Metro Phoenix Things to Do This Week: CitySkate, Warren Miller’s Daymaker

Welcome to what constitutes the chilly season in the Valley. Temperatures will dip into the 40s and 50s, everyone’s dug their hoodies and pullovers out of storage, and folks will start cracking (weak) jokes about the weather on social media. Meanwhile, there will be a variety of frosty fun to be had around metro Phoenix.

This week, for instance, you can hit the ice at CitySkate, experience nightly snowfalls at Tempe Marketplace and Desert Ridge Marketplace, or watch skiers doing their thing in the latest Warren Miller flick.

There are other cool things to do around town from Monday, November 28, to Thursday, December 1, including watching the Phoenix Suns take on the Chicago Bulls. You can also click over to Phoenix New Times’ calendar for more events this week.

Nightly Snowfalls

Eager to experience some snow without having to make a two-hour drive up north to colder climes? The good news is you do so while staying in the Valley after taking a trip to either Tempe Marketplace, 2000 East Rio Salado Parkway, or Desert Ridge Marketplace, 21001 North Tatum Boulevard. Both local outdoor shopping complexes will unleash twice-nightly flurries will on patrons at 7 and 8 p.m. near their respective District stages through December 30. It’s free to participate. While you’re there, be sure to check the various illuminated displays and photo-op locations available at each marketplace, including 20-foot-long star tunnels. Click here or here for more. Benjamin Leatherman

CitySkate

Roller skating is pretty easy to come by here in metro Phoenix, whether you prefer lacing up and striding down the sidewalk or hitting a roller rink. Ice skating is a relative rarity, given the scarcity of snow and ice. So when select Valley cities open up their holiday skating rinks, locals can don winter wear and enjoy some good times gliding across the ice. You can skate under the stars nightly starting on Monday, November 28, when the CitySkate rink will be all decked out for the winter holiday season. Ninety-minute sessions start at 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m., and 10 p.m. at the CityScape complex located at Patriots Park, 11 West Washington Street. General admission is $20 while seniors, members of the military, children 8 and under are $13, and kids under 4 are free (there’s also a $5 discount if you bring your own skates). It’s a chance to see downtown in a whole new light and make fond winter memories. The rink operates through January 1. Get more details here. Lynn Trimble

Sure Shots Short Track Roller Derby Club

The asphalt of the Alwun House Art Park, 1204 East Roosevelt Street, will become a battleground of sorts starting on Tuesday, November 29, when the competitors of the Arizona Roller Derby kick off the Sure Shots Short Track Roller Derby Club. The event will involve a “very fun, recreational and accessible version” of the contact sport with three-on-three matches that utilize a small, two-lane track. According to the AZRD website, its open to anyone (regardless of gender) who’s a lapsed competitor, a roller derby veteran eager to keep their skills sharp, or newbies (a.k.a. “fresh meat”) hoping to get into the activity. Sessions will take place at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday night through early January with a tournament scheduled to take place on Saturday, January 7. Fees are $60 for all six weeks, $15 for a single session, or $25 for the tournament only. (Note: Basic skate skills are required.) More information can be found here. Benjamin Leatherman

Phoenix Suns vs. Chicago Bulls

For longtime Valley residents, the phrase “Suns versus Bulls” is bound to trigger some unpleasant flashbacks to 29 years ago when Chicago squashed Phoenix’s shot at derailing the Michael Jordan dynasty and winning the 1993 NBA Finals. That year’s Bulls team, led by “His Airness,” ripped the collective hearts out of Suns fans everywhere when they eked out a win in Game 6 of the series for their third consecutive title. Thankfully, the Bulls squad set to visit Footprint Center, 201 East Jefferson Street, on Wednesday, November 30, for a game against the Phoenix Suns are a far cry from Chicago’s glory days of the ‘90s. Led by shooting guard/small forward DeMar DeRozan, Chi-Town is off to a middling 8-11 start due to a dearth of team chemistry and the loss of key players like injured point guard Lonzo Ball. Meanwhile, the Suns have been soaring this year and rank among the top teams in the Western Conference. Da Bulls won’t be doormats, though, as DeRozan is playing MVP-caliber basketball, averaging 25.9 points and 4.4 assists per game. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. and tickets start at $34. Benjamin Leatherman

Warren Miller's Daymaker

Winters in the Valley are typically mild affairs. Still, visions of snowy bliss sometimes dance in our heads and Warren Miller’s Daymaker is sure to fulfill our winter wonderland yen. If you’re a fan of extreme sports filmed beautifully and set to a rock soundtrack, know that Miller was one of the originators of the film style more than 60 years ago. Catching friends’ skiing exploits on celluloid and narrating the footage at parties led to the late filmmaker forming Warren Miller Entertainment and producing his first feature-length movie in 1950. These days, WME continues without Miller (who died in 2018), but their latest flick, Daymaker, maintains the focus on snow-busting hi-jinks involving skiing and snowboarding. It will screen at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 30, at the Orpheum Theatre, 203 West Adams Street. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $14.50 for students and kids. A second showing will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 1, at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 East Second Street. General admission is $22 or $16.50 for anyone 18 and under. Jose Gonzalez