Ronald McDonald: The burger-chain spokesjester clowns around with his public on Thursday, July 11, at Ocotillo Branch Library, 102 West Southern (call 262-6694); on Monday, July 15, at Glendale City Council Chambers, 5850 West Glendale Avenue (930-3437); and on Tuesday, July 16, at Yucca Branch Library, 5648 North 15th Avenue (call 262-6788). All of the free sessions start at 2 p.m.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse: Disney's happy pair of oversize mice are scheduled to appear at the Disney Store at Metrocenter, I-17 and Peoria, from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 13. Mickey and Minnie will alternate half-hour time slots. Admission is free. For details call 331-3002.
at the concert
Harare: The Valley group continues City of Mesa's 1996 "Summer Spotlite" series with a performance of music from South Africa. Three shows, all in Mesa, are planned on Wednesday, July 17: at 10 a.m. at Dobson Ranch Branch Library, 2425 South Dobson; at 12:30 p.m. in Center Court at Superstition Springs Center, 6555 East Southern; and at 7 p.m. at Mesa Public Library, 64 East First Street. The weekly series continues through Wednesday, August 14. Admission to all performances is free; registration is required for the Dobson Ranch show. For details call 644-2242.
among the animals
"Falconry": Bill Brandel and his trained hunting bird enlighten kids about the title sport at 9 a.m. Thursday, July 11, at Palo Verde Branch Library, 4402 North 51st Avenue. Admission is free. For details call 262-6805.
"Meet a Park Ranger and Her Horse": Ranger Janine Baran shows off her equine partner and talks about her job in this program, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday, July 11, at Ironwood Branch Library, 4333 East Chandler Boulevard in Phoenix. Admission is free. For details call 534-1901.
Sleepover at Wildlife World Zoo: The fourth annual chaperoned summer series continues this week. WWZ staff members escort kids in grades four through eight on a night hike through the zoo and teach them how to paint their own tee shirts. The fun starts at 7 p.m. Friday, July 12, and continues until 8 a.m. Saturday, July 13, at the facility, 165th Avenue and Northern in Litchfield Park. The next sleepover is slated for Friday, July 26. The cost is $35, $30 for members, which includes all materials, plus dinner and breakfast. For registration and other information, call 935-9453.
Summer Days and Nights at Phoenix Zoo: The menagerie, 455 North Galvin Parkway, in Papago Park, hosts a "Summer Night Camp" sleepover for youngsters in grades three through five on Friday, July 12; for prices and registration details, call 273-1341, extension 7332. The educational festival "The Celebration of the Natural World" continues through September; call for details about July's entry. For general information, call 273-1341 or 273-7771.
arts and minds
"Children Helping Children": The exhibit, a fund raiser for Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona, features mixed-media works by professional artists and young art students. It opens with a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, July 11, and continues through Saturday, July 13, at C. Jackson Gallery and Studio, 7012 East Main in Scottsdale. Donations are accepted. For details call 947-8185.
"MACbest: Annual Student Art Exhibition": The juried exhibition of works by Mesa Arts Center students opens Tuesday, July 16, and continues through Saturday, July 27, at the center's Galeria Mesa, 155 North Center. Admission is free. For details call 644-2242.
"Poets and Painters": The touring exhibit of multimedia works by students at Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School in Williamsburg, Virginia, is the result of a program called "art engineering," an intensive, kid-led exploration of the art-instruction techniques of tomorrow. The installation continues through Sunday, August 18, in Young at Art Gallery at Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 7380 East Second Street. Viewing is free. For details call 994-2787.
show and tale
Leticia Pizzino: The professional storyteller does her thing at 1 p.m. Monday, July 15, at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 Civic Center Boulevard (call 994-2449); and at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 16, at Mustang Library, 10101 North 90th Street in Scottsdale (call 391-6028). Both events are free, but they require registration.
road trip
"Jim Gary's Twentieth Century Dinosaurs" in Flagstaff: New Jersey artist Gary concocts giant dino sculpture out of old auto parts, and about 20 of his labors of love are displayed through Sunday, November 3, at the Museum of Northern Arizona, located three miles north of Flag on U.S. Highway 180. The entrance fee, which doesn't include admission to the museum proper, is $6, $5 for seniors, $4 for kids ages 2 to 12. For details call 1-520-774-5213.
on the big screen
"Free Family Movie Series": Valley Art Theatre, 509 South Mill in Tempe, hosts this weekly series, which continues through Saturday, August 17. Balto (G) screens at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 13. Each movie is preceded by a public-safety or community-awareness presentation. Admission is free, but tickets must be picked up in advance. Call 829-6668.
"Fun Flicks for Kicks": Borders Books & Music at Biltmore Fashion Park, 24th Street and Camelback, Suite 200, hosts this free, all-ages series, which continues with a screening of Bambi (G) at 2 p.m. Thursday, July 11. Each kid receives a gratis bag of popcorn. For details call 957-6660.
Summer Movie Fun 1996: Harkins Theatres presents its annual youth-film fest, which continues this week with final screenings of Little Giants on Thursday, July 11; and Friday, July 12, at Westridge Mall 6 (75th Avenue and Thomas); Bell Towne Centre 8 (Seventh Street and Bell); Paradise Valley 7 (Tatum and Cactus); and Cornerstone 6 (Rural and University in Tempe). Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home plays Monday, July 15; and Tuesday, July 16, at Arcadia 8 (40th Street and Thomas), Bell Tower 8 (51st Avenue and Bell in Glendale), Camelview 5 (Goldwater Boulevard north of Camelback in Scottsdale) and Fiesta 5 (1520 South Longmore in Mesa). More Free Willy 2 showings are scheduled Wednesday, July 17, at Arcadia 8, Bell Tower 8, Fiesta 5 and Paradise Valley 7. All flicks start at 9:45 a.m. A series pass costs $5; without it, the price is $2 per film. The silver-screen fun continues through Friday, August 9; all movies are rated G or PG. For details call the Harkins Summer Movie Fun Hot Line at 517-2700.
at the museum
Arizona Museum for Youth: "Fly, Float & Locomote: Transportation in Art" features mixed-media representational works about how to get from here to there by Laurie Campbell, David Gilhooly, Jamie Maverick, Luis Jimenez, Robert McCall and others. The exhibit continues through Friday, September 13, at the museum, 35 North Robson in Mesa. Various workshops and related special events are scheduled; call 644-3690 for details. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $2, free for kids under 2. For general information, call 644-2467.
Arizona Science Center: Representatives from the Arizona Game and Fish department host "Get Batty!", a program about bats that includes live appearances by a few of the nocturnal flying mammals, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 17; participation is free with regular admission: $4.50, $3.50 for kids ages 4 to 12 and seniors, gratis for those age 3 and younger. The "TechZone 1996" exhibit features information and hands-on displays about the latest scientific innovations, from voice-recognition devices to air bags; it continues through Monday, September 2. The center is located at 147 East Adams. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For details call 256-9518 or 258-7250.
Mesa Southwest Museum: "Kuykendall Doll and Figure Collection," featuring about 350 of the title creations, continues through Sunday, September 29, in Community Gallery. The center is located at 53 North Macdonald. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $4, $3.50 for seniors and students with ID, $2 for kids ages 3 to 12, free for those younger. Call 644-2230.
"Phoenix Days and Ways": Kids ages 6 to 12 are invited to participate in various activities, including ancient Native American crafts and games and "pioneering" skills like cooking and carpentry, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, and each Wednesday in July at Phoenix Museum of History, located at Heritage and Science Park, Seventh Street and Washington. For details and required reservations, call 253-2734.
on the stage
Great Arizona Puppet Theater: The troupe presents final performances of Silly Bunny and Peter Rabbit, a musical variation on the Beatrix Potter tale, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday, July 11; 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday, July 12; 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 13; and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 14, at its theatre, 3302 North Seventh Street. Admission is $4.50; call 277-1275. GAPT hosts a free performance of Hotel Saguaro at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in the Program Room at Tempe Public Library, 3500 South Rural; call 350-5522. The group presents Creepy, Crawly, Wild and Woolly at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, in Webster Auditorium at Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 North Galvin Parkway, in Papago Park; a "Garden Game Time" session precedes at 6. Admission is free with the regular garden entrance fee of $6, $5 for seniors, $1 for children ages 5 to 12, gratis for younger kids and members; call 941-1225. The puppet theatre performs Navaho at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 17, at Mesa Public Library, 64 East First Street. Admission is free; call 644-2705.
Guys and Dolls: Greasepaint Scottsdale Youtheatre presents this teen production of the Broadway staple. Final performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 12; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 13; and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 14, at Stagebrush Theatre, 7020 East Second Street in Scottsdale. Tickets are $5. For reservations and details, call 990-7646.
Summer Sizzle: Several alums of Phoenix Theatre's Cookie Company are involved in this audience-participation production, written by the Valley's Gene Ganssle. The story involves a girl named Andy who learns the value of imagination after meeting three friendly space aliens who don't have access to television. The show is scheduled at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 13, and each Saturday in July in the amphitheatre at Quality Hotel and Resort, Second Avenue and Osborn. Admission is $5, $3 for children. For details call 248-0222.
The Wizard of Oz: Desert Stages, Inc., takes a trip to the merry old land of Oz. Opening performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 12; 1, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 13; and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday, July 14, at the theatre, 8473 East McDonald in Scottsdale. The production continues through Sunday, August 4. Tickets are $6 in advance, $9 at the door. For details call 483-1664.
