Arizona Skateparks

While this site is focused on Phoenix history and news, I thought that readers of this blog might enjoy a special feature about my recently-launched side project.

One hobby that I have always been drawn to is skateboarding. Arizona is home to a large number of free, public skateboard parks for riders to practice their skills.

The Jack Malmgren Skatepark in Sedona is one of more than 80 free skateparks in Arizona.

For more than 10 years, I have wanted to build a directory website that lists all of the skateparks in Arizona. While there are other skatepark directory sites, they are outdated and incomplete when it comes to hours, information, photos, and naming. Many of them rely on user-submitted information which is not consistent or checked for accuracy.

Over the years, there have been at least four prior occasions where I started and then stopped work on this project. In early 2021, I felt a burst of inspiration and enthusiasm for the skatepark website project. This time I pushed through and got the website up to a minimum viable product (MVP) version.

Currently there are 85 skateparks and BMX parks in Arizona that I have identified. While I do not yet have photos of each location, I wanted to get the website launched and then work on adding photos of the missing locations in a second phase.

This was a project that combined my different skill sets of website development, Arizona geography, and photography. It was really fun to work on and I am very proud of the new site!

If you or someone you know are looking for information on where to skate in Arizona, please visit www.arizonaskateparks.com for a comprehensive directory listing of Arizona Skateparks!

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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Spring Training Baseball Explodes in Popularity

Baseball is a national pasttime that Americans have enjoyed for generations. But in Phoenix, it's more than just a cherished sport - it's big business. That's because Phoenix is the home of the Cactus League, one of two off-season leagues for major league teams.

The mild winters temperatures and lack of snow made Phoenix an ideal location for spring training teams, particularly from colder Midwestern cities like Chicago and Milwaukee.

The first team to ever conduct spring training in Phoenix was the Detroit Tigers in 1929. The Chicago Cubs trained in Mesa from 1979 to 1996, and the Seattle Mariners trained in Tempe from 1977 through 1993. For a long time, Spring Training was a cottage industry that only attracted the most die-hard baseball fans.

I'm not sure exactly when it happened or why it happened, but sometime in the last 20 years, the Spring Training industry exploded into a massive multi-million dollar industrial complex.

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What is the Largest Casino in Arizona?

Did you know that Arizona is one of the leading states in the nation when it comes to Indian gaming?

It's true - Arizona is home to 22 different Native American tribes. While not all of them have casinos, many of them have found casino gaming provides a huge boost in revenues to their tribal members.

You may be wondering what is the largest casino in Arizona? Based on my own independent research, here's what I have found.

The Talking Stick Resort and Casino in Scottsdale, Arizona is the largest casino in Arizona. The 240,000 square foot facility opened in 2010 and is owned by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

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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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Maricopa Trail to Be Completed in 2015

Maricopa County has a lot to offer the outdoor enthusiast. There are 10 different parks that offer everything from hiking and walking to bicycling and horseback riding. Soon, these parks will all be connected by a network of trails known as the Maricopa Trail.

When it is completed in 2015, the Maricopa Trail will comprise 242 miles and connect 9 different parks and recreational areas together. These include:

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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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Things To Do in Phoenix at Night

I'm guessing that you are reading this because you are looking for things to do in Phoenix at night. Well, there are better things to do than to spend your night on the couch. Get out and do something! Here are some ideas to get you started:

24 Hour Restaurants

• Dennys / IHOP / Waffle House
• Country Boys Restaurants
• Filibertos/Armandos/Juliobertos
• Subway Restaurant (Grand Ave and Thomas Rd)
• Philadelphia Sandwich Company (Old Town Scottsdale)

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The Art of Video Games Exhibit Coming to Phoenix Art Museum

The Magnavox Odyssey. The Atari 2600. ColecoVision, Commodore, Sega, and Nintendo. For many of us, these were the machines of our childhood. But are video games more than just mindless entertainment? Can they be considered art? One man thinks so.

His name is Chris Melissinos, and he is the curator of the exhibit "The Art of Video Games."

This exhibit was organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and is on a 10-city nationwide tour through the year 2016. This summer, the exhibit will be on display at the Phoenix Art Museum.

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Taliesin West Night Lights Tours

Summer is just around the corner, and that means it's about to get seriously hot. Fortunately, Taliesin West allows you to beat the heat with their Night Lights Tours.

These special tours allow you to experience the wonder of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West school in the cooler hours of the day after the sun has started to go down.

If you've never been before, the Taliesin West school is a pretty unique place to visit. You don't even have to be an architecture geek to enjoy Wright's cool designs and hear about his interesting life. There are just a lot of neat things to look at in general as they take you on a tour of the campus.

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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'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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Visit Arizona National Parks During Fee-Free Weekend 2011

It was two years ago that I first wrote about Fee-Free Days from the National Park Service. Now, the NPS is gearing up for another Fee-Free event on November 11th - 13th, 2011!

This year's final event will offer free admission to ALL US National Parks and Monuments during Veteran's Day weekend. The following list of parks and monuments in Arizona will not charge any admission during the aforementioned dates:

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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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Twilight Fridays at Turf Paradise in Phoenix

Since 1954, Turf Paradise has provided Phoenix residents with a fun and relaxing atmosphere to enjoy great live horse racing. Now, customers can enjoy specials on food and drink items on Fridays as part of Turf Paradise's "Twilight Fridays" promotion.

On Friday, April 29th and Friday, May 6th, live racing will take place from 3pm to 7pm, with admission just $2 dollars per person for adults. The racetrack will be offering $2 draft beers, hot dogs, popcorn, sodas, and ice cream cones in the grandstand area. An all-you-can-eat Fish Fry will also be offered from 4pm to 7pm for just $9.95 per person.

Other fun activities include live music and a chance to spin the Prize Wheel and win a prize.

Check out Turf Paradise at:
1501 W Bell Road
Phoenix, AZ 85023
Phone: (602) 942-1101

Turf Paradise will wrap up its live racing season on Sunday, May 8th, 2011.

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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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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