3 Free Events in Metro Phoenix This Week

Technically your new year's resolutions don't kick in till Thursday, January 1. But there's no reason you can't start your goal of spending less a little early. From complimentary celebrations on the last night of 2014 to the first poetry reading of the year and a femme-focused art exhibition, here...

By Katie Johnson

December 30, 2014

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

Technically your new year's resolutions don't kick in till Thursday, January 1. But there's no reason you can't start your goal of spending less a little early. From complimentary celebrations on the last night of 2014 to the first poetry reading of the year and a femme-focused art exhibition, here are our top three picks for free events in metro Phoenix this week.

"Les Femmes Fierce: An Exploration of Female Trailblazers" by Jennifer Campbell

Stop by Practical Art between 7 and 9 p.m. on Friday, January 2, as it hosts a reception for its latest exhibition by Jennifer Campbell, "Les Femmes Fierce: An Exploration of Female Trailblazers." This exhibition, which runs throughout the month of January, will use watercolor and embroidery to showcase notable women in history from 1885 to 1986. Visit www.practical-art.com or check out the event on Facebook.

Welcome New Year's Eve

On Wednesday, December 31, the Garfield neighborhood's favorite spot for grub and get-togethers, Welcome Diner, is inviting the downtown community to join its staff in saying so long to 2014 and hello to 2015. The free New Year's Eve gathering will run from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. and offer drink and food specials, a champagne toast at midnight, and live music by the Haymarket Squares. For details, visit the event on Facebook.

First Friday Poetry

Roses are red, violets are blue. Changing Hands Bookstore is serving up some local prose for you. Every first friday, visit Changing Hands in Tempe for a chance to share your latest lyric while enjoying some verses from your fellow writers. First Friday Poetry happens at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 2. Interested poets should bring up to three typed pages to read aloud. For details, visit www.changinghands.com.

Follow Jackalope Ranch on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.