The Best Things Live and Virtual Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

This week, you can mix cocktails with stargazing, try chicken yoga, or see art inspired by hip-hop. Here's a look at the best things to do in metro Phoenix this week, including several that won't cost you a thing. Take note: Masks and social distancing are required for live events we've included here, and most events require advance online registration. 

Layers of Phoenix History

It’s been more than two decades since the History Museum of Phoenix closed amid an economic downturn, but local creatives continue to address the region’s history. Vision Gallery in Chandler is showing “Sediments: Layers of the Phoenix Valley” through Saturday, March 27. Featured artists include Ashley Czajkowski and Steven Yazzie. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Avant-Garde Cinema

Some accused Beyoncé and Jay-Z of cultural appropriation after the couple recreated an iconic image from the movie Touki Bouki in 2018. The 1973 film has been praised by critics for both its central story and the cinematic ways the conveys the journey of a couple planning to emigrate from Africa to France. FilmBar and Phoenix Art Museum are screening the film outdoors at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24. Tickets are $15.

Cocktails and Stargazing

You’ve probably done your fair share of exploring the night sky in Arizona, sitting outside with a few beers or a bottle of wine. Now you can go next level, with Cocktails Under the Cosmos at Mountain Shadows in Paradise Valley, where the resort will project telescope images onto a big screen and have an astronomy expert on hand while you enjoy astrology-themed cocktails. Tickets for the 8 p.m. event on Thursday, March 25, are $45.

Art Inspired by Hip-Hop

Miguel Angel Godoy, a Phoenix-based artist whose creative life also includes breakdancing and graffiti, is opening a new exhibit titled “The Go-Down: Navigating Counterforms” at Step Gallery on Thursday, March 25, when gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Featured works elevate voices that are often overlooked or forgotten. The free exhibit continues through April 3.

Chicken Yoga

Perhaps you’ve tried yoga poses named for cows, cobras, and cats. Now you can take your pairing of yoga with animals to a new level, as the new La Gattara Cat Café in Roosevelt Row presents Chicken Yoga at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 26. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. class, and you need to bring your own mat. Registration is $25.

Behind-the-Scenes Drama

If you're missing live theater, you can get a taste of drama during The Phoenix Theatre Company's Festival of New Theatre, which includes live and virtual readings of new plays and talk backs happening at various times Friday, March 26, to Sunday, March 28. Ticket prices vary.

Desert Plant Sale

The Spring Plant Sale at Desert Botanical Garden continues through this weekend, with timed-entry tickets for various slots on Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28. It’s a chance to talk with garden experts about choosing and caring for desert plants, and there’s no charge to attend.

Make Your Own Tea Bowl

Learn more about Wabi Sabi, a Japanese aesthetic focused on finding beauty in imperfections, at the Japanese Friendship Garden, where you can create your own hand-formed tea bowl during a Wabi Sabi Pottery workshop happening at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 27, and 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 28. The $65 class includes garden admission and materials.