Time flies when you're not in quarantine: Believe it or not, we've already made it to August. Though it feels like summer is ending, there's still plenty of fun to be had, including a bunch of events this weekend.
Shazam! Screening
If you liked Big, the Tom Hanks classic about a teenager who makes a wish and wakes up as an adult, you'll probably dig Shazam!, the 2019 family film about a teenage foster kid who transforms into a grownup superhero when he says (you guessed it), "SHAZAM!" Zachary Levi (who will star as Kurt Warner in the biopic American Underdog later this year), plays the superhero, who has to take time out from exploring his new powers in order to fight the forces of evil. Catch a free screening of Shazam! at 2 p.m. Friday, July 30, at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 North Drinkwater Boulevard, Scottsdale. Jennifer GoldbergSummer Art Vibes
Maybe you’re used to seeing art amid the hustle and bustle of First Friday, or opening receptions that draw dozens of people at the same time. Popping into local art galleries during the week, when formal events aren’t happening but the art is still on view, is a great opportunity to really spend time with artwork without having to be elbow to elbow with other art nerds for a change. You can see this year’s “Annual Summer Exhibition” at Bentley Gallery, 215 East Grant Street, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 29. Expect to see works by more than three dozen artists, including many who create with unexpected materials such as glitter, hook and eye fasteners, lava, Mylar, and accumulated smoke. Gallery admission is free, and the exhibition continues through August 13. Lynn TrimblePhoenix Salsa Bachata Congress
After more than a year of staying socially distanced from one another, organizers of the annual Phoenix Salsa Bachata Congress will be encouraging folks to get closer on the dance floor. The weekend-long event from Friday, July 30, to Sunday, August 1, at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, 122 North Second Street, will bring together novice and experienced salseros for three days and nights of activities, workshops, performances, and pool parties. Renowned dancers like Adolfo Indacochea, Tania Cannarsa, Fausto Felix, and Lawrence Garcia will conduct classes in a variety of styles (including salsa, bachata, and Afro-Cuban) during the day while social dance sessions will take place during the evening. Event hours vary. Passes are $75 per day (or $50 for just the nighttime activities) and $185 per person for the entire weekend. Full details and a complete schedule can be found here. Benjamin LeathermanEpic Toy Show
Kids who grew up in the ’70s, ’80s, or ’90s can relive their childhoods one action figure at a time this weekend at the annual Epic Toy Show. The nostalgia will be thick and the crowd will be geeky inside the El Zaribah Shrine Auditorium, 552 North 40th Street, on Saturday, July 31, when dozens of vendors will be selling vintage and modern toys, comic books, collectibles, and other pop culture items. Expect to encounter enough Transformers to populate Cybertron, an army of G.I. Joes, scores of Star Wars figures, and playthings from popular and iconic franchises like Masters of the Universe, WWE, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission is $3 for adults and free for anyone 12 and under. Early-bird admission will be available for the first 50 people starting at 9 a.m. for $8. Benjamin Leatherman
Strange creatures and beautiful sights can be seen at the Desert Botanical Garden after dark.
Desert Botanical Garden