Five Things to Do This Week in Metro Phoenix

No plans this week? No problem. Over the next few days, you can experience some of the best storytellers the Valley has to offer, catch a screening of a legendary horror film, or celebrate the one-year anniversary of a local drag night. Read on for more details or check out Phoenix New Times’ calendar for more things to do around town this week.

Maya Night Swim

As it turns out, pool parties aren’t just a daytime thing. Granted, most tend to happen during sunlight hours, but a few local party havens around the Valley with a pool on the premises are also known to host swim celebrations after dark. Case in point: the semi-regular Monday Night Swim over at Maya, 7333 East Indian Plaza in Scottsdale, where local party monsters extend their weekend fun an extra day while frolicking in and around the club’s outdoor pool as DJs drop beats and bottles pop. The latest Night Swim session is scheduled for Monday, July 18, and will be headlined by singer-songwriter Aluna Francis of UK-based electronic dance music duo AlunaGeorge. Gates open at 9 p.m. and general admission is $20 via Relentless Beats. Benjamin Leatherman

Playpen Anniversary Drag Show

Every edition of Playpen drag night at Boycott Bar, 4301 North Seventh Avenue, is a festive affair, but this week’s edition on Tuesday, July 19, will be even more of a celebration. The weekly event is feting its one-year anniversary with an evening of performances by local drag artists Espressa Grande, Aubrey D. Onight, Ivy Foxglove, Fantasia Saxton, and Miss Phoenix Pride Desiree A. DeMornay. The headliner will be drag superstar India Ferrah, who lit up the runway on two seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Camilla Grande and Sayyora Demornay will host the celebration, which starts at 9:30 p.m. General admission is $20 per person or $80 for a table for four people. A meet-and-greet session with Ferrah is an additional $10 and a private VIP space is $500. More details are available here. Benjamin Leatherman

Cinematery: The Ring

The 2002 horror flick The Ring frightened the bejeezus out of millions of moviegoers two decades ago and still packs plenty of scares to this day, despite its plot hinging on now-obsolete technology (does anyone even use a VCR anymore?). Local fans of the horror genre who didn’t get their fill of thrills and chills at Mad Monster Party Arizona earlier this month will want to attend a screening of the film on Tuesday, July 19, at Majestic Neighborhood Cinema Grill, 1140 East Baseline Road in Tempe. Its part of the theater’s Cinematery retro film series and is being presented by the ghouls of Chandler’s Terror Trader and Brain Damage Boutique. The screening starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10. Benjamin Leatherman

Yoga and Mimosas

It’s not the world’s greatest debate, but you do have to wonder whether drinking alcohol or practicing yoga is more likely to leave you feeling relaxed. Some people apparently find it’s nice to mix the two. You can test that theory at Saguaro Scottsdale, 4000 North Drinkwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, where their 45-minute Yoga and Mimosas event starts at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 20. It’s a chance to do flow yoga poolside while you sip a mimosa, that magical combination of orange juice and bubbly, before the daytime heat gets to be unbearable. Advance registration of $45 per person is required and each class requires at least six people, so think about having a few friends join you. Lynn Trimble

The Moth: Phoenix Storyslam

Avid listeners of NPR’s weekly storytelling show The Moth Radio Hour who’d like to hear what sort of tales Valley residents have to offer should head for Crescent Ballroom, 307 North Second Avenue, on Thursday, July 21. This month’s edition of The Moth: Phoenix Storyslam will take place in the venue’s main room and local storytellers will have up to five minutes to tell a personal tale focusing on a specific theme. This month’s theme is nature, so expect to hear yarns about experiences in the great outdoors or more metaphorical allegories on human nature. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 through the Crescent Ballroom website. Benjamin Leatherman