This weekend's happenings are anything but weak. From arts festivals and a '90s throwback to checking early holiday shopping off your to-do list, here are our top picks for things to do in and around metro Phoenix this weekend.
2014 CALA International Festival
Finally, Phoenix is starting to cool down and catch up to the rest of the country's seasonal changes. But this weekend, the Valley of the Sun is about to heat up once again thanks to the 2014 CALA Alliance International Festival. The Celebración Artística de las Américas Alliance will take over Civic Space Park, 424 North Central Avenue, to fill it with Latin American-themed music, performances, and art. This two-day festival offers everything from a silk screening workshop to a kids' Cumbia dance party to some chido Mexican electronica beats being spun by Mexican Institute of Sound creator Camilo Lara.
See also: Phoenix New Times' Calendar of Events
Friday night, November 7, from 7 to 9 p.m. will feature light snacks, drinks, and an all-star lineup of speakers, including International chef Javier Plascencia discussing the food and wine movement in Baja California and conductor and director Tito Arturo Muñoz sharing his new direction for the Phoenix Symphony. Tickets for CALA Lab are $35, but the rest of the festival is free to attend. For more information and to buy tickets, visit calaalliance.org or call 602-279-9925. Evie Carpenter
We'd trade all the leftover Halloween candy sitting in our freezer to spend a couple hours inside the creative mind of Phoenix artist Sarah Hurwitz. Lucky for our sweet tooth, her latest exhibition gives a glimpse.
Hurwitz's "Jungle Box" is a birdwatching safari experience that just so happens to take place inside a shipping container gallery. With crafted foliage that drapes from the ceiling and two sets of binoculars for viewing, the show is every bit as whimsical and fun as we've come to expect from the artist. It's the latest show from Halt Gallery, which recently opened the new shipping container at Roosevelt ARTS Market as a long-term exhibition space for its shows, which will feature artists both local and national.
Take an adventure to the "Jungle Box" during its closing reception from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, November 7, at 408 East Roosevelt Street. Admission is free. Visit www.haltgallery.com for more. Becky Bartkowski
