Food Truck Fridays in Gilbert

Update: The Gilbert Food Court is no longer in the Historic District as of 12/18/2015. Their new name is AZ Feastivals, please check them out using the link at the bottom of the article.

There's a new event going on in Historic Downtown Gilbert called Food Truck Fridays. (Update: The event WAS in downtown Gilbert for 3+ years, but is no longer located there two months after this article was published). Basically, a bunch of vendors get together every Friday night to offer up a selection of interesting culinary creations, prepared and served from their mobile kitchens. Recently, a friend invited me to go check out Food Truck Fridays.

I should clarify that I went into this event wondering why anyone would care about a bunch of food trucks. As far as I knew, food trucks were kind of a trashy thing; stalwarts of county festivals and fairs that served overpriced and low quality food with questionable standards of cleanliness.

Arriving at Food Truck Fridays, I found no such thing. Apparently I missed the memo that food trucks are hip and cool now, and people actually like them!

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2014 Warrior Dash Arizona Photos

The Warrior Dash is an obstacle race in which participants are challenged to run, climb, jump over, and swim through a variety of physically demanding obstacles. 

These type of events have grown rapidly in popularity over the past couple of years, with many other events such as Tough Mudder and Spartan Run also drawing large crowds.

The Warrior Dash recently came to Phoenix, AZ on April 12, 2014. This was my first time attending one of these events and I took some photos which I hope will give you an idea of what to expect at an obstacle race.

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LEGO KidsFest 2013 Coming to Glendale

The LEGO KidsFest, a giant nationally-traveling LEGO expo, is coming to Arizona for the first time, Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 14, 2013 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

This hands-on, educational, all-ages LEGO extravaganza features millions of LEGO bricks not to mention lots of construction zones, dozens of life-sized LEGO models and displays, LEGO Games, and so much more covering over three acres of space.

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Historic Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Visits Deer Valley Airport

One of the most iconic American warplanes is the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress." These aircraft were used extensively in World War II in Europe and the Pacific. Unfortunately, many of them were shot down or were dismantled for scrap after the war.

One of these planes, "Sentimental Journey," will be making a stop at Deer Valley Airport in North Phoenix from April 15-17th, 2013. This is your chance to see one of the few B-17s left in the world in flying condition!

The B-17 is part of the Wings of Freedom tour which is put on by the Collings Foundation. In addition to the Flying Fortress, a Boeing B-24 Liberator, P-51 Mustang, and a Messerschmitt Me 262 will also be on display.

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Taliesin West Kicks Off 2012 Lecture Series

Each year, tens of thousands of visitors come to Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona to learn about the life of Frank Lloyd Wright - arguably the most famous American architect in history. Many of these visitors are surprised to learn that Taliesin West was originally founded as a school, and is still an active campus today!

While enrollment numbers are extremely small, Taliesin West is an active educational institution for students pursuing careers in architecture and design. Every winter, the school hosts a series of lectures featuring professional architects.

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Arizona Centennial Union Pacific Steam Locomotive Tour

You may already be aware that Arizona will be celebrating 100 years of statehood in February 2012. What you may not know is that celebrations for this important occasion have already begun!

Earlier this month, a very special steam-powered locomotive rolled through the Grand Canyon State as part of our centennial celebration. The Union Pacific #844 steam locomotive was available for public viewing at the Union Pacific rail yard in downtown Phoenix on Sunday November 13th and Monday November 14th, 2011.

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Arizona's Largest Christmas Tree Arrives at Anthem Outlets

With Christmas just six weeks away, the Outlets at Anthem shopping center is getting into the holiday spirit. The outdoor shopping mall boasts that it has the largest Christmas tree in the state of Arizona on display!

This year's tree is a white fir that stands 114 feet tall, according to the Arizona Republic. In comparison, the Norway Spruce tree on display in New York City's Rockefeller Center measures just 74 feet tall. That makes the Anthem tree the tallest fresh-cut Christmas tree in the country, according to officials.

To celebrate, the Outlets at Anthem will be hosting three days of family-friendly activities during the weekend of November 18th-20th, 2011. Here is the calendar of events:

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Maker Faire Coming to Phoenix in October 2011

For the first time ever, Maker Faire will be coming to Phoenix, Arizona! This is very exciting news that I am very glad to share with you.

For those who have not heard of Maker Faire before, it is a festival that showcases homemade projects from people of all ages. Think of it like a science fair that adults are allowed to enter. Instead of baking soda volcanoes, makers will be showing off their own inventions like custom built bicycles, homemade kegerators, programmable robots, and all kinds of other cool projects!

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McDowell Mountain Music Festival 2011 Lineup Announced

If you're looking for something to do this weekend, why not check out the 7th annual McDowell Mountain Music Festival! This family-friendly event features a huge selection of live music spread over the course of three days.

This year's event will be held at the Compound Grill, located at 68th St. and Mayo Blvd. Besides music, there will also be a silent auction/raffle, artisan marketplace, drum circle, acoustic stage, Kid’s Zone and more!

Best of all, it's for a good cause. 100% of all proceeds from the festival are donated to Phoenix Day Family and Learning Center and Ear Candy, a non-profit organization that provides children with access to music education.

Here is the lineup for the 2011 McDowell Mountain Music Festival:

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Taliesin West Offers Free Presentations on Architecture

Every winter, Taliesin West hosts a series of lectures featuring prominent professionals in the architecture and design world. This year's series has just two presenters left! If you want to get your architecture fix, here are the details about the remaining lectures:

Diane Reicher Jacobs
Holly Street Studio Architects
Thursday, 04/21/2011 - 7:00PM

Diane Reicher Jacobs of Phoenix's Holly Street Studio Architects is the guest of honor at Thursday's lecture series at Taliesin West. Holly Street Studio is a Phoenix-based architecture firm whose recent projects include the new Exhibition Hall at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale, the Maryvale Pool House, and the Helen Drake Senior Center in Downtown Phoenix.

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Cruise on Central Car Show in Phoenix

Polish those wheels and start your engines! It's time for the semi-annual Cruise on Central car show in downtown Phoenix! This year's show will be held at the usual location, in the parking lot of Park Central Mall, located at Central Ave and Thomas Road.

Come out on Saturday, March 9th, 2011 from 1pm to 9pm and check out all the excitement! There will be live music, great food, and hundreds of cool cars to see and hear. Everything from muscle cars, hot rods, and classics a whole lot more will be there.

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Luke Days Air Show Returns for 2011

Ladies and gentlemen: mark your calendars! That's right, Luke Days Air Show and Open House will be returning to Luke Air Force Base for 2011! This bi-annual event features a whole weekend of fun and events for residents of the greater Phoenix area.

The last Open House event was held in 2009, and it was also the first time I attended. This year's open house will be a special one because it is the 70th Anniversary of the 56th Fighter Wing.So what can you expect to see at the show? Here is a quick list of things to see and do:

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Santa Visits Deer Valley Airport

If you live in North Phoenix and want to take your little ones to visit Santa, you'll have the chance to do so at our very own Deer Valley Airport! Christmas in the desert has always been a little different here in Phoenix. Because there is no snow for a sleigh, Santa has to resort to other ways of getting around - like a helicopter!

This December, Santa will be flying in via chopper to visit with local residents. This is the fourth year in a row that Santa will be stopping by at KDVT before Christmas. You can meet him at the Deer Valley Airport Restaurant, which is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Visits will last for a few hours and begin at the times scheduled below:

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New Lego Store Opening Soon In Glendale

Who doesn't love to play with Legos? The colorful building blocks were one of my favorite toys as a child. Now, the Lego Company is preparing to open its second Arizona location at the Arrowhead Towne Center Mall in Glendale.

The Grand Opening ceremony will take place on the weekend of October 22nd-24th, 2010. A limited edition rattlesnake set will be available for purchase, but be warned that quantities are limited.

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Fast Times at the Tucson Roller Derby

When a friend invited me to attend the Tucson Roller Derby on Saturday, August 28th, I could barely contain my excitement. Ever since I first heard about roller derby, I had been hoping to see this unique event for myself.

For those not familiar with the sport, allow me to explain. Roller derby is an aggressive contact sport in which teams of skaters compete against each other on a flat track course (banked tracks exist but are not as common). The majority of leagues are all-female, however junior and men's leagues also exist.

In a nutshell, two teams of skaters make their way around an oval track in 2-minute heats called "jams." Teams score points when a designated member of each team called a "jammer" passes members of the opposing team. The opposing team can try to regain the lead by blocking the offending jammer. It is a very fast-paced sport where players come in full contact with each other at high speeds.

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Calling All Artists! Submissions Needed

As an amateur photographer, I know how hard it can be for an up-and-coming artist to get their foot in the door. To succeed, you have got to get your name and your work out there to as many people as possible. One great way to do this is by entering juried shows and exhibitions.

How do you find such events? Well, I'm glad you asked because I have heard about four different shows in just the past month! Check them out: 

Sunnyslope Art Walk
Submission Deadline: September 10, 2010
Accepted Media: Original works of art
Submission Fee: $20 before August 20th, $25 after August 20th
Event Dates: Saturday, October 9th, 2010, 5:00-9:00pm
*All work must be for sale*
Website: https://www.facebook.com/sunnyslopeartwalk

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Observing the Perseid Meteor Shower 2010

If you pay attention to the news headlines, you may have heard about the Perseid Meteor Shower this past week. This meteor shower is the result of debris from a comet burning up as it enters Earth's atmosphere. The burning chunks of space rocks leave streaks across the night sky, which are also called falling stars or shooting stars. They appear to originate in the sky near the constellation Perseus, which is where the name comes from.

The shower is visible nightly from July 23rd to August 24th, with the peak viewing hours taking place on Thursday, August 12th between midnight and dawn. Because astronomy and photography are two of my favorite hobbies, and I decided to make a serious attempt to view this year's show.

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Wet-N-Wild Waterpark Offers Dive-In Movies

It was just about a year ago that Wet-N-Wild water park in North Phoenix opened its doors to the public after a change of ownership and a major overhaul. I covered the story in depth in my article "Major Renovations Underway at North Phoenix Water Park." Now with their one-year anniversary coming up fast, Wet-N-Wild has unveiled their newest attraction: dive-in movies!

On Friday nights through July 31st, 2010 Wet-N-Wild will be showing family-friendly movies to their guests. The movies are projected on a large screen above the wave pool so you can enjoy the show while you swim.

I have to say that this is one of the "coolest" ideas I have heard in a while! For the complete schedule of movies, check out the Dive-N-Movie page at Wet-N-Wild's website.The park also has an all-you-can-eat BBQ going on this weekend plus a fireworks display to celebrate Independence Day. 

Update: As of 2019, Wet-n-Wild is now Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix. It is unclear if they still offer movie nights.

Architect Jeffrey Kovel to Speak at Taliesin West

Taliesin West in North Scottsdale is more than just a hot spot for architectural tourism; it also continues to fulfill its original purpose as a private school for promising young architects. Each semester, the school schedules a series of lectures and presentations for the benefit of the students. Few people know that these lectures are also open to the public, and best of all they are completely free of charge! 

The Spring 2010 lecture series follows the theme "Roots for Radicals" and has featured a variety of local and national architects including John Kane, Mark Ryan, Rick Joy, Alan Maskin, Diane Cheatham, Dickson Despommier, and Jeffrey Inaba. The final presentation for the Spring 2010 lecture series will feature Jeffrey Kovel, a renowned architect and founder of SkyLab Architecture in Portland, Oregon.

Mr. Kovel will give a presentation on Thursday, April 15th, 2010 in the Pavilion Theater. The presentation starts at 7:30pm and guests are encouraged to arrive early as seating is limited. After the presentation, Mr. Kovel will be available to answer questions followed by a brief, informal reception.

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Grand Opening Date Set for Musical Instrument Museum

Music lovers, listen up! Phoenix's newest cultural attraction, the Musical Instrument Museum, has announced its grand opening date of April 24th, 2010.

The grand opening ceremony is a highly-anticipated event that will mark the conclusion of the lengthy 26-month construction process. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will commence at 8:45am on Saturday, April 24th with the first tours to begin immediately afterward.

Wireless headset guides will be available to patrons as they browse the collection of over 3,000 instruments on display in over 350 unique exhibits. The Musical Instrument Museum has the goal of collecting and exhibiting instruments from every country in the world, and they're well on their way to accomplishing that goal. The full collection is estimated to include 12,000 pieces currently.

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