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

This week you can celebrate Irish culture, up your cocktail game, or catch some baseball fever. Here’s a look at the best live and virtual things to do in metro Phoenix, along with a friendly reminder to mask up and practice social distancing.

Drive-by Art

With some art spaces closed due to pandemic precautions, outdoor art installations offer fresh ways to explore the creative landscape. Over at Danelle Plaza in Tempe, which is home to the Yucca Tap Room, you can see work by some of the Valley’s best-known artists. Most recently, Kyllan Maney painted a series of murals and Laura Spalding Best installed a temporary work of public art made with cast-off traffic signs. They’re on view 24/7 just off the plaza parking lot, where you can keep an eye out for new works that pop up periodically.

Spring Training

Team posters and paraphernalia dot the urban landscape now that spring training season is upon us. Tickets can be hard to come by, but that isn’t stopping baseball fans from turning out to see the Arizona Diamondbacks and other teams, from the San Francisco Giants to the Colorado Rockies, play Cactus League ball. More than a dozen teams participate in the Cactus League, and games happen at 10 different sites around the Valley. There are several game every day this week; times and ticket prices vary.

Artist Talk

For more than a year, artist Ann Morton has been gathering small works of fiber art created by community members in and beyond Arizona for a project called “The Violet Protest,” which anchors an exhibition of her work opening at the Phoenix Art Museum on Wednesday, March 10. The museum will present a virtual artist talk with Morton from 6 to 7 p.m. that day, which will cover both the project and her larger body of work. Admission is by suggested donation; register online to participate.

Watch Out

If you’ve been watching for ways to experience live performance amid pandemic precautions, head over to Modified Arts in Roosevelt Row, an arts space that’s merging visual and performance art through a series of window installations and companion performance pieces. This week you can see collaborative work by Emily Sarten and Sam Pesqueira, who question the ways people use technology to interact. Pesqueira’s free Watching you Watch me performance happens from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday, March 12 to 14.

Cocktail Time

Cocktails abound in Scottsdale, but if you want to learn more about vodka-based creations, you might want to hit the performing arts center before you head over to your favorite restaurant or bar. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is focusing on vodka during its next Sippin’ Series event, which includes tastings, light bites, and time with the cocktail pros from Youngs Market. It’s happening from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 13. Tickets are $40 (or $70/pair).

Experience Ireland

Irish eyes are smiling this month as St. Patrick’s Day brings Irish culture into sharper focus. The Musical Instrument Museum will celebrate with crafts, music, gallery talks, and more on Saturday and Sunday, March 13 and 14. Experience Ireland, which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, is included with museum admission. Timed-entry general admission tickets are $20. Other celebrations around town include the free St. Patrick’s Day Virtual Faire being presented on Saturday, March 13, by the Irish Cultural Center.