9 minute read
Kids Corner
KIDS’ CORNER FALL FAIRS AND FESTIVALS AROUND THE VALLEY
By Jill “M amaBug” F rier
November is the perfect time of year in Arizona for you and your family to get out and enjoy the weather and see the sights you can only see in the Sonoran Desert. Arizona offers plenty of fairs and festivals this month to get you outside and entertained while you gear up for the Holiday season in December. Here are a few fun festivals unique to the Valley of the Sun that you can check out this month.
WILD COUNTRY FESTIVAL
Fun at the zoo and a music festival – the best of outdoor fun! The one-of-a-kind Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Safari Park will host the Wild Country Festival, featuring four live bands, a beer garden, bounce houses, face painting, vendors, food and more. The festival is free with paid zoo admission the day of the event, so get the family out to see the animals, enjoy the rides and celebrate music and fun at the Wild Country Festival. Location: Wildlife World Zoo Aquarium & Safari Park Dates: November 3, 2018 Times: 1:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Cost: $15 General Admission (see website for pricing)
wildlifeworld.com/wild-country-festival
SHEMER ARIZONA ARTS FESTIVAL
The Shemer Art Center has been called one of the best kept secrets in the Valley and was named a Point of Pride for the City of Phoenix. Every year they host a two day event with more than 40 artists specially selected from all across Arizona to showcase one-of-a-kind works. The festival also hosts artist demonstrations and interactive opportunities to create your own glass, blacksmith or ceramic gifts. There will be an interactive Kids Zone, live music, food and beverage vendors, and a silent auction to get the holiday shopping season started with some beautiful artwork. The Shemer Arizona Arts Festival is a fun way to enjoy the art of Arizona and benefi t the non-profi t Shemer Art Center – take a peek at a Phoenix treasure and tackle some holiday shopping before Thanksgiving. Location: Shemer Art Center, 5005 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85018 Dates: November 3-4, 2018 Times: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Cost: Free
shemerartcenter.org/programming/events
CHILES AND CHOCOLATES FESTIVAL
Spice up your weekend with the annual Chiles & Chocolate Festival at the Desert Botanical Garden. Take the family to sample and shop your way through Arizona’s top chile and chocolate vendors, while taking in the beauty of the Sonoran Desert. This festival lets you indulge in gourmet chocolates, zesty sauces, fresh fi re-roasted chiles and listen to live musical performances of Latin, Brazilian and Spanish dance in the Boppart Courtyard. This festival is a real treat and a great way to enjoy our beautiful fall weather in Phoenix. Location: Desert Botanical Garden Dates: November 9-11, 2018 Times: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Cost: Included with paid Garden admission
dbg.org/events/chiles-and-chocolate
MAC AND CHEESE FEST AZ
The name of this festival says it all! For two days you can attend the Mac and Cheese Fest AZ at the Salt River Fields, where you can sample some of the best Mac & Cheese in the Valley. You can also enjoy various libations to compliment your mac & cheese cravings, and head to the Big Cheese Game Deck to enjoy a game of Ping Pong, Giant Jenga or Bags. If you go to this one, head over hungry (and forget about watching those carbs)! Location: Salt River Fields Dates: November 17 & 18 Times: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm Cost: General Admission $15 (VIP Tickets also available)
macandcheesefestaz.com
The fairs and festivals listed here are just a few of the many happening around the Valley this month, but each will defi nitely make great memories while you celebrate the season. For information about other fun activities and events in Arizona, read Ladybug’s Blog (www. LadybugsBlog.com).
COVER STORY SCOTTSDALE NORTH MUSIC LOVERS’ BEST KEPT SECRET
By Scott Gaertner Lifestyle Contributor
Are you a music lover and fi nd that you have to drive way too far to get your fi x of amazing music? Well discover Scottsdale North’s best kept secret, the Arizona Musicfest, and suffer no more!
The 28th annual Arizona Musicfest festival season brings a diverse lineup of exceptional artists right to Scottsdale North audiences. From country superstar Wynonna Judd to legendary music icon Neil Sedaka, Arizona Musicfest’s 2018-19 Festival Season will include 27 pe rformances from November 2 through March 15. And the best part? Almost all of the performances are either located right here in Scottsdale North or they are just a stone’s throw away! No more driving in the early dark of those fall and winter evenings to travel all the way
to downtown Phoenix or Tempe to hear the rhythms your heart has been longing for.
Arizona Musicfest has grown to become the largest Winter Music Festival in the country. Founded in 1991, the festival is a secular non-profi t arts organization based in North Scottsdale, and produces an annual concert festival as well as important music education programs, youth performance opportunities and a community lifelong learning series for the Greater Phoenix area. Festival highlights also include Broadway’s leading man, Brian Stokes Mitchell; stars of The Venetian Las Vegas, Human Nature; jazz trumpet legend Herb Alpert and Grammy Award-winning singer Lani Hall; and Lonesome Traveler with special guest Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary, performing a journey through American folk music from the hills of Appalachia to the nightclubs of New York. Stellar ensembles coming to the Musicfest stage include the legendary Count Basie Orchestra, as well as swing greats Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
Highlighting this year’s Festival Orchestra Week are two momentous concerts featuring violin virtuoso Gil Shaham and the Violins of Hope, a rare collection of restored violins from the Holocaust. The Festival Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Robert Moody, is comprised of musicians from the nation’s fi nest orchestras. This ensemble will perform six concerts in February, including works by Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Bach, and Mahler. Award-winning American pianist Andrew von Oeyen joins the Orchestra for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3.
“Arizona Musicfest has experienced tremendous growth over the last few years,” said Arizona Musicfest Executive and Producing Director Allan Naplan. “With a continued expansion of our Festival concert programming, including more performances than ever before with top level artists, we look forward to providing another exciting season!
Check out the 2018-19 schedule and tickets for all Arizona Musicfest performances at azmuscifest.org or by calling (480) 422- 8449.
Scott Gaertner is an Associate Broker with Keller Williams Northeast, who for the past 25+ years has helped ore people to fi nd their lifestyle niche in the Scottsdale North area than anyone else. He also contributes his thoughts on lifestyle interests in the area. If you have something of interest in your community please contact us at .Lifestyle@ScottsdaleNorthNews.com
HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL
WYNONNA JUDD GIL SHAHAM
Arizona Musicfest Festival Dates
Arizona Musicfest Fall Fest (Nov. 2-18, 2018)
Billy Joel 2 Elton John: A Tribute Concert
The Bronx Wanderers
Anderson & Roe Piano Duo
Wynonna & The Big Noise
Young Musicians Fall Concert
Nov. 18; 2 p.m. Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix Arizona Musicfest Holiday Fest (Dec. 3)
The Ten Tenors: Home for the Holidays
Arizona Musicfest Winter Festival (Jan. 25 – Mar. 15, 2019)
Human Nature: Direct from Las Vegas
Herb Alpert & Lani Hall
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Brian Stokes Mitchell
The Hit Men
Trio Solisti
Ruth Moody Band
Feb. 12; 7:30 p.m. Gathering Place at La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, 6300 E. Bell Road, Phoenix
Neil Sedaka
Festival Sinfonia: Vivaldi & Mozart
Festival Orchestra: Beethoven & Dvorak featuring pianist Andrew von Oeyen
Festival Orchestra: Concert of Triumph
Festival Orchestra: POPS! Featuring Simply Three
Violins of Hope: Gil Shaham with The Festival Orchestra
Feb. 23; 8 p.m. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale
A Silenced Legacy: Honoring the Music and the Musicians
Feb. 26; 7:30 p.m. Temple Chai, 4645 East Marilyn Road, Phoenix
Young Musicians Winter Concert
The Hot Club of San Francisco
The Streisand Songbook Feat. Ann Hampton Callaway
Count Basie Orchestra
Changes in Latitude: A Jimmy Bu et Tribute
