Not much to do, but a lot of history and friendly staff. The helmets upon entry are interactive too.read more

A small, but well designed museum near Scottsdale Fashion Mall that features all the memorabilia of…read morethe Fiesta Bowl from time past to the present. Lots of history plus info about recent events presented by the Fiesta Bowl. Colorful displays of pictures and replicas of players, uniform jerseys, and trophies from the various NCAA teams that have played in the Fiesta Bowl. Very interesting facts also such as why the Fiesta Bowl volunteers wear yellow jackets. You'll have to visit to find out and enjoy all the cool items on display! Finally, there's a huge full-wall mural in the museum that's wonderfully colorful and very action packed, totally reflective of the Fiesta Bowl. Definitely go check out this small but jampacked museum in the heart of Scottsdale. Admission is free!

Mountain America Stadium…read more Home of the Arizona State Sun Devils. I generally attend about 5 to 6 games a year as a sports photographer, so I have been to the press room, interview room, dining area for the athletes. Field is always in top condition and award winning field graphics.

We were recently at Mountain America Stadium for the class of 2026 graduation ceremony. There were…read moresome positives and negatives to our experience, but overall it was a fine time, and wouldn't deter me from visiting again for a game or other occasion in the future. I appreciate that the stadium is so close to the Light Rail stop, making it easy to avoid the parking issues other reviewers mention. We arrived fairly early for the ceremony, and were able to grab some solid seats in the shade. There are several concession stands and other food options surrounding the seating, and we found the prices to be pretty typical compared to other sporting venues. The concession stands were mostly well stocked ... with the exception of soft pretzels, which ran out before the ceremony began, and we were told to go check another stand after waiting in a 20 minute line. No thanks, we don't need a pretzel that badly! Entering the stadium was no problem, as there was a steady flow of folks filing in without any major slow-downs. Exiting, however, was a different story. This may just be par for the course with graduation, but the exit stairs were completely full, and felt rather unsafe. I'm not sure the best solution for this, but it's something to note, especially if you're claustrophobic.

The Scottsdale Family ArtsFest is a free festival that runs for two days in the Scottsdale Civic…read moreCenter. It features performing arts by K-12 so it's actually more catered to kids. There's performances and various booths. What I found very lacking was their food choices. The theater's first floor features a variety of art done by kids which I thought was neat. Otherwise, this isn't all that special unless you're a kid.

How cool is it that a Phoenix community/neighborhood has its OWN historical society and museum!? In…read morefact, Sunnyslope Historical Society is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year! How long it takes you to visit this little gem depends on how much you engage the volunteer working that day (most likely long-time Sunnyslope resident). The museum is housed in the historical People's Pharmacy building once located at Central and Dunlap and relocated to Hatcher Road in 1999 for use as a museum. The pharmacy was the first drive-through drug store in Arizona. Standard exhibits include Sunnyslope through the years and a display on pharmacy equipment. Until May you can check out an archeology exhibit of Hohokam artifacts on loan from the Cave Creek museum. Come May, the State Quarter traveling exhibit will be on loan there. Past exhibits have been on mining and military service. It is free to visit but is only open seasonally. Visit on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays or Sundays between noon and 4 p.m. from September through May. If you join Sunnyslope Historical Society's mailing list, you'll get notices about special lectures, like the one coming up in June on Health Seekers in Arizona. Also on site and typical of the area is a 1940s house, which volunteers are in the process of restoring.

Perhaps the best 'house' in the valley. Seating and tech are…read moretop of the line. The seasons are anchored in the ASU Theatre Dept. and are often treat contemporary human themes with energy and talent from the student cohort.

Fabulous venue with great seats. Not a bad seat in the house. Acoustics are great! Highly recommend!read more

This is my 2nd time watching a student performance. Both were so very funny with a boat load of…read moretalent. There is no charge for admission. Seating is great, it's easy to see and hear from anywhere. Temps are just right though I carried a light sweater. Lots of free parking and just off the 101. A small concession stand offers waters, various chips and candy for $1 & $2, a deal. I await the fall show.

A little-known gift that you have available to you is that Scottsdale Community College (SCC)…read moreoffers FREE plays two times a year in April and November. These are entertaining productions put on by serious, professional theater people. You can check the schedule in advance for the dates, they're usually posted a few months in advance. Although the performances are free, I'd encourage you to put a donation in the box that's in the lobby or mail in a check so that you can get a tax deduction. SCC is the only community college in AZ that offers free performances to the public. Last night's performance of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown was outstanding! Energetic acting, great singing, and cute costumes. I especially liked Sara Matin's performance as Snoopy. The only reason I gave the event/venue a 4 and not a 5 is that the theater is usually oppressively cold; so cold it's hard to concentrate on the show. I've attended four performances. There was a large crowd there last night, so that might have made the temperature more bearable. Highly recommended! Some shows are family friendly, some are for adults only but you'll be able to figure that out in advance.

An annual art and cultural fair celebrating the students of Peoria Unified School District. 2023…read moremarks the fair's 21st annual festival. Art teachers from the district's 34 elementary/middle schools and 7 high schools choose student art to be displayed. For 2D art and photography, equal sized display areas are set up for each school. Ceramics has a separate display area. School band, orchestra, choir, and dance teams also perform. Performance areas are located throughout the festival. This event is free to the public. Sponsors are always welcome. Interactive arts programs. There was a fish stamping booth, musical instrument play area, pottery, and even dance demonstrations. These are for children of all ages. Four inflateables for younger kids to play on/with. All demos and inflateables were free. More than a student art show. Vendors from the community participate. Some have interactive booths. Some are selling items. Sales booths are much like what is found at farmer's markets and craft fairs. Food truck park was set up for the event. Local restaurants are also open. Parking fills up. A few parking lots and streets are closed. Parking for 2023 was available at Peoria City Hall, the Peoria Community Center, and in the surrounding neighborhoods.

We did not plan a trip to watch a gymnastics meet at Desert Financial Arena, but we were so glad we…read morewent! The area where the arena is gorgeous. The football stadium is extremely close and both almost seem to be cut out of the mountain. All of the employees were nice and very helpful and finding our seats was a breeze

Give 'em Hell, Devils!…read more If you haven't attended a sporting event at Desert Financial Arena (DFA) you're missing out. The vibes in the stadium are electric (especially if you're in the student section). Recently, I've been coming here to watch the ASU women's basketball team stack up wins during this historic season. They currently remain undefeated at home. The stadium is located on Tempe campus a short walk away from a light rail station. There is also tons of parking available nearby. Ingress and egress from the stadium are super quick. Staff is friendly. There are a few options available for concessions and merch available if you need some more ASU swag. The stadium is aging and could use some updates but overall function for the purpose it serves.