will host a charity event specifically for pooches and their doting owners.

From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Paws On the Patio will feature:

dogs_on_the_patio_medium * Gourmet 3-course doggy meal ($10)

* Reduced-Rate Microchipping ($20)

* Photos with Santa

* Silent Auction

* 25-30 Pet-Related Vendors

This event benefits Almost Home Boxer Rescue and is a wonderful reason to bring your best friend Downtown. All breeds are welcome!

For more information contact Shasta at 602-252-3545.

Tags: Almost Home Boxer Rescue, Arizona Center, Dog Events, downtown phoenix, Paws on the Patio, Sam's Cafe
Posted in Arts & Culture, Bars & Nightlife, Community Commentary, Deal, Family, Featured, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events | No Comments »

PAPA Comes To Civic Space Park Saturday

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

The Valley’s only pedestrian-driven community parade returns for a sixth installment this Saturday, this time with a new home at Civic Space Park in Downtown Phoenix.

2011PAPA Phoenix Annual Parade of the Arts debuted Downtown in 2006 and this year transitions from Roosevelt Row to nearby Civic Space Park, one of Sunset Magazine’s Top 10 City Parks.

But don’t let the fancy new digs fool you: PAPA promises more of the same brand of family friendly fun including live music, puppet shows, street performers, circus attractions, floats, face-painting, and dance–all leading up to the 5:45 community led parade that will weave through the streets of Downtown.

There’s no event like PAPA, which unites the arts with the greater community by providing a free and open to the public, mobile expression of the arts lifestyle that is unique to Downtown Phoenix.

So decorate your bike, dress up like a elf, paint your face, and let loose at the Phoenix Annual Parade of the Arts, an all-ages, all-shapes, all-sizes, all-day party like no other.

Tags: civic space park, downtown phoenix, PAPA, Performance Art, Phoenix Annual Parade of the Arts, Roosevelt Row
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Urban Grocery Turns Two

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

For the past two years Urban Grocery & Wine Bar has served as Downtown’s local grocery store.

urban_market To celebrate, Urban Grocery & Wine Bar invites you to attend a birthday bash coinciding with Phoenix Public Market’s Wednesday Open Market from 4-8 p.m.

The party will feature the unveiling of a new mural that was painted on the west side of the Urban Grocery building by community mural contest winner Joseph “Sentrock” Perez, birthday cupcakes provided by Tracy Dempsey Originals, $3 food truck specials including birthday themed ice cream by Sweet Republic, and a special “wines and wieners” pairing provided by Sand Reckoner Vineyards and Short Leash Hot Dogs. Sounds pretty great, right?

There will also be live music by Dan Sell and a special beer tasting by Sonoran Brewing.

Downtown Phoenix Public Market and Urban Grocery & Wine Bar continue to help galvanize the Downtown community so it’s only fitting that the community come together for this special event. As a special birthday bonus, McKinley Street is open so the public can enter the parking lot from either First Street or Central Avenue.

Tags: Downtown Phoenix Urban Market & Grocery, local first, phoenix public market, Sand Reckoner Vineyards, Short Leash Hot Dogs, Sonoran Brewery, Sweet Republic
Posted in Arts & Culture, Bars & Nightlife, Business Development, Community Commentary, Deal, Family, Featured, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events, Travel, Shopping & Leisure | No Comments »

Zombie Walk 3 Saturday

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Contrary to what you may have heard, Downtown Phoenix is not dead.

It’s undead.

zombieWEB The Downtown Ambassadors and Arizona Ghostbusters will lead the Third Annual Zombie Walk this Saturday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. as a part of Rosson House Museum’s Hallowe’en extravaganza that takes place at Heritage Square from 2-10 p.m.

Zombie Walk started in 2009 when the Downtown Ambassadors and some of their friends decided it would be fun to dress up like reanimated corpses and meander through the streets of Downtown Phoenix.

Around 200 people attended that first Zombie Walk. A year later, over 2000 zombies descended on our urban core and Downtown Phoenix had a bona fide Zombie Apocalypse on its hands. (Or is it Zombie-ocalypse?)

“There will be food and music and fun for the kids but Zombie Walk is mostly a time when the zombie race can get together, talk about old times, and chow down on some brains,” said Zombie Ambassador Curtis Leach. “I really like brains.”

Zombie Walk 3 FAQ

Q: How do I dress like a zombie?

A: Here are some pictures from Zombie Walk 2.

Q: How much does Zombie Walk 3 cost?

A: Zombie Walk 3 is free to the public, but canned donations benefiting St. Mary’s Food Shelf are strongly encouraged.

Q: Where should zombies park?

A: Arizona Center has graciously allowed all Zombie Walk 3 attendees to park in their ramp for $5.

Q: What if don’t want to dress up like a zombie?

A: The world needs zombie victims, too.

Zombies will line up at Heritage Square around 5:30 p.m. and the walk, er, limp will begin at 6. Hallowe’en, sponsored by the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, X103.9 FM, Easley’s Fun Shop, Rosson House Museum, and CareScape, features live music from The Relics, The Alchemy Heart, and Checker’d Past, plus makeup artists, Halloween-themed vendors, food trucks, psychics, tarot readers, and much more. For a complete schedule please visit the Zombie Walk 3 web page.

See you Saturday!

Posted in Arts & Culture, Bars & Nightlife, Business Development, Community Commentary, Deal, Family, Featured, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events | No Comments »

Downtown Pub Crawl Saturday

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

We’re just four days from the greatest night you’ll never remember.

4thPubCrawlWEB The Fifth Annual Downtown Phoenix Pub Crawl happens this Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m.

For $12 online or $15 day-of, Crawlers can partake in drink deals at an unprecedented 20 bars, trolley service, beads, a post-Crawl breakfast/dance party at Steve’s Greenhouse Grill, plus cab and hotel discounts.

Because we don’t want our favorite people to miss out on any of the Pub Crawl shenanigans, we’re sweetening the deal by giving online purchasers an extra $2 off when they enter the promo code FB2.

(For math majors, that knocks the price down to an even $10.)

BREAKING PUB CRAWL NEWS: Should you complete your Pub Crawl mission and make it all the way to Steve’s Greenhouse Grill for breakfast and dancing, we’ll have some sweet giveaways waiting, including concert tickets, Flogging Molly pint glasses, CDs, DVDs, and jars of our homemade country mustard! HUGE thanks to our sponsor X103.9 FM!

You’ll find a complete list if bars, deals, official Pub Crawl map, cab and hotel deal information, and much more at our Pub Crawl home page.

See you Saturday!

** Tickets purchased online can be picked up beginning at 10 a.m. at the Downtown Ambassador Information Center (101 N. 1st Ave.)

Tags: bar smith, Bliss/ReBAR, Bread Fruit, Brick, carly's bistro, CityScape, Coach & Willie's, Copper Blues, crescent ballroom, downtown phoenix, friday's front row, Ghost Lounge, hooter's, Lucky Strike, Rose and Crown, seamus mccaffrey's, Tilted Kilt, Turf
Posted in Arts & Culture, Bars & Nightlife, Business Development, Community Commentary, Deal, Family, Featured, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events, Sports, Travel, Shopping & Leisure | 1 Comment »

Downtown Street Party Friday

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

This Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Downtown Phoenix Partnership is closing down Adams Street between Central and First Avenue and throwing a huge Street Party.

Street_Party This FREE, family friendly event is a celebration of the Downtown experience and everyone is invited to attend.

Street Party-goers can look forward to

* Live music from Bad Lucy

* Food stands from Bistro 202, Baja Fresh, Tom’s Tavern, Spoonz, Courthouse Cafe, Karim’s Cobbler & Deli, Hard Rock Cafe, Thai’d Up, Matador Mexican Restaurant, Phoenix Public Market, Arrogant Butcher, ZPIZZA and Tilted Kilt, plus other great Downtown restaurants like Copper Blues, Downtown Deli, Kincaid’s, and Coach & Willie’s

* Information booths for the Fifth Annual Downtown Pub Crawl and Zombie Walk 3

* Sports and cultural destinations Valley Youth Theatre, Herberger Theater Center, Arizona Latino Arts & Cultural Center, Arizona Science Center, Phoenix Mercury, Phoenix Suns, Theatre League, Phoenix Symphony, Comerica Theatre, and Rosson House

*Health and Beauty businesses Shell Chiropractic, Lincoln Family YMCA, LifeStart, Downtown Salon Phoenix, Union Optical, Downtown Dental, Perry Monge Salon & Spa, Renaissance Chiropractic, Par Exsalonce, Youngblood Haircutters, CMG CareToday and Health Coach

* Downtown businesses and organizations Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau, FedEx, MidFirst Bank, Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce, Bike Force, Mutual of Omaha, AAMCO, US Bank

Food, music, games, giveaways, and more… come spend part of your Friday with us!

Tags: Bad Lucy, downtown phoenix, Street Party
Posted in Arts & Culture, Bars & Nightlife, Business Development, Community Commentary, Deal, Family, Featured, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events, Sports, Travel, Shopping & Leisure | No Comments »

Support Valley of the Sunflowers

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

If you’re eager to see the field of sunflowers bloom at Valley of the Sunflowers (854 N. 6th Street) and want to be involved, check out their inspiring Kickstarter video. You can contribute $1 and up. If the full $15,000 is not raised by Tuesday, October 25 at 12:01 a.m. MST, the amount they have raised will be forfeited. All contributions are tax deductible.

The sunflowers are now sprouting! Help them maximize this project’s potential and fulfill their mission to:

1. Create a transformative educational experience for local students.
2. Reduce urban blight by temporarily activating & beautifying vacant land.
3. Provide a biofuel source for the Bioscience High School’s hybrid vehicle using sunflower oil.
4. Serve as an innovative catalyst for sustainable energy and transportation in Phoenix.
5. Bring excitement and inspiration to Downtown.

Tags: downtown, downtown phoenix, downtown phoenix events, downtown phx, phoenix, phoenix art, phoenix events, Valley of the Sunflowers
Posted in Arts & Culture, Business Development, Community Commentary, Family, Featured | No Comments »

Crescent Ballroom Debuts

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Downtown Phoenix’s claim as Arizona’s No. 1 destination for live music was strengthened this week when Stateside Presents opened Crescent Ballroom, a mid-size venue already attracting big-time buzz.

Located at 308 N. 2nd Ave., in the early 19oos-era building formerly occupied by Bentley’s nightclub, Crescent artfully revamped the space into separate lounge and theater spaces. Benjamin Leatherman of Phoenix New Times described the venue this way after attending Monday’s Grand Opening featuring Blind Pilots (photo below taken by Ernie Rodriguez):

“Crescent Ballroom mixes all the best parts of other Downtown Phoenix venues both past and present into its milieu. There’s the exposed brick and wooden rafters look and intimate vibe of Modified Arts back when it hosted regular shows. Its centralized location and large stage evokes the feel of the bygone Brickhouse, while the arty drink selection and darkened ambiance of the lounge remind you of the Lost Leaf.”

crescent2 If Letherman’s wonderfully woven words don’t close the deal, foodies will be interested to learn that Crescent will soon open a kitchen, Cocina 10, run by all-star chefs Chris Bianco (Pizzeria Bianco) and Doug Robson (Gallo Blanco),which will open later this month.

Or, if you’re all about the music, take a gander at Crescent Ballroom’s full calendar, which offers a little bit of everything including local and regional up-and-comers (Black Carl, Dry River Yacht Club) DJs (Melo, Kismet), jazz, blues, and the hippests of hip indie rock (Blitzen Trapper, The Naked and the Famous, St. Vincent, Deer Tick).

The Crescent Ballroom lounge, one of 20 bars participating in the Oct. 22 Downtown Phoenix Pub Crawl, opens daily at 4 p.m.

Track the venue’s evolution on Facebook and Twitter.

Rock on.

Tags: bentley's, charlie levy, crescent ballroom, downtown phoenix, Downtown Phoenix Music, stateside presents
Posted in Arts & Culture, Bars & Nightlife, Business Development, Deal, Family, Featured, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events, Travel, Shopping & Leisure | 3 Comments »

Mas Calaveras

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

The other day as we were driving over to see the Valley of the Sunflowers field, my companion said, “There’s a new mural.” I knew right away that it was done by Lalo Cota since it features his unmistakable calaveras which I have blogged about before. Here’s a collage I did last year featuring several of them, scattered about the Downtown Phoenix area.

Sometimes Lalo collaborates with Thomas Breeze and/or Pablo Luna. I was excited to see a new one on the front of Tacos de Juarez (authentic Mexican food at 1017 N. 7th Street) and I know there are a couple more around town, too, that I will blog about soon. It’s great to be photographing a few more murals again and we’re coming up on the best time of year to be walking around colorful Downtown Phoenix with a camera.