For those short on cash but itching for excitement, we at Jackalope Ranch have put together our top three picks for free Valley entertainment this week. With upcoming carnivals, festivals, and nature excursions, this week's events are too cheap to pass up.
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Emerge 2014: The Carnival of the Future ASU's Emerge 2014 offers a week's worth of activities from tech demos and film screenings to lectures and performances, all coordinated with this year's theme in mind, "The Future of Me." Emerge 2014 will conclude with The Carnival of the Future on Friday, March 7. This free event, which will run from 6 to 11 p.m. on Third Street between Roosevelt and Garfield in downtown Phoenix, will feature boundary-pushing performances and technological achievements as the community's arts and sciences intersect. For more information and to RSVP for Emerge 2014 events, visit emerge.asu.edu.
Tres Rios Nature & Earth Festival Twice a year, the Tres Rios Nature and Earth Festival celebrates the history and wildlife surrounding "The Valley of the Three Rivers," including the Agua Fria, Gila, and Salt rivers. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9, at the Base Meridian Wildlife Area, this family-friendly festival will offer wildlife educational programs and wildlife interactions, canoe excursions, archery, kayaking, hiking, paddle boarding, and live entertainment. Visit tresriosnaturefestival.com or call 623-333-2400.
26th Annual Apache Leap Mining Festival This three-day event kicks off Friday, March 7, from 5 to 10 p.m. and continues Saturday, March 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, March 9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free festival will feature a mining exhibit, mining competitions, a chihuahua race, live music, a beer garden, food, vendors, a car show, parade, Apache crown dancers, and a samba performance by SambAZ. Visit superiorazchamber.net or call 602-625-3151.