Diamond Crystal Awards
The Phoenix drag community is made of many types of performers, who bring masculine or feminine, comedic, boy- or girl-next-door, punk rock or goth styles. The annual Diamond Crystal Awards celebrate the art of drag performance, as well as femmes and male entertainers. During the awards ceremony on Friday, July 6, ArizonaDrag.com will give out awards to individual performers, duos, pageants, shows, and impersonators, as voted on by the public. Community members, organizations, drag fans, and performers will also receive special awards for their achievements or support of drag in Arizona. Mister Phoenix Pride Carrington Hall-Dubois and Miss Phoenix Pride Mya McKenzie will perform.
Doors open at 6 p.m., and the awards ceremony starts at 7 p.m. at The Rock Phoenix, 4129 North Seventh Avenue. Tickets are $10. For more information, go to the Arizona Drag website. Laura Latzko
Frida Birthday Bash
Friday, July 6, would have been Frida Kahlo’s 111th birthday, which is as good a reason to celebrate as any. The third annual Frida Birthday Bash will feature live painting, Frida makeovers, arts and crafts for kids, and, best of all, a bar. Admission starts at $5, but for $30 and up you can purchase a VIP ticket and experience live performances by La Luz de la Luna, cigar-rolling, a tequila tasting, dinner, and more.
It’s happening at Tradiciones at 1602 East Roosevelt Street, which you may also know as the Ranch Market plaza. Find out more at the Facebook event page or Eventbrite. Antonia Farzan
Mary Poppins
Disney’s Mary Poppins is a toe-tapping stage adaptation of the beloved movie. But P.L. Travers, who wrote the books about the titular English nanny, was notoriously protective of her characters. When the author was approached for the stage rights in the ’90s, Travers insisted that the creative team be all English. In keeping with those wishes, Downton Abbey scribe Julian Fellowes wrote the script. Not to worry, the catchy song “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” will be performed.
Step in time starting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 6, at Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe Street. Tickets are $44-$73. For more information and additional performances, visit the Herberger Theater Center website. Jason Keil
Gallo (left) and Dom Vitalli (right) will square off at AWF Aftershock on Saturday, July 7, in Glendale.
Benjamin Leatherman
Local wrestlers Gabriel Gallo and Dom Vitalli used to be the best of friends. At one time, the two musclebound behemoths were a fearsome tag team known as The Keepers of the Faith who kicked much ass while dominating the Valley’s wrestling scene.
This weekend, however, these former besties will become bitter rivals when they square off during the main event of the Arizona Wrestling Federation’s Aftershock event on Saturday, July 7, at the AWF Arena, 5658 North 51st Avenue in Glendale. At stake is the chance to become the number-one contender for the AWF’s heavyweight title, not to mention bragging rights.
Several other matches will take place at Aftershock, including a title bout between Watson and Max McManus for the AWF State Championship and a tag team contest featuring the Brothers of Wrestling.
Bell time is 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $12. See the Arizona Wrestling Federation website for more details. Benjamin Leatherman
Keith McCafferty
Well, maybe it’s not “Call me Ishmael,” but “I have to pee,” the opening line of A Death in Eden, promises another harrowing adventure in the wilds of Montana from author and outdoorsman Keith McCafferty. Death is the seventh novel of his award-winning Western mystery series about private investigator Sean Stranahan.
Craig Johnson,
McCafferty will be in Phoenix at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 8, to sign his latest book at The Poisoned Pen, 40414 North Goldwater Boulevard, #101, Scottsdale. Visit the Poisoned Pen website. Stuart Warner
We can’t guarantee that a monsoon will hit Phoenix this weekend. But we can promise you the next best thing: a whole day full of needing out about monsoons. Indoors.
Code Orange
Since the announcement of their third studio album back in 2016, American metal-core band Code Orange had been pretty dormant. Fans waited in anticipation as the release date had been repeatedly pushed back until the album was eventually released in January 2017.
Then last month, we were blessed when the band released the extra-heavy three-track EP The Hurt Will Go On, which is just as heavy and violent as you’d expect. Witness the new songs for yourself, when the band heads to the Nile Theater, 105 West Main Street, Mesa, on Saturday, July 7.
The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $16 at Ticketfly. Lindsay Roberts
Super Smash Bros. action will take over The Grid in Mesa on Sunday, July 8.
Nintendo of America
Feel like pwning your pals? The folks at The Grid in Mesa offers a few different ways you can do so every weekend. The East Valley game bar serves up a Super Smash Bros. tournament each Sunday where joystick Jedi can thrash the competition via the Wii-U version of the popular Nintendo fighting game.
There’s a $10 buy-in and a series of one-on-one battles in a best-of-three rounds format will take place during the event; first-, second-, and third-place finishers will nab a split of the pot. Controllers will be provided and anyone who’s not 18 or older is required to have an adult present.
The battles begin at 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 8. The Grid is located at 525 South Gilbert Road in Mesa. Call 480-621-8088 or visit the Facebook event page. Benjamin Leatherman
“Preparing for a Grand Canyon Rim to Rim in a Day Hike”
So you’re planning to hike Grand Canyon rim to rim in a day this fall? Have you heard it could be dangerous? Are you crazy? If you answered yes to all three questions, you may want to head to Scottsdale and listen to the experts at Just Roughin’ It guide service. They’re offering a free class called “Preparing for a Grand Canyon Rim to Rim in a Day Hike” at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 8, that will give first-timers an idea of what they’re getting into.
They’ll cover clothing, footwear, food, and drink, and how to “make it through in one piece.” Class convenes at 8658 East Shea Boulevard, #175 in Scottsdale. Reserve at 480-857-2477 or through [email protected].
Bring a pen and paper for notes. Visit the Facebook event page for more information. Ray Stern
Yellow Submarine
It’s the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ film Yellow Submarine. Do you feel old yet?
FilmBar is celebrating the occasion with a screening of the film with exclusive giveaways for those in the best psychedelic costumes. Get dressed up in your best ’60s garb and head over to 815 North Second Street at 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 8, to see the animated feature.
Tickets for the event are $12 at the FilmBar website. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. Lindsay Roberts
Explore Jill Centrino's work at Burton Barr Central Library.
Jill Centrino
There’s no limit to what you can read into abstract art. See what comes to mind when you check out works by two artists inside the @Central Gallery at Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 North Central Avenue. Jill Centrino’s “Twirling Present, Colorful Future” exhibit features paintings meant to inspire happiness and affection. Melissa
Get a good look between 1 and 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 8. Both exhibits are free. Leave time to explore other artworks throughout the library, or check out some books to up your art IQ. Visit the Phoenix Public Library website. Lynn Trimble
