5 Best Things to Do and See in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

Park(ing) Day
For a city steeped in commuter culture and bursting with blacktops, a day dedicated to transforming parking spaces into public places may seem a pipe dream. Yet every year people gather in metered spaces not to pay to park, but rather to create a different version.

Park(ing) Day encourages mini pop-up parks that draw attentions to urban planning and car-driven issues, fostering creativity along the way with themes, games, or peaceful greenery.

Setup begins promptly at 6 a.m., with tear down around 9:45 a.m. on Friday, September 18, on First Avenue between Monroe and Adams streets. Participation is free, and groups are encouraged. Connect with Phoenix’s seventh annual Park(ing) Day plans via Facebook. For details about events worldwide and its origins, head to Parking Day online. Janessa Hilliard

"Chicano State of Mind"
You don't need to take a photography class to know that perspective is everything. Eight Arizona creatives share theirs this fall in the group exhibition “Chicano State of Mind.” The works of these street artists, painters, graphic designers, and artisans embody and explore what it means to be Chicano – and why that term means so much more than Mexican-American. Lalo Cota, Kathy Cano-Murillo, and Such Styles (among others) offer their points of view at Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, One East Main Street, through Sunday, January 10, 2016. Admission is free. See www.mesaartscenter.com or call 480-644-6500. Becky Bartkowski

Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market
Mark your calendars and get ready to hunt for hidden treasures, the Valley’s biannual mega market is back for its fall season. Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market brings a collection of the handmade and one-of-a-kind, the rusty and the forgotten, all looking for new love. With more than 170 purposefully picked vendors, all of which are local, there’s something to discover — and fun to scour — for everyone. The weekend will be also filled with giveaways, photo opportunities, and design inspiration worthy of Instagram.

Gates are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday, September 19, and Sunday, September 20, at WestWorld, 16601 North Pima Road in Scottsdale. Admission is $8 per day or $15 for the weekend; children under 12 get in free. VIP tickets are $50 and include early admission and a swag bag. Parking is $5. Visit Junk in the Trunk online for details and a complete list of vendors. Janessa Hilliard

Brazilian Day Arizona 
In September, Brazilian Independence Day lights up every hood from the poorest favelas to the main street of Rio de Janeiro and Brazilian Day Arizona brings the Southern Hemisphere celebration to Scottsdale. Whether providing the backdrop to energetic action of capoiera martial artists or the Samba Queen Contest, the joyous music blending African, Carribean, & Latin rhythmsl will be provided by live bands and spinmasters like DJ Seduce while you nosh on the favorite foods & drinks of Brazil.

The sixth Annual Brazilian Day Arizona is at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 East Second Street, on Saturday, September 19, from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults and $5 for children. Advance tickets and more information are available at Brazilian Day Arizona online. Jose Gonzalez

Arizona Roller Derby Season 12 Home Team Championship
Step aside, American Pharoh, this weekend is about a different kind of derby championship. The Arizona Roller Derby Season 12 Home Team Championship is taking over SpoFit, 5031 East Washington Street, on Saturday, September 19, and these ladies are out for blood. After the main event, there will be a state team mini round robin, featuring some of the best teams of the season.

Come see the Guadylupes and the Brawlaz duke it out for the tile beginning at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30. Tickets are $12 at the door, $10 if you wear an Arizona Roller Derby shirt. For more information, check out Arizona Roller Derby on Facebook or go directly to the Facebook event page. Katrina Montgomery