AZ Vibe – The Ultimate Phoenix Entertainment Resource

This Saturday and Sunday at Margaret T. Hance Park in downtown Phoenix will mark the 45th meeting of the Scottish Gathering and Highland Games.  All are welcome to this celebration of Scottish culture.

The athletic portion of the games include :

• Weight Toss for Height
• Weight Throw for Distance
• Hammer Throw
• Braemar (Standing) Stone Put
• Caber Toss –including the Challenge Caber.

Plus! The Women’s World Highland
Athletic Championship event on Sunday!

Entertainment includes Alex Beaton, The Wicked Tinkers, Craig Davis, The Characters of Christopher Yates, The Muses, Clandestine,

There will be tons of food, beverages and gifts/merchandise as well with over 45 booths including Beer from the Four Peaks Brewery, Scotch Tasting, food and more!.

For more information on the Arizona Scottish Gathering (including parking, shuttle, and train information) please refer to the Arizona Scottish Highland Games and Gathering:

Saturday: 9am to 5pm
Opening Ceremonies
begin at Noon on Saturday.

Sunday: 10am to 4pm
Closing Ceremonies
begin at 3pm on Sunday.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.0004632f62333a6944bbd&ll=33.479563,-112.075653&spn=0.12113,0.250626&z=12

Popularity: 3% [?]

One of the main reasons AZ Vibe was started was to publish cultural events that get buried to the back page by the latest happenings at the clubs, bars and things like that in other publications.

This Saturday at 10 AM in Old Town Scottsdale is the opportunity to see one of the biggest parades so far in the new year, the Parada del Sol. Parada del Sol kicks off a month of western themed events in Scottsdale such as PRCA Rodeos, two Rodeo dances and a plethora of other activities.

The Parada del Sol Parade takes over Scottsdale Road in Old Town from Oak to Indian School (See map below for the Parade route). With over 150 parade entrants, the Parada del Sol Parade is destined to be a classic.

More information on the Parada del Sol can be found here:

http://www.paradadelsol.org/parade.htm

http://www.paradadelsol.org/trailsend.htm

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=33.487581,-111.929054&spn=0.063423,0.153122&z=13&msid=110117270783108833567.000463284d4b3b0587852

Popularity: 2% [?]

In case you haven’t heard there’s another Block Party going on in Downtown Phoenix this weekend celebrating the first anniversary of Conspire.  Conspire is an art space in the Downtown Phoenix area that has been generating a lot of positive buzz from the local press as one of the best places to shop for art in the Phoenix area.

The Block Party is free and open to all ages and includes the following activities:

• A do it your self Model and Shoot Photo Studio
• Live Music from bands such as Sonorous, Drunken Immortals, Living Humans Being, Hooves, D.S Yancey, and Wizards of Time
• Dee Jays will be throwing down all day long and include DJentrification, Echo, Dehga, Mosha1, Issa, 1Son, Beatnik, Rojahdat, Jon Dread.
• Silk Screen and Stencil Workshops
• A Burlesque show with La Liberata
• Comedy with Mail Order Brides
• A Fashion Show with Smock You, Heroine, Arte Puro, Dolled Up, Sticker Club, Lola + Lola, Makeshift, and Mystic fibers
• A Bike Ride Adventure ‘Hooked up by Hoodride’
• …and much, much, more.

Come and support a great cultural event this weekend and get out and try something new and fun!

For more information, please refer to the Block Party website:

http://www.conspirephoenix.com

Conspire Arts Cooperative
901 N. 5th St.
Phoenix, AZ

Popularity: 2% [?]

On Sunday November 16th from Noon to 5 PM, there will be a HUGE block party.  The inaugural  “Partners in Prosperity “– The New Indian School Corridor Block Party will take place on Indian School Road from 32nd Street all the way to 38th Street.

According to the organizers…

The Block Party will provide a special and distinctive shopping experience that will make party
revelers want the Indian School Corridor shops and restaurants to become a part of their regular
shopping and dining habit. It will be obvious for all to see that the success of the Indian School
Corridor rests upon the genuine partnership between businesses, neighborhoods, the police,
Sheriff, firemen, parks, neighborhood services, courts, and civic leaders – each working with
and watching out for the other, for the good of all.

Why not come out and support the businesses of the Indian School Corridor and have some fun while you’re at it.  We will be there covering the event.

Among the bands scheduled to Perform:

Hands on Fire
Sketching in Stereo
Holy Rolling Empire
Kinch
Black Carl
SRP Band
Groove Defenders
2nd Shift (SRP Corporate Band)

The events that will be available to all in attendance will include:

- Local school performances including Christ Lutheran’s Bell Choir, Sage Hip Hop
Dance Team, Squaw Peak’s Cheerleading and Chorale, Veritas Prep Madrigal Singers &
Saxphone group.
- Demonstrations including Self Defense demo, Capoereira
- Radio Live Broadcasting –The Blaze (ASU radio station) at Ticket Lobster.com Stage
at 36th Street & Indian School Road
- Slider Eating Competition
- Dunk Tank

Location of the Block Party:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=33.497369,-112.006409&spn=0.008016,0.017209&z=16&msid=110117270783108833567.00045b028cec046b83261

Popularity: 7% [?]

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a HUGE Greek Festival going on this weekend in the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall.  I personally haven’t been to it but it should be a blast if the official website (link below) is any indication of what’s to come.  Expect a review of this event before the weekend is up.

The Hours of the event are as follows:

Friday, November 7  (11am-10pm)

Saturday, November 8 (11am-10pm)

Sunday, November 9 (11am-7pm)

For more information please refer to the Scottsdale Festival of Greece’s website:

http://www.azgreekfest.com

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=33.495025,-111.922531&spn=0.008017,0.017209&z=16&msid=110117270783108833567.00045b026fb5f7cfc0c3f

Popularity: 2% [?]

Here’s something to checkout today if you aren’t interested in going to the Tempe Oktoberfest.  It’s the 8th Annual Arizona Irish Festival at the Irish Cultural center in Downtown Phoenix (Map at the bottom of this article).  All who attend the festival will be able to immerse themselves in Irish culture through Food, Music, Dance, and tons of other entertainment for all ages.

Among the amazing activities at the festival will be food, pubs, whiskey sampling, gifts, a silent auction, and a raffle with the grand prize being a trip to Ireland!

ALSO NEW THIS YEAR ~ IRISH TOAST CONTEST!

ARE YOU A TOASTER?

Calling all toasters to enter The First EVER Bushmill’s Best Irish Toast Contest!

Sharpen your wits and brush up on your blarney to write a prize-winning expression of that Celtic Pride!

Beginning now through Festival time (October 4th) participants are invited to write and “perform” their best Irish toast! Sign up at your favorite pub.

The finals will take place on the Bushmill’s Irish Pubs of the Valley Stage at the Arizona Irish Festival on Saturday, October 4th. Compete for Cash Prizes: $500, $250 & $100!

Worst Irish Toast: Into the dunk tank!
Bring all your friends to the Festival to cheer you on to victory!

Come out and explore this amazing cultural activity as it only comes once a year!  Come see why the Arizona Irish Festival is one of the key Cultural events that makes Phoenix such a great city!

Tickets are $10 for Adults – $8 for Seniors and Military with ID – $1 for Children 6 to 12 years of age – Children under the Age of 6 are free

There are so many things going on that you need to check the schedule below and plan out your day.

Here’s the schedule of what’s going on (Irish Whiskey Tasting!!!):

Harp (West) Stage

10:30am Opening Ceremonies (15 min)
10:45am Tir Conaill School (20 min)
11:05am Oceans Apart (45 min)
11:50am Celtic Dance Academy (20 min)
12:10pm Molly’s Revenge (45 min)
12:55pm Mayor Gordon & Arizona Colleen 2008 (15 min)
1:10pm The Academy Fiddlers (45 min)
1:55pm McTeggart Dance School (20 min)
2:15pm Oceans Apart (45 min)
3:00pm The Bracken School (20 min)
3:20pm Molly’s Revenge (45 min)
4:30pm The Inis Band
5:30pm The Black Velvet Band (45 minutes)
6:30pm The Academy Ceilidh Band
7:30pm Raffle of Trip to Ireland Winner Announced
7:45pm The Black Velvet Band
8:45pm Harp Stage Closes

Pubs of the Valley (East) Stage

10:45am Pat McCrossan (45 min)
11:30am The Knockabouts (45 min)
12:30pm Pat McCrossan (45 min)
1:30pm The Knockabouts (45 min)
2:30pm Keltic Cowboys (45 min)
3:30pm The Biffos (45 min)
4:30pm Keltic Cowboys (45 min)
5:30pm The Biffos (45 min)
6:15pm Irish Toast Contest Semi-Finals
6:45pm The Brazen Heads (45 min)
7:30pm Irish Toast Contest Finals (30 min)
8:00pm The Brazen Heads (45 min)
8:45pm Pub Stage Closes

The Great Hall

11:00am Irish Travel by Ursula Blackburne, CIE Tours
12:00pm Crafting a Bodhran by Len Reheaume
1:00pm Irish Whiskey Tasting and Distilling History by Robert Anderson, Bushmills
2:00pm Archeology and Ancient Ireland by James Boyle
3:00pm Irish Whiskey Tasting and Distilling History by Robert Anderson, Bushmills
4:30pm Closing Ceilidh – music by Oceans Apart, Jane Hilton and Molly’s Revenge, Dances called by Jim and Anne Daugherty

In The Cottage

11:00am – 8:00pm – Every Hour on the Hour
Cottage Tales – readings from Irish history, poetry, myths and more followed by an introduction to The Kells Exhibit
*Times are approximate and subject to change.

Irish Cultural Center
1106 N. Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85004 and
Margaret T. Hance (Deck) Park
602.308.4601
http://www.azirishfestival.org

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.0004586cf27eff5ebe554&ll=33.463633,-112.074323&spn=0.007554,0.01545&z=16

Popularity: 2% [?]