The Best Free Events in Phoenix This Week

So much to do, so little to spend. This week you can test your wizardry knowledge at Harry Potter Trivia, shop all things local, or see art by Awa Tsireh at the Heard Museum. The best part, it's all free. For more things to do, visit Phoenix New Times' curated calendar.

Mario Kart Halloween Adventure Ride
Pull up your suspenders, twirl your mustache, and get ready to ride. Phoenix Downtempo is putting a gamer spin on its Casual Monday and making it into the Nintendo racing video game Mario Kart. Arrive dressed as your favorite character, but remember: This isn’t a race. And dressing as Princess Peach will not provide a tactical advantage. Expect safe tricks and traps throughout the route, including water balloons masquerading as turtle shells. All skill levels will be welcome, but this event will include some bar-hopping. So it’s a 21-and-over ride.

Let’s-a-go at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 30, at Phoenix Civic Space Park, 424 North Central Avenue. This is a free event. For more information, visit the Phoenix Downtempo website. Jason Keil

Sarah Bailey
Discovering a dead body floating in a lake is bad enough. But things get worse for homicide detective Gemma Stone when she realizes that the deceased is her former high school classmate.

Sounds like a teen drama on the CW network, but it’s the plot of Sarah Bailey’s new book, The Dark Lake. In this thriller, she digs into the life of her once-popular high school pal to find out why she was murdered. The investigation also forces Stone to face some of her own buried secrets.

Bailey will sign copies of her latest from 7 to 8 p.m. on Monday, October 30, at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore, 4014 North Goldwater Boulevard in Scottsdale. Admission is free; books for the signing are $26. Call 480-947-2974 or visit the Poisoned Pen website. Amy Young

Harry Potter Trivia
Did your Halloween plans fizzle like a failed Patronus spell? Grab the nearest portkey, zoom over to Valley Bar, and celebrate All Hallows Eve with Harry Potter Trivia. Think of the evening as an Ordinary Wizarding Level examination: Study hard, and you will be rewarded with concert tickets and gift cards. Fail to do so, and the consequences could be ... severe (if you consider embarrassment a punishment). There will be discounts offered on cans of craft beer if you need a Calming Draught to ease your nerves.

Signup starts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 31. The free event starts at 8 at 130 North Central Avenue. For more information, visit the Valley Bar website. Jason Keil

Elizabeth Alexander
Thanksgiving is about a month away, but students at Scottsdale Community College are already giving thanks for Elizabeth Alexander. The late artist studied at SCC and left the college a sizable donation that funds up to 30 art scholarships per semester.

Alexander took art classes at the college after retiring to the Valley in the early 1990s. That’s when faculty member Robert You noticed her gift for charcoal drawings that revealed a scientific approach to exploring organic and geometric forms.

See a free retrospective exhibition of Alexander’s work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 31, inside the SCC Art Building, 9000 East Chaparral Road. Visit the Scottsdale Community College website for details. Lynn Trimble

Art One’s 24th Anniversary Celebration
Once a year, Art One gallery pauses to party — and for good reason. It’s to mark another anniversary in the art space’s long run of showing and selling work by emerging creatives, including several who’ve gone on to become some of Arizona’s best-known artists.

Maybe you saw Kyllan Maney paint her mandala-inspired mural at Lost Lake Festival, or lingered over Megan Koth’s painting of a woman with a peeling face mask at this year’s “Chaos Theory.” Both have work at Art One, where the artist roster also includes Jennifer Gross, Luster Kaboom, and Thuong Nguyen, to name a few.

Art One’s 24th Anniversary Celebration is scheduled to run from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, November 2, at 4130 North Marshall Way. It’s casual, and it’s free. Visit the Art One website. Lynn Trimble

“Awa Tsireh: Pueblo Painter and Metalsmith”
Wanna engage with wildlife without heading to the woods? We recommend an exhibition of work by painter and metalsmith Awa Tsireh. The 20th-century San Ildefonso Pueblo artist often incorporated animal imagery in his artwork — like rabbits, horses, owls, and deer.

Be one of the first people to see the new “Awa Tsireh: Pueblo Painter and Metalsmith” exhibition when it opens on Friday, November 3, at the Heard Museum, 2301 North Central Avenue. Museum admission is free from 6 to 10 p.m. that night. The show continues through July 2018. Visit the Heard Museum website. Lynn Trimble

Dance of the Dead
During Día de Los Muertos, you can celebrate lost loved ones as well as influential figures in your life. On Saturday, November 4, DJs Roya and Funkfinger will play music from artists who are gone, but not forgotten. Expect a playlist featuring Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, and Tupac, during the final Tongue Tied dance party.

The Dance of the Dead-themed night invites attendees to bring favorite albums, cassettes, or CDs, and to dress up in costume to honor a favorite artist. The event will have a themed photo booth, a face painter, an on-site medium, a costume contest, and a memento giveaway.

The party’s at Linger Longer Lounge, 6522 North 16th Street. Admission is free before 9 p.m. and $5 after. For more information, go to the Tongue Tied Facebook page.Laura Latzko

Arizona Fall Fest
During the Arizona Fall Fest on Saturday, November 4, more than 200 Arizona-based businesses and artisans will have giveaways and sell products.

Local food trucks, restaurants, and chefs will provide samples of different types of cuisine. For children, the event offers a sports zone with games and representatives from Arizona’s professional sports teams, and a kids zone with activities such as making forts out of mattresses, tumbling, and crafting.

Three stages of music will feature live music from local bands and artists, Japanese taiko drumming and ballet folklorico, and Native American hoop dancing. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Margaret T. Hance Park, 200 East Moreland Street. Admission is free, with additional costs for food samples, alcoholic beverages, and some activities. To find out more, see the Local First Arizona website. Laura Latzko

Cut It Out! Cut & Paste and Craft Day
Not to wax profound, but maybe collaging feeds our urge to dismantle and rearrange the world we’re served, creating new, meaningful, and sometimes even attractive alternatives. Scissors, glue, and mingling are also good.

The Coronado Family Fall Festival on Sunday, November 5, offers numerous things to see and do. We’re drawn to Cut It Out! Cut & Paste and Craft Day at Palabras Bilingual Bookstore from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All types of crafts are welcome, materials for cutting and pasting will be provided, and you may bring your own, but massive hoards and bulky equipment aren’t allowed in the cozy space.

Admission’s free at 1738 East McDowell Road. Cut It Out! continues on Sundays for the foreseeable future. Visit the Facebook event page or call 602-595-9600. Julie Peterson