"Getting to Know You": Clotilde Otranto conducts Phoenix Symphony in this family performance, featuring Britten's A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. Showtime is 2:30 p.m. Sunday, November 10, at Symphony Hall, 225 East Adams; preconcert festivities begin at 1:30. Tickets are $8, available at the symphony box office and Dillard's. Call 264-6363 or 678-2222.
"Kids Are Music": Phoenix Girls Chorus, Phoenix Boys Choir, the Scottish Highland Dancers and other ensembles are scheduled to perform at this annual festival, slated for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 9, at Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 North Arizona Avenue. Tickets are $10, $5 for those 12 and under. For details call 786-2680 or 252-5562.
houses of cards
"Carditecture": Children learn how to make various structures out of playing cards, and they can keep what they make at these free sessions, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Saturday, November 9, at Borders Books & Music at Biltmore Fashion Park, 24th Street and Camelback, Suite 200; and at 1 that afternoon at the Borders store at 1361 South Alma School in Mesa. The events are held in conjunction with Architecture Week '96 (see Monday in Pic Hits or the Events listing). For details call 957-6660 or 833-2244.
for pet's sake
Desert Hills Cluster All-Breed Dog Shows: Some of the world's top breeds are put through their paces in canine competitions scheduled on Friday, November 8; Saturday, November 9; and Sunday, November 10, at Paradise Valley Park, 17802 North 40th Street in Phoenix. Daily hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For details call 948-9002.
Pet Dog Owners Day: Pups and their humans are welcome to attend this event, sponsored by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and featuring exhibits, demonstrations and a guest appearance by Moose, who portrays the well-trained mutt named Eddie on TV's Frasier. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, November 10, in Exhibit Hall E at Phoenix Civic Plaza, Second Street and Adams. Admission is $3, free for seniors and kids under 12. Call 262-7272 or 1-800-738-3647.
arts and minds
"I Can Fly": South Phoenix photographer Tarah Rider Berry snapped children in various states of wide-eyed, rubber-boned informality for this exhibit, whose ultimate mission was "capturing the innocence, creativity and freshness of youth." It continues through Sunday, November 24, in the New Directions Gallery at Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 7380 East Second Street. Call 994-2787.
on the stage
Alice in Wonderland: Playhouse Theatre for Children at Manistee Town Center, 5633 West Northern in Glendale, presents William Glennon's contemporary update of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This week's performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, November 8; 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday, November 9; and 2 p.m. Sunday, November 10. The production continues through Sunday, November 17. Admission is $5. Call 245-1566.
The Butterfly's Day: Desert Stages, Inc., presents Gerry Cullity's musical fantasy about a butterfly flapping about in search of a higher purpose. Final performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 8; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 9; and 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday, November 10, at the theatre, 8473 East McDonald in Scottsdale. Tickets are $6 in advance, $9 at the door. Call 483-1664.
The Short Tree and the Bird That Could Not Sing: Childsplay continues its 20th season with Dennis Foon's modern parable about the friendship that develops between the title outcasts. Opening performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 8; 2 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday, November 9; and 2 and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, November 10, at Tempe Performing Arts Center, 132 East Sixth Street. The production continues through Sunday, November 24. Tickets are $12.25, $9.25 for students and seniors. For details call 350-8101.
at the wingding
"Owls and Hawks of Arizona": A volunteer from the Liberty Wildlife Rehabilitation Foundation presents this program, which features living examples of the title birds of prey, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, November 13, at Cholla Branch Library, 10050 North Metro Parkway East. For details call 534-3770.
Way Out West Bird Expo: Multitudes of flapping, squawking, chattering birds representing hundreds of species are on display and numerous products are on sale at this avian extravaganza, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, November 10, at Arizona State Fairgrounds, 19th Avenue and McDowell. Admission is $4, $2.50 for seniors, $1.50 for kids ages 5 to 12; fairgrounds parking costs $4 per vehicle. Call 258-6711 or 973-9282.
horse sense
"Tall in the Saddle": This fun, educational session features a real Mexican cowboy--a.k.a. a vaquero--who enlightens kids ages 5 to 12 about life in the 1800s. The free program's scheduled for 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, November 7, at Mesquite Branch Library, 4525 Paradise Village Parkway North. For details call 262-7299.
at the museum
Arizona Museum for Youth: "Face Value: The Art of Portraiture" features works by Andy Warhol, Rudy Turk, Greg Patrenos, Bill Barnhart and others. It continues through Friday, January 17, 1997. The museum is located at 35 North Robson in Mesa. It's open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, November 11. Regular hours: 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is $2, free for kids under 2. For more information, call 644-2467.
Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting: The traveling exhibit "Happy Birthday, Smokey," celebrating the history and future of 52-year-old fire-prevention spokesbruin Smokey Bear and providing illumination about fire and firefighting, continues through Saturday, November 30, at the museum, 6101 East Van Buren. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission: $5, $4 for seniors, $3 for children ages 6 to 17, free for those younger. For details call 275-3473.
the good word
"All Aboard!!!! The Rhythm and Reading Express": Music therapist Jamie Showers hosts this pro-literacy program of sing-along songs and play-along games for kids ages 5 to 9. It's scheduled for 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, November 9; and 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, November 11, at Glendale Public Library, 5959 West Brown. The sessions continue each Saturday and Monday, through November 25. Registration is required. For details call 930-3537; the TDD number for the hearing-impaired is 842-3760.