Road Voyeur

Sat 10/25
For all of you Peeping and would-be Peeping Toms, The Roosevelt Historic District is offering the perfect way to peep without getting slapped with jail time. TourFest, a guided tour of more than 20 houses, lofts and businesses, allows a rare view into buildings that date back to the founding of Phoenix. The festival features food; live music by Zum Zum Zum, The Diva Band, and Ratio; as well as demonstrations on restoration, home design and landscaping techniques. Gold Spot Market hosts a beer and wine garden.

This year's event is much bigger than previous years', as it commemorates the 20th anniversary of the District's founding in 1983. "It'll be like a block party," says Terri Palmberg, the president of the Roosevelt Action Association. "It's the perfect way to celebrate the Roosevelt experience."

TourFest is Saturday, October 25, at the intersection of Roosevelt and Third Avenue. Tours, $15, run between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and free festivities continue until 9 p.m. Free parking is available in the Post Roosevelt Square garage at the intersection of Central and Portland. - Quetta Carpenter

Market Flair

Fresh is the mantra at this market

Ongoing
Get that oh-so fresh feeling: Vincent's Camelback Market, stocked for its 13th season, peddles produce, pastries and pizzas from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday. Packing the restaurant's parking lot at 3930 East Camelback, the goods come from near (fresh local produce) and far (imported fruits, vegetables, olives, cheeses and wines). And to get a taste of the renowned chef's talent, pick up a few of Vincent's signature duck tamales, croissants and pestos. Call 602-224-0225 or see www.vincentson camelback.com. - Jill Koch

Beginners' Luck

First Fiction Night hosts new talents

Thur 10/23
Being an emerging writer isn't always easy, even when the publishing world is your oyster. For Nell Freudenberger, the bidding war that followed her very first published story -- in the 2001 "Debut Fiction" issue of The New Yorker -- was like the publishing world's equivalent to an arms race. At the time, Freudenberger was an editorial assistant at the magazine, and writing was a hobby she did every morning before hopping on the subway."I think especially for a young writer, it's easy to forget that anyone's ever going to look at your work besides your best friend or maybe your mom. Once that story ["Lucky Girls"] was published, it was a good reminder that you have to keep somebody's attention, you have to be funny, and you have to make the person keep wanting to turn the pages."

Then she signed the contract for her book, a short story collection also called Lucky Girls.

"I was terrified," Freudenberger says. Fortunately, readers are raving about the characters in the five stories, young American women navigating love and family issues in the unfamiliar surroundings of India and Southeast Asia.

Getting a book published is only the first hurdle for new writers. Getting exposure is the second. First Fiction Night, a new event from Changing Hands, brings five fresh talents into the spotlight on Thursday, October 23.

Joining Freudenberger for readings and signings is Ryan Harty, whose book Bring Me Your Saddest Arizona won a 2003 John Simmons Short Fiction Award, and Julie Orringer, who just released her first full-length short story collection, How to Breathe Underwater. Also appearing is Audrey Niffenegger, whose debut novel The Time Traveler's Wife was chosen for Good Morning America's book club, and Nic Kelman, who's been getting glowing reviews for his strangely addictive book Girls.

Readings begin at 7 p.m. at Monti's La Casa Vieja in Tempe. Call Changing Hands, 480-730-0205, for details.- Michele Laudig

Turner Round

Screen queen speaks

Thur 10/23
In 1984 and 1985, she won Golden Globes. In 2003, she launched NPR's American Dialogue. And in 1986, she achieved pop culture immorality, thanks to Falco, whose seven-minute song, "The Kiss of Kathleen Turner," said it best: "Just take a good look at Kathleen Turner/ Now there's one heck of a girl."

Take that good look at Kathleen Turner this Thursday, October 23, when the actress addresses "Reel Women and Real Women" as part of ASU's Women of the World Lecture Series. The free lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. at Gammage Auditorium; tickets are available at ASU Bookstores and Borders. Call 480-965-0051 for details. - Jill Koch

Auto Exposure

The world's finest classic cars are on display

Sat 10/25
For those of us whose automobiles are odes to practicality and limited budgets, the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the world's finest classic cars is a rare opportunity indeed. Visions of the rarefied air in which a precious few drive through life make for good theater -- and prime examples of what a car can be when money truly is no object.

Shift your automotive fantasies from idle into second gear at the kick-off event for the 2003 Gauthier Classic Car Rally, Saturday, October 25, from 7 to 10 a.m. in front of Jewelry by Gauthier, 4211 North Marshall in downtown Scottsdale. A cache of collector's items, ranging from Porsches and Ferraris to Maseratis and Jaguars, will line Marshall between Third and Fifth streets before embarking on a weekend journey through Arizona's scenic desert landscape. Proceeds will benefit the families of fallen police officers and firefighters throughout the state. Admission is free. For details call Mary Garrett at 602-952-1222. - Craig Wallach