While 70 percent of the country preps for deep freeze, we Arizonans and a million part-time residents (and professional traffic stoppers) are loving everything outdoors. Everything seems more vibrant and energizing when it’s not melting under the sun or stopped cold by sub-degree temps. It makes you want to dance…

Over recent years our fair city has become a catalyst for free expression. Locals and tourists alike gather to witness creations that feed their hunger for a sense of newness or, if they’re lucky, a third-eye-opening experience. Phoenix Center for the Arts welcomes cult animator Don Hertzfeldt to help pry…

There’s an endless list of reasons to be thankful for the canal system that runs through the Valley. For one, it supports our livelihood and recreation on an otherwise unbearable hundred thousand tons of concrete. It also quenches our thirst for desert adventure and gives way to a flow of…

Hustle and bustle often leaves us looking forward to our imminent needs and desires. We rarely find time to stop and reflect on how we’ve made it to this point or those responsible for getting us here. Most of us have in our hearts a special collective of important figures…

There are some out there convinced that life as we know it was created a mere 9000 years ago (if not sooner) by the Almighty. A sea was parted and our animal friends were preserved two at a time during a massive flood. Those must have been some magical times…

The last 30 years have seen drastic social changes. Telephones now meet our every whim. Medical procedures are accomplished with lasers and video cameras. And, most importantly, we have made great strides in furthering acceptance and equality of all walks of life. The open-minded train of thought seems to have…

As far as we can tell, organized barter and sale has been a part of society since hairy knuckles and protruding foreheads. You could wander around a marketplace of salesmen and see that Org had the best stone blades, while Shesha made the finest brontosaurus pie. To this day, cities…

There are few pastimes that don’t go well with a nice stout brew — but there’s always been a frontrunner. Sure you’ve got your ball games, motorboatin’, or preparation to visit the in-laws, but nothing beats the king of them all – good ole’ American rock ‘n’ roll. Roger Clyne…

Often we take for granted all the practical items that are born from melting sand. From visual aids to automotive protection keeping bugs from splatting on our faces, we owe a lot to glass. And we probably haven’t given it its due. (Sorry, glass.) It is believed the process of…

Wash away the beer, sweat, and other mystery stains from your ASU gear. It’s time for another pregame celebration. Leave the brats and DJ equipment home, this time the Devils on Mill Tailgate Party will take care of your needs at the best amped-fest this side of the Rio Salado…

Imagine combining our modern day lives with those of earth-dwellers from 100 million years past. The clash of technology, ego, survival instincts, and pure brute strength would inspire enough fear and exhilaration for us to question our priorities and reason for existence. In addition to the totally normal questions that…

Typically, two things signify the arrival of summertime in our city: blood-boiling, skin-prickling heat and the return of Phoenix Mercury basketball. Since thermometers have been blowing up around town lately, it must mean it’s time for Diana Taurasi and company to start shooting hoops. There will be plenty of new…

Arizona native Jose Benavidez Jr. is like the fighting equivalent of Beethoven or Bach – a prodigy with the genes and raw talent to ensure a quick rise to success. He holds bragging rights of being the youngest Golden Gloves winner ever at the tender age of 16, and received…

Professional wrestling is a big ticket these days, but it’s also a dangerous game. Sold-out arenas around the country showcase muscle-bound “sports entertainers” high-diving from the top rope, smashing each other with the nearest folding chair, or knocking out the seemingly oblivious referee. The fighting frenzy continues at Elite Xtreme…

A handful of major label beers have dominated the canned libations market for as long as most of us remember. Although living the High Life on a Clydesdale with Silver Bullets in a can sounds enticing, exploring the craftsmanship of today’s cache of independent brewing artisans is a more flavorful…

So, you’ve got a need for speed, but those tickets under your driver’s seat are starting to pile up — and meth is so cliché these days. There must be a safer outlet than jaywalking across a crowded highway or falling off of a freeway overpass after being pelted with…

Everybody’s favorite celebration of the Mexican army’s defeat over French occupancy in 1862 is here again! Not that we actually care about anything past our margarita glasses on Cinco de Drinko. Perhaps we’ll change our minds when we dust off our sombreros for a Cinco De Sandbar Bash at one…

You don’t have to mosey all the way down to the bayou to enjoy lobster’s little cousin; just bring your hearty appetite to the Great Cajun Crawfish Boil. The AZ Crawfish Company is warming up the boiling pots and shipping in loads of crustaceous critters to prepare fresh on site…

Home plate is always loaded with action-packed moments during baseball games, from brutal collisions of runner into catcher to the fan-favorite umpire scrap. That action will look like child’s play compared to the stunts that multi-talented mixed martial artists will pull on the very same playing field at Trilogy Championship…

It’s hard to sit through a 3-hour major motion picture saga in cookie-cutter theaters, especially if you have back problems or a short attention span. It would be much easier to weather a series of original short films, where you could leave for a bathroom break (or check your cell…

Remember when getting smacked in the face by speeding red rubber was a bad thing? Well, no more! The folks at Phoenix Dodgeball have sprouted a society of ball-flinging fanatics that would be more than happy to make you their target. Along with Kiwanis Park, they have organized Drop-In Dodgeball…

There’s no better way to end your workweek than watching a couple of highly trained professionals beat the living snot out of each other. Or is there? Nope, it’s the ultimate stress-reliever. As part of the Friday Night Fights series at the Madison Event Center in downtown Phoenix, undefeated boxing…