Local Events
In Your Own By Jeanne Alspaugh
Backyard
During these tough economic times it can be hard to find things to do with your family and friends that are inexpensive and sometimes even FREE. This column focuses on those opportunities. Sometimes those options are closer than you think, all you have to do is look in your own backyard.
EVENTS
McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park Free: Exclusively Little Saturday, March 5th from 11:00am-2:00pm. This special event is held for children six years and younger and is a FREE event. The activities include game booths, moon walks, face painting, petting zoo, health demonstrations and entertainment! Children are invited to bring their favorite stuffed animal and enter it in the Stuffed Animal Contest. Prizes will be awarded to the most loved, cutest, and best dressed. There will also be train rides for $2 and carousel rides for $1. Children age three and younger ride free with a paying adult on either ride. Free: Scottsdale’s Old Town Farmers Market Located on the southwest corner of First Street and Brown Avenue. It operates Saturdays, from 8:30 to 1 p.m. and features a wonderful selection of fresh vegetables, fruits, organic produce and socializing. Call the Downtown Office at (480) 312-7750 for more information. Free: Sunday A’Fair in Civic Center Mall Sundays now through April, noon-4pm Set in the beautiful green park next to Old Town Scottsdale, Sunday A’Fair features free outdoor concerts by Arizona’s top musicians. Bring lawn chairs or a blanket for the grass and relax and enjoy the music. Browse the fine arts and crafts, or shop outside the box at the Store @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. There are fun hands-on art activities for children and families, and admission is free to Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA). Delicious food and beverages are available for purchase, and picnic baskets are also welcome. Free: Native Trails, presented by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and produced by the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. The series of free festivals runs through April on most 22 SPRING 2011
Thursdays and Saturdays from noon to 1:30 p.m., and includes memorable musical performances and traditional dances. Tribes represented include Yavapai, Zuni, Pima-Maricopa, Hopi, Apache and Diné (Navajo). The event celebrates Native American society and focuses on the individual cultures of these Southwest tribes. Performers present their history, pottery, textiles and more to introduce attendees to the diverse lifestyles. Each performance ends in an audience-participation round dance that draws in the crowd and completes the educational journey. Visit www.ScottsdaleNativeTrails.com for a schedule April Pools Day Saturday, April 23rd 1-4pm Eldorado Aquatic & Fitness Center 2301 N. Miller Rd (480) 312-2484 No fooling – let’s keep our kids safe around water. Scottsdale’s annual “April Pools Day” event is held to educate children and families in the prevention of drowning. Features include raffles, food and prizes as well as exhibits and water safety demonstrations.
On March 26th, 2011, Scottsdale Athletic Club will host the third annual TENNIS WITH A CAUSE charity tennis event. Organized by the Rotary Club of Scottsdale in collaboration with Scottsdale Athletic Club, this 18 and over Mixed Doubles event will benefit the Rotary youth scholarship programs as well as tennis-specific programs by the Boys and Girls Clubs in Scottsdale. Registration and sponsorship information can be obtained by calling (480) 609-1055 or by emailing tenniswithacause@gmail.com.