The weekend awaits, Phoenix. Here's how to spend it.
Remix, Remaster @ Mesa Arts Center Forget the pumpkins and the autumn leaves. For like-minded creatives, the fall season starts at the museum. On Friday, September 13, Mesa Arts Center invites the community to celebrate the arrival of new works as it hosts the free 2013 season kick-off, dubbed Remix, Remaster. This evening street festival will feature a live graffiti mural by Such and Champ Styles, painting by Lauren Lee and Kyllan Maney, and music from DJentrification, as well as art demonstrations, theater performances, photo stations, food, drinks, and more.
See also: 11 Must-See Art Exhibitions in Metro Phoenix This Fall
The festivities will coincide with the museum's opening reception premiering new exhibitions including "Devoncionales: Neo-Colonial 'Retablos' from an Archetypal Perspective," "From Lemons to Lingerie: The Still-Life Redefined," and "Messin' with the Masters," a series of contemporary pieces playing off definitive works in art history.
The 2013 season festivities run from 6 to 10 p.m. One East Main Street. Admission is free, and the event is open to the public. For more information, visit www.mesaartscenter.com or call the box office at 480-644-6500. -- Katie Johnson
Phoenix Mercury vs. San Antonio Silver Spurs @ US Airways Center The Phoenix Mercury have clinched a spot in the WNBA Western Conference playoffs. Their matchup Friday, September 13, against San Antonio is a postseason launchpad, so raise the rafters for a distinct improvement over last year's second worst record in the league.
This season was already in turnaround mode with the boost of number-one draft pick Brittney Griner joining a solid squad, which included Diana Taurasi, currently one of the league's top scorers. The mid-season switch of head coaches, from Corey Gaines to Russ Pennell, also contributed to the Mercury's marked improvement. Now, the Silver Stars represent the final obstacle on the way to the playoffs.
The Phoenix Mercury face the San Antonio Silver Stars at US Airways Center, 201 East Jefferson Street in Phoenix. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. and tickets range from $16.95 to $244.50. Get yours via www.wnba.com/mercury or by calling 602-252-9622. -- Jose Gonzalez
D-backs Hispanic Heritage Street Festival @ Chase Field September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, commemorating contributions from Hispanic and Latin American countries -- and this year your Arizona Diamondbacks are taking their celebration to the streets.
Los D-backs are throwing a street fair before Saturday's game against NL West Division rivals the Colorado Rockies. Fans can expect food trucks, live music, and Lucha Libre wrestling at the 15th Annual Hispanic Heritage Day -- with a likely appearance from the team's newest mascot, D-backs Luchador. The first 20,000 fans to the game will receive their very own Miguel Montero bobblehead. (Whether that ego boost improves Montero's performance for the rest of the season remains to be seen.)
First pitch is at 5:10 p.m., but the three-hour festival begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, September 14, outside Chase Field on Fourth Street between Jefferson and Buchanan Streets. Admission is free; ticket prices for the game vary. Visit www.dbacks.com or call 602-462-6500. -- Janessa Hilliard
Escape From New York @ Pollack Tempe Cinemas When the Big Apple becomes the biggest maximum security prison in the country, new meaning is brought to the phrase, "If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere." In John Carpenter's 1981 futuristic thriller Escape from New York, the city that never sleeps becomes the city that sleeps with one eye open as America's most dangerous convicts are left to fend for themselves in an anything-goes society. But when the President's plane crash lands in this wasteland of criminals, one man must do everything it takes to get him out. Long before he was Captain Ron, Kurt Russell was Snake Plissken -- soldier, prisoner, and overall badass.
Join Cult Classics and Zia Records as they kick off their fall season with a special screening of Escape from New York Saturday, September 14, at Pollack Tempe Cinemas, 1825 East Elliot Road, Tempe. Show starts at 9:30 p.m. with tickets starting at $11. Visit www.cultclassicsaz.com. -- Katie Johnson
Phoenix Coyotes vs. Los Angeles Kings @ Jobing.com Arena Let's see... If it's September already, then winter is just around the corner. At least, it is inside Jobing.com Arena, where the Phoenix Coyotes are gearing up for another season. So, get out your hat, gloves, and thick socks, and thrill to the chill as the Coyotes take on the Los Angeles Kings in a preseason warm up.
Under new ownership, the Coyotes hope to expand on last season's 21-18-9 fourth-place Western Conference Pacific Division finish that left them two places behind the Kings and out of the playoffs. Leading scorers Keith Yandle, Radim Vrbata, captain Shane Doan and Antoine Vermette are joined by recently signed center Mike Ribeiro. Mike Smith again anchors a goal that needs to be much less porous for the Coyotes to make a playoff run.
Catch the preseason action 7 p.m. Sunday, September 15, at Jobing.com Arena, 9400 West Maryland, Glendale. Tickets range from $5-$179. Visit www.coyotes.nhl.com. -- Glenn BurnSilver
