From post-Halloween to-dos and sporting events to quirky conventions and artsy endeavors, here's how to spend this weekend in and around Phoenix.
Arizona Zombie Prom @ Fear Farm Who doesn't remember their first prom? That magical night of dead flower corsages, zombies, and chipping in to rent a hearse with your undead date. The 5th Annual AZ Zombie Prom is returning to the West Valley the day after Halloween, giving you one more chance to put on your monster makeup and done your creepiest cocktail attire. This year, the all-ages AZ Zombie Prom will offer live performances by Three Bad Jacks, 12 Step Rebels, Koffin Kats, Nim Vind, Kats of Horror, and The Embalmers. In addition, this outdoor event will feature a Zombie King and Queen crowning, freak show performances, fire eating, face painting, prom photos, food trucks, and plenty of vendors.
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AZ Zombie Prom happens at 6 p.m. Friday, November 1, at Fear Farm, 2209 North 99th Avenue. Tickets are $15 and children 11 and under get in free. Visit www.azzombieprom.com or call 623-826-5632. -- Katie Johnson
Phoenix Suns vs. Utah Jazz @ US Airways Center This could be a long year for the Phoenix Suns. Tabbed as the least watchable team in the NBA, the Suns have no dominant players and questionable depth, which is generally a recipe for an early vacation and a high draft-pick. In spite of this, the Suns looked solid in the preseason (for whatever that's worth to you) and they have a solid albeit unspectacular set of young guards with Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. If rookie center Alex Len -- who many believed was the best player in the draft -- can get healthy, the Suns may just get a bit more interesting.
The Suns will start playing games for keeps this week including a tilt against the Utah Jazz Friday, November 1, at US Airways Center, 201 East Jefferson Street. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $13 and are available via www.ticketmaster.com. -- Ed Kummerer
ROC Race @ Salt River Fields Who could honestly say the best part of Double Dare was the answering of banal trivia questions? No, we watched for the physical challenges -- wild, manic, messy. They looked fun as hell.
The ROC Race (ROC = Ridiculous Obstacle Challenge) recreates the ridiculousness of this bygone game show and combines it with a 5K. Throughout the un-timed, ages-13-and-up run, you'll encounter such game show-inspired obstacles as the world's largest inflatable slide and moon bounce, a Tarzan swing over mud, monkey bars, the ominous Belly Flop Drop, and even a Miley Cyrus-size wrecking ball. The only way it could be better is if Marc Summers himself was cheering you on from the sidelines.
ROC out on Saturday and Sunday, November 2 and 3, at the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, 7555 North Pima Road in Scottsdale. Race entry is $75 on Saturday and $65 on Sunday. Visit rocrace.com/phoenix for more. -- Zachary Fowle
Día de los Muertos @ Desert Botanical Garden Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, occurs the two days following Halloween, but it has nothing to do with the contemporary ghoulish event, except perhaps sharing a love of skeletons and morbid imagery. Instead, Dia De Los Muertos is a revered, ancient and colorful celebration of lost souls in the cycle of life and death, and not simply a candy gathering party. To better understand the holiday, visit Desert Botanical Gardens to hear community art advocate Zarco Guerrero discuss the secrets, history and cultural traditions of this important day in Hispanic culture. The garden event also includes live music, an ofrenda (offering) art exhibit featuring local artists, a folkloric dance presentation, and a special meal prepared by Barrio Café owner and chef Silvana Salcido Esparza.
Celebrate the dead at the Botanical Garden, 1201 North Galvin Parkway, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday, November 2. Tickets are $50 for members and $62 for non-members. Call 480-481-8188 or visit www.dbg.org. -- Glenn BurnSilver
16th Annual Rubber Stamp Fall Fiesta @ Mesa Convention Center Everyone has their thing. For some, it's knitting. For others, it's comic books. So it should come as no surprise that there's an entire weekend-long convention dedicated to rubber stamps. The 16th Annual Rubber Stamp Fall Fiesta is coming to Mesa to create a lasting impression on card makers, crafters, and stamp makers throughout the Valley. The two-day event will feature more than 20 stamp and craft vendors, a fall card contest, and informative classes including "Stampscapes Uncomplicated," "Awesome Acetates," and "Going Unmounted - The Easy Way."
The Rubber Stamp Fall Fiesta makes its mark November 2 and 3 at Mesa Convention Center, 201 North Center Street. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $5 online and $7 at the door. Visit www.rubberstampevents.com for more information. -- Katie Johnson