Archive for the ‘Music & Events’ Category
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
If you’re heading Downtown for First Friday, you’ll find some juicy new attractions this week. And by juicy, I mean melt-in-your-mouth burger sliders and pot roast with gravy, just to name a few of the dishes at Bliss, a brand-new eatery.
But first, for any newbies who don’t know about First Friday, I’ll keep it short and sweet: First Friday is the country’s largest, self-guided art walk. This event takes place every month in Downtown Phoenix from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the pleasures range from live music, food and performance artists to more than 100 art galleries.
Just as a heads-up, the street closure is still on hiatus for Roosevelt, but Roosevelt Row restaurants are always open for business, so be sure to check out Bliss and its companion bar ReBar, which just opened at Roosevelt and Fourth Streets.
American Comfort Food, Updated
Bliss is co-owned by Mark Howard, who also owns Fez, one of the most popular restaurants in central Phoenix (oh, Fez, if only you delivered those sweet potato fries). The menu for Bliss features a new angle on American comfort foods, from pot roast and pork chops to mac and cheese with chicken and bacon. After 10 p.m., Bliss offers $5 nibbles including mini beef tacos and burger sliders.
Target Free First Fridays
Thanks to Target, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix is open and free of charge during First Friday. A tribute to imagination, this interactive museum has one kid-friendly exhibit after another, from the Noodle Forest to the Texture Café, where kids use fabrics to create entire meals. The astonishing 3-story Climber, made from odd and found materials, provides kids with a one-of-a-kind experience.
Adult’s Night Out
This adults-only event returns this Friday to the Arizona Science Center with a free lecture from an actual CSI-type scientist. Kim Kobojek, forensic scientist, will give you the skinny on Hollywood vs. reality when it comes to crime labs. The lecture starts at 7 p.m., but for the regular admission fee, you can stick around and see an IMAX film or a Dorrance Planetarium presentation at 8:15 p.m. (the topic is “Black Holes”).
Tags: Adult's Night Out, Arizona Science Center, Bliss, Children's Museum of Phoenix, downtown phoenix, downtown phoenix dining, downtown phoenix events, downtown phoenix restaurants, First Friday, phoenix bars, ReBar
Posted in Arts & Culture, Bars & Nightlife, Family, Featured, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
The Downtown Phoenix Partnership is turning 20 and we’re taking the party to the streets to share the momentous occasion with our most important constituents: you!
Join us outside the Downtown Ambassador Information Center on Adams Street between Central and 1st Avenue from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a lunchtime celebration of 20 Years of Progress in Downtown Phoenix.
We’ll be joined by Mayor Phil Gordon, the Hooters Girls, Steven Strange and the Strange Family Circus, music from Proper Trash, plus food and refreshments from many of Downtown’s most beloved restaurants.
Continue to visit the Downtown Blog for updates on this and other 20 Years of Progress events happening all fall in Downtown Phoenix!
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Tags: 20 Years of Progress, Downtown Ambassadors, downtown phoenix, Downtown Phoenix Partnership, Street Party
Posted in Family, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
Join the Downtown Phoenix Partnership and Arizona Center Tuesday, Nov. 16 as we celebrate Arizona Center’s 20th Anniversary. The party will begin on the 
grotto at 5 p.m. and will feature live music, audience entertainment with magicians and caracaturists, plus yummy appetizers from many of Arizona Center’s great restaurants like 1130 The Restaurant and Sam’s Cafe.
Arizona Center has been an important part of the Downtown culture for two decades–from the state-of-the-art AMC 24 and retail shops to the beautiful grounds that have been a welcoming landmark for residents and visitors alike–so we hope you’ll come toast this special anniversary.
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Tags: 1130 the restaurant, AMC Theaters, Arizona Center, Brick Pizzeria and Wine Bar, downtown phoenix, hooter's, My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, Sam's Cafe
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Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
It was once written that when there was no more room, the dead would walk the Earth. Or if maybe it’s just some medical experiment gone awry. Regardless, the Zombies are coming.
On Friday, Oct. 29, undead revelers are invited to line up at Heritage Square at 5:30 p.m. dressed as their favorite zombies for the Second Annual Zombie Walk.
The Downtown Ambassadors and Arizona Ghostbusters invite you to attend this FREE, family friendly celebration which begins at 6:30 p.m. and will circle back to the park in time for the All Hallows Eve Festival running 5-11 p.m. The All Hallows Eve Festival will feature candle-lit tours of Rosson House, pumpkin carving and decorating, children’s costume contests, face painting, palm readers, cake walk, jump house, silent horror films, gift basket raffle, carnival games, live music, food vendors, fresh brains** and a cornucopia of spooky peeps.
If that’s not enough to satisfy your ghoulish cravings, the The Rose & Crown will host a Monster Mash with beer garden operating 
from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Admission to the Monster Mash is free and DJ LaRue will be on hand to provide the soundtrack. There will also be a costume contest with prizes and a movie (we suggest something by Sam Raimi).
If you’re into Halloween make plans to attend these wickedly fun events in Downtown Phoenix.
And if you want to see just how much the Ambassadors like Zombies, check out these great photos on Facebook and Flickr.
** No, not really.
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Tags: All Hallow's Eve, Ambassadors, Dead People, downtown phoenix, Halloween, Heritage Square, Rose and Crown, Zombie Walk
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Monday, August 30th, 2010
Join 800 or so of your new best friends on a tour through Downtown Phoenix’s emerging bar scene during the 4th Annual Downtown Phoenix Pub Crawl, happening Saturday, Oct. 23.
After wooing a record-750-plus crawlers to our Spring Fling Pub Crawl in May we broke another record this fall by signing 19 (!!) pubs, clubs, lounges, restaurants and bars to participate, including brand new CityScape hot spot Lucky Strike Lanes.
If you’re unfamiliar with how a Downtown Pub Crawl works, here’s the Cliff Notes version: Buy an advanced ticket online for $12 or pay $15 the night of the Crawl. Check-in and wristband distribution will take place beginning around 8 p.m. directly outside the Downtown Ambassador Information Center on Adams Street between Central and 1st Ave. Then, at 9 p.m., crawlers will jump onto trolleys and be whisked away to the select saloons, each one offering drink/food specials exclusive to Downtown Pub Crawlers. The list of establishments we assembled for this year’s Crawl is truly fantastical and includes chill pubs like Seamus McCaffrey’s, Rose & Crown, Turf and Carly’s, swankier lounges like Hanny’s, Icon and Bentley’s, plus several places you can dance like nobody’s watching including District American Kitchen, Ghost Lounge and BarSmith.
The party will press on until bar close (if you’re good), at which point everyone is invited back to Steve’s Greenhouse Grill for an after-hours breakfast/dance party/recovery featuring a DJ spinning the hits from midnight to 3 a.m. Steve’s did a great job hosting the late-night breakfast this past spring. If you don’t believe me, watch the video footage.
Need a safe place to crash? Our good friends over at Hotel San Carlos are offering Crawlers a discounted room rate of $89+tax. That’s a screaming deal if there ever was one.
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Tags: Alice Cooper'stown, bar smith, Bentley's Night Club, carly's bistro, Coach & Willie's, downtown phoenix, Downtown Pub Crawl, friday's front row, Ghost Lounge, Hanny's, hooter's, Icon Lounge, kincaid's, Lucky Strike Lanes, Network's, seamus mccaffrey's, Steve's Greenhouse Grill, The Rose & Crown, Turf
Posted in Bars & Nightlife, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events | No Comments »
Monday, August 30th, 2010
PAPA’s home.
Fringe art is all the rage in Downtown Phoenix and there’s no better showcase for our central city’s talented and proud fringe art community than the Phoenix Annual Parade of the Arts, or PAPA if you please, now in its fifth year.
This year’s PAPA festival is going down Saturday, Nov. 13 in the Roosevelt arts district and promises a fun-filled day of snake-charming, puppeteering, face-painting, stilt-walking, performace art, music, dancing and probably the most uniquely awesome family-friendly extravaganza the Valley has to offer. The day culminates with a community parade through the streets of Downtown Phoenix. The public is encouraged to enter their own floats in the parade and registration forms and rules can be downloaded here.
You can bet the Strange Family Circus, led by the Dr. Rev. Steven Strange, will be in attendance. Here’s a quick look at the itinerary:
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pre-parade excitement, including live music on the PAPA stage, street performances, costume and float displays, parade competition registration and various kid’s attractions.
- 7:30 p.m. The Parade of the Arts (community march through Downtown)
- 8 p.m. PAPA Main Stage headline performance
- 9 p.m. Parade Awards Ceremony
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Tags: Dr. Rev. Steven Strange, PAPA, Phoenix Annual Parade of the Arts, Phoenix Fringe Festival, Roosevelt Row, Strange Family Circus
Posted in Arts & Culture, Family, Music & Events | No Comments »
Monday, August 30th, 2010
Summer may be winding down, but Downtown Phoenix is only getting hotter. Three nights a week you can laugh yourself in stitches over Ashley Pirouznia’s lineup of local talent; Mondays at Sonoma Casual Dining, followed by Fridays and Saturdays at Ghost Lounge. Whether you want to see Phoenix veterans of comedy or the latest “fresh meat” (prime heckling material), there is a laugh for every taste. All shows start at 8:30 p.m. and there’s no cover!
Speaking of talent, David Gray and Ray Lamontagne perform at the Dodge on Wednesday night. Both known for their acoustic style and raspy voices, this show will easily slide you over hump day on into the weekend. On Friday, talent will be abound with the First Friday of the month. Check out the fun at Arizona Latino Arts and Culture Center, Children’s Museum of Phoenix, the Arizona Science Center with Adult’s Night Out, ASU University Center’s gallery “The Vault”, Heritage Square, AE England Building in Civic Space and much more. The Valley Youth Theater has extended “Grease” due to its popularity. With famous alumni like Chelsea Staub (Disney Channel), Jordin Sparks (American Idol) and Emma Stone (Zombieland) you may easily be able to say, “I saw them when…”.
The D’backs take the field again this week against the Padres and the Astros. College football starts this week too. Coach and Willie’s kicks-off the season with great specials on Thursday night and again Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. (in time for the East Coast kickoffs).
If none of this floats your boat, you can always hit the lanes at Lucky Strike. They have great happy hour specials and this amazingly entertaining lunch special – a sandwich and a game for $5.50! You can get a turkey sandwich while you bowl a turkey. Ha!
Download This Week’s What’s Happening for a Complete Guide to Downtown Events
Tags: ALAC, civic space park, David Gray, Diamondbacks, Dodge Theatre, First Friday, Ghose Lounge, Heritage Square, Ray LaMontagne, Sonoma Casual Dining, Valley Youth Theater
Posted in Arts & Culture, Bars & Nightlife, Deal, Family, Featured, Food, Restaurants & Dining, Music & Events, Sports | No Comments »
Monday, August 30th, 2010
Explore our vibrant urban core while experiencing the best of Downtown’s expanding wine scene by participating in the Urban Wine Walk Saturday, Sept. 25.
The Urban Wine Walk is a FREE** event that encourages adventurous participants*** to try new or familiar restaurants located along the METRO light rail in Downtown Phoenix, Camelback Corridor and Tempe. Each restaurant will offer three wine samples and a snack all at special pricing reserved exclusively for Urban Wine Walkers.
To take part in the Urban Wine Walk, simply print out the official map and wine list and jump on the light rail between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sept. 25. And when you visit great restaurants like Kincaid’s, 1130 The Restaurant, ICON Lounge, Steve’s Greenhouse Grill and Phoenix Public Market, not to mention new addition Brick Pizzeria and Wine Bar, just let your server know you’re on the Urban Wine Walk to take full advantage of exclusive wine and food deals.
Other participating restaurants include Caffe Boa, Ghost Lounge, Hula’s Modern Tiki, Maizie’s Cafe, My Big Fat Greek Restaurant and Ra Sushi.
Stay tuned to the Downtown Blog for updates on this great event and we look forward to seeing you on Sept. 25!
** Participants will need to purchase a METRO day pass
*** Must be 21
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Tags: 1130 the restaurant, brick pizzeria and wine, caffe boa, downtown phoenix, Ghost Lounge, Hula's Modern Tiki, Icon Lounge, kincaid's, Maize's, METRO light rail, phoenix public market, Steve's Greenhouse Grill, Urban Wine Walk
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Monday, August 23rd, 2010
In some parts of the country, August signals the end of summer. Here in Phoenix, August seems to be the hottest month of the year and just teases you that cooler weather is still another six weeks away.
This got the Downtown Ambassadors thinking, what could we do to make August a little more bearable? Maybe make summer something we Downtowners could look forward too? The answer we came up with: pool party.
Okay, we admit, it’s not the most unique idea. We definitely aren’t the only ones hosting pool parties Downtown, but we are the only ones who could convince the Hotel San Carlos to let us use their pool. Matter of fact, as we walked up to check out the pool space, the door to the deck mysteriously opened for us – so we figured the San Carlos ghosts were happy to have pool parties back.
So this Friday, Aug. 27, don your hippest poolwear and join us at the Hotel San Carlos for the inaugural Downtown Cooldown, a pool party hosted by the Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors. We’ll have a DJ along with food & drink specials from 6-10 p.m. Then we’ll keep the party going at the Ghost Lounge. This is a 21 and over event. Tickets are $7 online and $10 at the door.
Bottoms up!
Tags: Downtown Ambassadors, downtown phoenix, Hotel San Carlos
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Thursday, August 19th, 2010
When I was a kid, I used to love pulling presents from a grab bag. Or getting those mystery lollipops wrapped in question marks. If you’re like me, and have a soft spot for the unexpected, this is your week in Downtown Phoenix.
Face Your Fears at Arizona Science Center
I know plenty of people who are fascinated by eight-legged critters and will rush over to see the spider exhibit from the ASU Spider Lab. I’ll be avoiding it like the terrified, overgrown child I really am. But, the rest of this event should make for spine-tingling fun, this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
From Pyrophobia (fear of fire) to Coulrophobia (fear of clowns; no joke), this event will help you face your fears or at least laugh them off for a while. If you’d like to overcome a fear of needles – or just do some good – The American Red Cross will be sponsoring a blood drive on site. Contact Brittany Conklin at conklinb@azscience.org to pre-register.
Law Enforcement Appreciation Night at Churchill’s Fine Cigars – Open to the public this Thursday from 4-8 p.m., this charity event will benefit the 100 Club, which supports the families of police officers and firefighters. That’s a fine thing, but so are the Perdomo cigars you can taste for free. Nick Perdomo, the owner of Tabacalera Perdomo in Florida, makes some of the best Nicaraguan cigars in the country.
Third Fridays Latino Style – The Arizona Latino Arts & Cultural Center (ALAC) currently has an exhibition that focuses on urban Phoenix through the eyes of Hispanic artists. The exhibit, called “La Phoeniquera,” should be soul food for lovers of Phoenix history and culture. This Friday, from 6 pm to 10 pm, you can also catch live painting demonstrations and hear Latin music.
Fashion 4 A Cause – This live fashion show at the Wyndham Phoenix highlights a nonprofit group called Athletes 4 Awareness, which works to enlighten the community about health and fitness. Local clothing designers, hair stylists and barbers will display their cutting-edge skills. Tickets are $15 per person.
Live Fridays at Seamus McCaffreys – In case you’re wondering what’s surprising about this event, it’s the pairing of an Irish pub and a pop/funk/jazz trio, Nick Heward and The Elements of Style. The show starts at 9 p.m., and you can knock back a Guinness or two beforehand.
Tags: Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center, Arizona Science Center, Churchill's Fine Cigars, downtown phoenix, downtown phoenix events, downtown phoenix restaurants, phoenix art, phoenix bars, seamus mccaffrey's
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