11 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

New Times picks the best thing to do in metro Phoenix from Friday, May 6, to Sunday, May 8.

David Cross
In the 1990s, before people were willing to offer up their firstborns for your HBO GO pass to peep the medieval soap opera Game of Thrones, the network boasted some shows worthy of your “must binge-watch” list.

The sketch comedy program Mr. Show featured David Cross and Bob Odenkirk — and was one of those hits. Its scathing, irreverent skits tackled social issues, with abandon. After that, Cross went on to star in the exceptionally witty sitcom Arrested Development, where both he and the show garnered rave reviews. Recently, he returned to his stand-up roots. He’s taken Trump’s tagline, Making America Great Again! and is using it as the title of his current 50-state comedy tour. His no-holds-barred hilarity begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 6, at Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard in Chandler. Admission is $42 to $82. Call 800-946-4452 or visit www.wingilariver.com. Amy Young

Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market
In Phoenix, you can’t talk vintage shopping without talking Junk in the Trunk. And this year, the popular annual event at WestWorld, 16601 North Pima Road in Scottsdale, is upping the ante with a special Friday evening shopping session so you can nab all the good finds before they’re gone. There will be over 200 vendors selling everything from jewelry to cooking utensils.

Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market’s special Friday night shopping event on May 6 goes from 6 to 9 p.m., and tickets are $65 at the door. General admission on Saturday and Sunday, May 7 and 8, is $8, and the event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on those days. Parking is $5 per car. For more information and a detailed list of vendors, visit www.junkinthetrunkvintagemarket.com. Katrina Montgomery

"NSFW"
Unless you’ve been able to ignore the Internet for a few decades, you know the common denominator of “not safe for work” e-mail subjects or subreddits is nudity — a slang shorthand {9} The Gallery has borrowed for its artistic look into the naked human form.

In “NSFW,” 38 artists explore the constructs of beauty, gender, and mortality with their interpretations of nakedness. Those featured include local contemporary fine artist Jon Wassom, ceramist and sculptor Lucas J. Knowles, painter and muralist Beth Tom, and Artel director — and the collection’s co-presenter — Tara Sharpe.

See the free First Friday show from 6 to 10 p.m. on May 6 at 1229 Grand Avenue. The exhibition remains on view through Saturday, May 28, with another public reception on Third Friday. Details are at www.9thegallery.com or www.artelshow.com. Janessa Hilliard


Caleb Reese Festival of New Plays and Musicals 
Like a riotous bed of wildflowers, Phoenix Theatre’s Caleb Reese Festival of New Plays and Musicals returns annually for your delight. Adroit writers will see their dramatic works hit the stage for the first time during the festival, continuing through Saturday, May 21, at 100 East McDowell Road. Events wrap up just as a new musical, When You Wish (following the life of Walt Disney), makes its debut.

On Friday, May 6, Angelica Howland’s Forward and Rich Orloff’s Jennifer’s Birth inaugurate the abundance with 8 p.m. performances in separate venues. (You can catch the one you miss down the road.) And the always-popular 24-Hour Theatre Project will pack ’em in on Sunday, May 15.

Several Festival events are free! Admission to others ranges from $10 to $15 for individual plays to $60 for an all-access pass. Tickets to When You Wish are $30 to $86. Visit www.phoenixtheatre.com/festival, or call 602-254-2151. Julie Peterson

The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord
Several of history’s celebrities share a holy little secret: They plugged away at their own versions of the Bible. Thomas Jefferson excised the commercials, while Charles Dickens preserved them, in an unintentional game of intertemporal Battleship. Then Tolstoy started from scratch — and his work of Christian Anarchism wasn’t technically a secret in Russia but was, in fact, banned.

Arizona Theatre Company’s The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Count Leo Tolstoy: Discord tosses those three guys into a postmortem slumber party where they try to reconcile their accounts.

Catch the final preview Friday, May 6, at Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe Street. Showtime is 8 p.m., and performances continue through Sunday, May 29. Tickets start at $28 at www.arizonatheatre.org or 602-256-6995. Julie Peterson

Date Night
Baseball stadiums aren’t just for baseball anymore. This weekend head to Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 East Osborn Road, for Date Night. Bring your favorite blanket and enjoy a movie (Daddy’s Home) right on the field. You can take a tour of the facility or just hang out in the stands drinking beer and wine with friends. There will also be food trucks on site, so you won’t be limited to hot dogs.

Date Night at Scottsdale Stadium is on Saturday, May 7, from 6 to 10 p.m. Entry to this 21-and-over event is free, and there will be food and drink available for purchase. Dogs aren’t allowed, which we assume the organizers mean in a literal sense. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/832111333565235. Katrina Montgomery

Arizona Comic Mini Expo
Technically, a convention is a large meeting, but the Arizona Comic Mini Expo isn’t all that conventional. Claiming to be a mini-conventin signed for the fans, th free event brings several of the world’s top comic creators together under one roof to sign autographs, do some on-site sketching and mingle with fans. Of course, if you’re a huge comics fan, you’re already aware of the mini expo. So consider this a little reminder. If you’re a small fan, however, such a cool event might come as a big surprise. You get the idea. All fans, great and small, are welcome at Mesa’s Samurai Comics, 1120 South Country Club Drive, on Saturday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www.azminicomicexpo.com or call 480-962-1123 for details. Rob Kroehler

SMoCA Mix
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art is literally rolling out the red carpet for its SMoCA Mix: Fashionably Avant-Garde soiree, which promises to be delightfully free of wardrobe malfunctions.

Models walking red carpets in four galleries will spotlight the provocative edge between contemporary art and conceptual couture. And there will be some cool performances, too. It’s a classy reminder that there’s more to fashion than dressing pampered pets for Instagram.

Featured designers include Rocky Gathercole, Fouad Sarkis, and Galina Mihaleva. Scottsdale-based Galina Couture, which combines unconventional fabrics with traditional tailoring, will show new 3D-printed material. SMoCA Lounge is getting a touch of celebrity that night, with fashions once worn by celebs including Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, and Carrie Underwood.

Patrons can make their very own red-carpet entrance at SMoCA, 7374 East Second Street, starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 7. Tickets are $250 and include hors d’oeuvres and libations. Visit smoca.org. Lynn Trimble

Kentucky Derby Party
Unfurl those big headpieces from the closet, ladies; it’s derby season. Though Phoenix is roughly 1,700 miles from Churchill Downs Racetrack, it’s no excuse to ignore one of the most iconic events our nation has to offer: the Kentucky Derby.

Valley derby fans can check out the Kentucky Derby Party at Turf Paradise, 1501 West Bell Road, on Saturday May 7, from 7:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Kentucky Derby is scheduled for 3:24 p.m.

You have a couple of options for how to experience “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports” during its 142nd go, ranging from $5 to $170. Kids 16 and younger get in free.

There’re also contests for the Monica Geller in your group. Categories include best Derby ensemble, most outrageous Derby hat, and best dressed Derby gents, with a first prize of $100. For details, visit www.turfparadise.com or call 602-942-1101. Lauren Cusimano

Divided Comedy Tour
It reads like a bad 1980s sitcom: “He’s a wisecracking black dude from Chicago; he’s a bespectacled white guy from Santa Cruz! Watch what happens when they confront topics like race, religion, parenting, politics and everything else that keeps us… Divided!” But Ty Barnett (who’s appeared on Last Comic Standing and The Tonight Show) and Ian Harris (who’s been on Jimmy Kimmel Live and his own special, Critical & Thinking) are two very smart, very funny comedians. There’ll be no need for a laugh track.

Unite to see the Divided Comedy Tour at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at Stand Up Live, 50 West Jefferson Street. Tickets are $15. Call 480-719-6100 or visit standuplive.com for more. Zach Fowle

Phoenix Mercury vs. Seattle Storm
You can’t blame WNBA legend Diana Taurasi for taking last season off to rest. The perennial all-star has been a fixture in the league since 2004, but she’s also under contract with newly crowned Euroleague champs, Russian’s UMMC Ekaterinburg. As that contract dwarfs her Phoenix Mercury contract, it would appear that Taurasi knows where her bread is buttered. But fear not, hoops fans, the Valley’s winningest baller is back and — having just hoisted the Euroleague trophy — appears to be in championship form. In case you checked out last season, as many folks did thanks to Diana’s departure, the Mercury were ousted by the Minnesota Lynx in the Western Conference finals. So expectations will undoubtedly be high as their leader returns. Catch the Merc’s final preseason tuneup at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 8, at Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 East Jefferson Street. Tickets are $9 and up. Visit www.mercury.wnba.com or call 602-379-2000 for details. Rob Kroehler