Fiesta Bowl Tailgating at University of Phoenix Stadium, 1/3/13 The Oregon Ducks (11-1) and the Kansas State University Wildcats (11-1) faced off in a massive gridiron battle for college football supremacy on Thursday, January 3, during the 2013 edition of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at the University Phoenix Stadium. There was also plenty of action taking place before the kickoff even took place as thousands of diehard fans of both teams -- some of whom traveled to the Valley from both the Pacific Northwest and Midwest -- gathered outside the stadium to get their drink on while getting psyched up for the game.
See also: - The Jackalope Flea: An Arts and Crafts Supply Sale in Downtown Phoenix - Five Must-Attend Lectures in Phoenix This January
1st First Friday of 2013 in Downtown Phoenix The cold temperatures didn't keep valley art enthusiasts from packing the streets on the 1st First Friday of the new year. While the amount of galleries and events might be overwhelming at times we used our Map and Guide to take us to The Eye Lounge to check out Daniel Funkhouser's latest works who often includes himself in his photography. Sharing half of the gallery with Funkhouser was the twisted art of David Bradley. Monorchid featured Matt Dougan's "Taillight Geometry" series of bikes, rock n' roll, and road trips, while The Drive-Thru Gallery featured selections from photographer Andrew Pielage's work.
Miss Arizona USA and Miss Arizona Teen USA at Mesa Arts Center, 01/05/13 Valley Miss Arizona USA and Miss Arizona Teen USA hopefuls competed during the preliminary round at Ideka Theater at Mesa Arts Center in Mesa. Contestants strutted their stuff on the stage in front of the panel of judges on Saturday. The judges narrowed down the competition on Sunday in their search for the next Miss Arizona and Miss Teen Arizona.
Taiyou Con 2013 at Hilton Mesa Cosplayers, Gothic Lolitas, Harajuku Girls, and Otakus aplenty gathered at the Hilton Mesa on Friday, January 4, for the kickoff of Taiyou Con, the annual three-day extravaganza dedicated to anime, manga, video games, and Japanese pop culture. Colorful and wild ensembles were in abundance as participants donned costumes resembling their favorite characters from such videos, shows, and web-comics as Hetalia: Axis Powers, InuYasha, Dragon Ball Z, and Sgt. Frog.