I tip my hat to the runners who showed up for the 2008 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and 1/2 Marathon…read more Not only are they good runners, but evidently they are good drivers as well. When 30,000 people converge on a four block radius and all you get is a 4 car pileup near the freeway exit... then I call that a success! I know they say to get there early, but I think my plan of getting there late really worked. I got to ride the shuttle with only 2 other passengers, and I walked right into the porta potty, since all of the corrals had already pushed toward the starting line. Of course, there is a downside to arriving late. The only bananas that were left were quite green, and the peel was resisting my efforts, and winning. It was a little chilly, but I had the foresight to bring an oversized garbage bag (unused) to wear. From what I could tell, I was the only member of 'Team Hefty'. 13.1 miles of rubber hitting asphalt goodness. To the douchebag who hawked more than one huge loogie on the course... dude, while I'm impressed at your expectorant's effectiveness, next time, move a few feet to the edge and spew off the course. The best part about this marathon was the amount of support. I counted about 13 high school cheer or spirit teams whooping it up for us. Is it just me, or are high school girls more alluring than they were, say 20 or so years ago? Makes me wish I was back in high school. No, not as the creepy janitor guy who just happens to show up in the ladies room with a mop & bucket after you close the stall door, but as the questionably straight cheer mascot. Around mile 8, a fetching young lady approached me to say that she had been using me to keep pace with. That was quite a motivator, and I pushed myself even harder, until I remembered the scene in True Grit where John Wayne pushes his horse too hard, and it crashes to the ground in a glorious cloud of dust. I finished and passed a food table as I made my way to the exit. I grabbed two Dole Fruit & Yogurt cups. It wasnt until I opened it, that I realized that its gelatinous form would be hard to eat without a spoon... so I went for the toothpaste method. I'm sure it was all over my face. I got a cool colored medal. Cant wait to wear it to work tomorrow, shouting out: "Jeffey say - Go For Gold!" For those who don't know, this is the event that Yelp-mate Ivonne B was training me for. Some might call me a hero, for finishing 13.1, but I'm no hero. No, that title is reserved for my friend Phil and his wife Lissa... or Yelp's own Jenn X, who ran the full 26.2. They are the true heros of the marathon world. I'm just a squirrel trying to bust a nut. In the days preceeding the event, a handful of people said that this was going to be the greatest memorable occassion ever. Maybe I just dont get it, or maybe I'm just bitter. But as Homer would say... [sickly sweet] Oh, look at me! I feel so special being a part of this transcendental event! I'm the Magical Man from Happy-Land, in a gumdrop house on Lollipop Lane! [leaves the room, slamming the door] [pokes his head back in] Oh, by the way, I was being sarcastic. [closes the door]

I returned for my second year to RNR AZ. This year, I opted to do the remix challenge with the 5K…read moreon Saturday and the half on Sunday. The expo was large again, and in the Phoenix convention center, right off the light rail. I opted to stay in Tempe because the 5K and Half Marathon start and finish lines were all there and my only trip to Phoenix would be for the expo. The 5K starts adjacent to Tempe Beach park and ends in Tempe Beach park. We walked there, but there was ample parking for those who drove. The course is quick and scenic and has the same finish as the half marathon, giving us a preview of the next day. Even with the short distance, participants get a tech tee, medal, one water stop and one band on course and refreshments and a finish concert. The half course was fairly similar to last year (a few tweaks due to construction, I think?) The half and 10K start together on the ASU campus (while the full marathon starts in Phoenix). Plenty of parking for those who drive, but beware of road closures. We caught an uber over and it was difficult to get there. PF Changs is no longer a sponsor as of 2016, so no horses at the start, or dragon running on the course :( The course wanders through Tempe into Scottsdale, and ending at Tempe Beach park. I had a bit of a rough race (recovering from an injury), but still had a positive experience. Bands on a pretty regular basis, well staffed hydration stops. The one frustrating thing is that on some sections of the course, we had the inner lanes of the road with traffic on the outermost lane on both sides. I understand this averts full road closures, but the problem is if you need to pull over and stretch, you need to watch for traffic. Huge finish area at Tempe Beach Park. The medals from 2015-2018 will connect to make a super medal, so I guess I'm in for the whole shebang now!

How did I not know about PHOESTIVUS!? My cousin asked to tag along over the weekend. We arrived a…read morelittle after 5 PM. Of course downtown was busy however we were able to find street side parking close by. This is the best place to get all your holiday shopping and to support all your local vendors/ artists! There's a mix of 170 vendors. We also enjoyed the food trucks! We snacked on popcorn, papusas, and tamales. Yummy! Everything we ate was very delicious. I'd come back again next holiday! Very festive and dog friendly.

Neat market, it takes up a whole block. All local valley vendors from Goodyear to Chandler. Food,…read morejewelry, vintage goods, soap, plants, art, and more. The Yeti wonders and you can take a photo with him, there's a hip Santa you can also take a photo with. You can air your grievances, and what you're grateful about. There was a glass making demonstration from a studio. There was live jazzy music which I loved. Overall, a nice holiday market. There is street parking, metered parking, and a parking garage nearby. It's dog friendly and there's vendors catering to dog products as well.

What an awesome day! I felt so empowered by all of the girls, women and the men who were showing…read moresupport! This was my first 5k and it was so fun...everyone who participated got a metro and that was such a reassuring gesture to the girls...weather your first or last you didn't give up!

Very cool event through local schools, teaching girls the fun, social support, and physical…read morebenefits of athletics. The event keys in our young ladies. There is an announcer, silent auction in support of the charity, anchor vendors with SWAG, and lots of girls enjoying things, together. Only knock is that the silent auction isn't much value.

Andrea Bocelli in concert was a wonderful night out, we got our tickets late but still had a good…read moreexperience throughout. Crowds everywhere and the elevator - with an attendant inside to get people to the correct level - were so slow... but with a full house it was to be expected. Lines at the refreshment bars were long-ish and more expensive than I thought: a glass of wine in a paper cup was $18. The concert itself had me smiling a lot because the show itself was lights and opera and dancers, the violinist was superb, the orchestra director fantastic as were the Italian musicians. I have adored Bocelli and his incredible voice since his "Romanza" album came out, and seeing him live was such a treat for me, so I can also admit to have a bit of a crush on him. So enthralled by Andrea and the entire concert that I forgot to note the names of everyone else ... The venue is huge, stadium big; there is a covered walkway from the parking garage across the street, where parking was chock full: too few ADA spots and we ended up on the open terrace at the top. We were planning on going around the vendor stalls in the entrance area but didn't see any open after the concert. We had been at this venue (before the name change) and parked in the VIP area, making it quicker to enter, but the walk from the garage parking was a short one. Overall it was a great evening and fantastic concert. The seats were not the comfiest, with the back straight and very little leg room to boot, hard to cross legs and change position, but the seat backs had a holder for our drinks. Come back soon, Andrea !!

We had a great experience at this venue for the Maná concert! Found last minute tickets on a resale…read moreapp and were lucky enough to get suite tickets in the Enclave section. This seat came with a semi-private booth, unlimited food and soft drinks from a buffet, and wine and beer as well. This felt like the ultimate VIP experience and the view was great as well. The sound was well balanced for the concert and the lights and effects were coordinated well too. I didn't partake this time because of the included buffet, but in walking around I was really impressed with all the dining options- local restaurants included instead of just the regular hot dogs and popcorn. The only downside is that due to the location, parking was hard to find/crowded and expensive. But that's downtown Phoenix for you. I'd return to this venue for another event for sure

We always have fun at Phoenix Fan Fusion, a/k/a comicon. I only go one day each year, and that's…read moreenough for me--it is exhausting. There are so many things to do. First, this place is a shoppers dream for someone who likes collectibles. The hall is huge and has stall after stall if tshirts, books, collectible figures, and art. There are samples of beer and liquor (with I.D. if course), and meet and greets with celebrities--this year John Cena was a biggie, but I personally was happy to see Like and Kirk from Gilmore Girls and Steve from the original Blues Clues. Elsewhere in the convention center was a Hall with some STEM exhibits, a cool insect exciting, a Lego display, and a medieval area with fencing. There are video games spread throughout, and a huge room for Pokemon Go. There are so many breakout sessions going on all day--anything from "Mr. Rodger's Art of Kindness" to "How to Create Cosplay Pieces with EV Foam" to Improv. Of course the panels with celebrities and comic book creators are super popular. Of course there is food available at Fan Fusion, but we choose to eat outside if the convention center. My favorite things (besides the plethora of Labubus) is the cosplay. If it's fun to see all the effort people have put in! Parking is, as you'd expect, difficult. It looked like many people, like us, took the light rail.

I've been going to Phoenix Fan Fusion (ComiCon before they changed names) for about the last 15…read moreyears, and the steady decline has been sad to see. This trip was likely my last. First, whatever genius had the bright idea to eliminate the possibility of purchasing a ticket the day of at the event, without a phone, should be immediately fired. My phone died about 30 minutes before getting there (not a battery charge issue, it literally bricked on me) so I went to the table and asked to purchase tickets on site. These bafoons have absolutely NO WAY to sell you a ticket using a credit card unless you have a phone. How is that even possible? Not a single hand held payment device anywhere to sell a ticket, in 2026? So my only option was to use a strangers phone to input my credit card, because they wouldn't accept cash. Absolutely mind blowing. Second, crowd management was a joke. No strucutre, no line management, just pure chaos. We got there around 1 PM, it's 100 degrees, and we had to wait probably 20 minutes just to get through the security entrance outside because they have NO IDEA how to run this event. Then as we proceeded to enter the west entrance, they turned us all away and said we have to go across the street to enter. These people have no idea how to run a venue this size. So completely disjointed and unorganized. You could barely walk the exhibitor hall it was so crowded and it was easily a 25 minute wait just to buy a bottle of water (which by the way cost $6.00). They were completely unprepared to serve the needs of the fans; sad and pathetic. And by the way, how about scheduling your event for a weekend when the Diamondbacks don't play at home, what a mess. Third, Fan Fusion used to be a place where the focus was on sharing and experiencing creativity and fandom with other fans. Now it's turned into nothing more than a money gouging cash grab, which is evident by how they only care about getting as many people in as possible, despite their crews not being able to handle that type of event. $250 for three of us, and that gets you nothing but through the door and maybe a chance to sit on one of the panels that most people could care less about. The on-site vendors and the celebrities with their signing prices gouge you. What they charge you just to get through the door is criminal. There was nothing pleasant about this experience. I use to look forward to this, but it's not what it use to be. The spirit of creativity and entertainment is no longer the essence of this event; it's turned into nothing more than an opportunity to exploit loyal fans.

Referees are all inconsistent some obvious bad calls. It's mainly a trap to sell fake merchandise…read more $15 for one hackey sack. 30 for a fake Needoh. The parking is terrible and the available did inside it's really bad. Can't wait to get out of here.

Pros *Large venue with tons of space for courts and fans…read more Players have good serving space and high, unobstructed ceilings. *Well organized pools and brackets *Affordable nearby food and delivery options for the teams like Chick Fil-A and Zookz toasted sandwiches. Cons *Nets between many of the courts are too saggy (old?) so balls get past and interfere with other games. Very irritating for something so avoidable. *Way too expensive to watch your kid. Went to SCVA Tournament in Vegas with NO charge to watch so we took kids with us. We spent more tourism dollars there as a result. But at the Festival, expect to shell out $50 per person to watch your daughter/family member play and only little kids (5 and under) are free. It feels like blackmail.

As Jew in the Isreal army, I visited America for first time week last. Handsome young man named…read moreMatt helped me buy first kart but i end up buying six more. Good deal, he promise me play Mario Kart together if I do. i crash into small child and they go hospital but still fun. Next time I in America, I visit again.

I wanted to get into karting so I visited Innovative Karting. I talked to Curtis about my plans…read more He explained the best and most economical way to proceed with this sport. What he told me was something I didn't want to hear, but something I NEEDED to hear. I was going about it all wrong. He is a real straight shooter, not trying to sell you things you don't need. He was super friendly and easy to talk to, even about questions he probably answered millions of times. His shop and floor space were neat and clean. I will continue to use Innovative, as apposed to buying on-line. We need to support owners like Curtis. You rock.

The 11th annual D-backs Race Against Cancer event took place during Fall of 2024 at Chase Field. It…read morewas my first time running it. I had seen the Arizona Diamondbacks promote this event many times at games in the past and just never had the opportunity to run one of these. I am both a Diamondback fan and an avid runner and enjoyed combining both my loves. The D-backs Race Against Cancer is presented by Dignity Health Cancer Institute and starts and ends at Chase Field. The run is for all ages and is a lot of fun. The route for this 5K run/walk goes through downtown Phoenix. I really enjoyed running this 5K because it was on asphalt and there was no change in elevation. The run benefits Arizona non-profit organizations that provide screening, treatment and support for those dealing with all types of cancer. Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall was on hand to kick off the event. He is a cancer survivor and a strong advocate for cancer awareness. Included with registration is a finisher's medal and a free ticket to a Diamondback game.

This year is actually the second year I've participated in this event. The D-Backs Race Against…read moreCancer is actually a pair of events taking place on an early Sunday morning (typically in early April). First there's a 5k run that traverses much of southern Downtown Phoenix, followed by a 1k family walk that circles the sports and entertainment district (aka the Legends District). The event starts and ends at Chase Field with race participants having the ability to finish their morning by taking a leisurely stroll around the warning track on the field at Chase. The D-Backs team shop is also open for the event and there are a number of vendors and cancer non-profits that station themselves along 4th Street. The event was originally started by Diamondbacks General Manager Derrick Hall after he contracted prostate cancer. Hall's wife has also battled breast cancer. So the D-Backs partnered with the Dignity Health and the University of Arizona Cancer to put on this annual event. Proceeds from the event go both to the title sponsors as well as other non-profit cancer organizations including the American Cancer Society, the American Liver Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the American Lung Association, and others. Registration for the 5k is $40/person and the 1k is $20/person. With registration, you'll get an event t-shirt, a voucher for a D-Backs game ticket, and a drawstring bag with random goodies inside. At the event there are a few food vendors including Dunkin Donuts (odd I know) and also free bananas, oranges, Gatorades, and bottled waters for the participants. The event has plenty of restrooms as well as other random vendors giving out free knick knacks to racers at the finish line. One knock I will give this is event is that its very poorly advertised. The event still gets surprisingly good turnout even though the D-Backs and their sponsors do very little to promote the event. But I'd like to see the D-Backs really get the word out about this event to the community. They don't advertise it in the local newspapers or news stations, they don't advertise the event at all on social media, and from what I can tell Chase Field itself does little to promote it. I gotta think they could make this a blockbuster event that could raise a lot of money for these non-profit groups if they'd only put a little effort into promoting it. Yeah, it would get pretty crowded down there if they did. But hey its for a good cause everyone can get behind, so why not? In any event, my brother, two nephews and I had a fun time doing the family walk again this year and will undoubtedly do it again next year. Hopefully the D-Backs can muster even more participation in this event with a little more effort from their marketing department. Cancer sucks, so let's get more people to show up and help kick cancer's ass.

I love the the opportunity granted to local artists. The event runs from 1st street to 7th street…read more It's a fun way to get your steps in! The vendors are all along the main road of Roosevelt, as well as the side roads. There's food music, beverage, art, and more! I love it. Parking can be a pain, so I advise you to ride share or expect to pay for parking.

Very crowded with a lot of kids. Hard to see any booths. Many of the shops were not open or no…read morelonger there. The art museum was nice but won't return to the streets portion again. Unfortunate because it used to be so filled with different artist and unique people.