Looking to have some fun this week? Stretch with sprinkles at Donut Yoga, get creeped out at PoeFest, or enjoy some brews at Tour de Fat. For more things to do, visit
Donut Yoga
Are you starting to feel a little glazed over? Donut Yoga will help you feel “hole” again. Designed for all fitness and experience levels, this weekly workout at Hurts Donut gives you the benefits of yoga with a sweet treat at the end. Bring a dozen of your friends for a health class even Homer Simpson would enjoy.
Stretch with sprinkles on top at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 4, at 2161 East University Avenue in Tempe. This class is $10 for first-time students with the promo code phoenix50. Drop-ins are $20. The cost includes a doughnut and your yoga block and mat rental. For more information, visit socialstretchyoga.com/phoenix. Jason Keil
Feeling the design love at a previous Phoenix Design Week kick-off party.
Phoenix Design Week
Take note, design nerds. Phoenix Design Week kicks off on Friday, October 5, with a poster slam, interactive mural painting, and the chance to talk shop over eats and drinks. The kick-off party runs from 6 to 10 p.m. at Prisma, 2937 East Broadway Road, #100, in Tempe. You’ll get to watch designers and other creative types compete in poster mode, and vote for your favorite design, plus help create an interactive mural on one of Prisma’s fleet vehicles. General admission is $35, which includes food and drink tickets. Plus, they’ll have a cash bar. Online RSVP required. Visit phxdw.com. Lynn Trimble
Convergence
The three-day Convergence festival returns to Arcosanti, 13555 South Cross L Road in Mayer, in October, with a fresh lineup of live music, art, speakers, and film screenings that encourage creative living and community spirit. Gates open at 10 a.m. on day one, which is Friday, October 5. A single-day pass costs $75. Friday’s offerings include building projects, rooftop yoga, guided hike along the Agua Fria River, taiko drumming by Ken Koshio, a Bisbee ’17 film screening, live music, tours of Arcosanti and its archives, and more. Visit arco.life. Lynn Trimble
ZooFari
Grab your finest tropical wear and head to the Phoenix Zoo, where you can support animal stewardship while mingling with fellow animal lovers amid food and drink samplings from local culinary creatives. The annual ZooFari fundraiser returns with a tropical island theme to the Phoenix Zoo, 455 North Galvin Parkway, from 7 to 11 p.m. on Friday, October 5. It’s an 21-and-over event, with a grown-up ticket price of $250. Evening festivities under the stars include live music, dancing, and an auction. The culinary lineup includes food and drink from Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, Francis Ford Coppola Winery, O.H.S.O. Brewery & Distillery, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Shake Shack, and more. We’re guessing animal crackers didn’t make the cut. Visit phoenixzoo.org. Lynn Trimble
PoeFest
This year marks the 10th anniversary for PoeFest in downtown Phoenix, which pays homage to Edgar Allan Poe, the 19th-century American writer who is best-known for his macabre tales, such as The Tell-Tale Heart. This year’s offerings include performance of several Poe writings, including “The Raven,” from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, October 5. Naturally, it’s happening inside the Ghost Lounge at Hotel San Carlos, 202 North Central Avenue. Tickets are $27, and proceeds benefit Arizona Curriculum Theatre, a nonprofit that promotes arts integration in schools. Visit poefest.org. Lynn Trimble
Enchanted Trail/Sendero Encandato
Every fall, nature lovers of all ages converge at the Rio Salado Audubon Center, 3131 South Central Avenue, for an evening of outdoor exploration and activities called Enchanted Trail/Sendero Encandato. It’s a chance to explore the Rio Salado by moonlight, and learn more about both the habitat and the nocturnal animals who live there. Get a free ticket online, and you can join the fun from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday, October 5. The festival, which brings together community members who share a love for local animals and plants, includes guided hikes, live wildlife, nature-inspired crafts, food concessions, and bat cave (minus the Batmobile). Visit riosalado.audubon.org. Lynn Trimble
Tour de Fat
If your favorite things in life include bikes or beer, you’ll want to hit Tour de Fat, a gathering of bicycle and beer enthusiasts happening from 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 6, at Tempe Beach Park, 80 West Rio Salado Parkway. Costumes are encouraged, and you can show up early if you want to register at 11 a.m. for the noon bike parade or explore a Mill Avenue street fair from 1 to 3 p.m. Tour de Fat offerings include live music by local bands, plus headliner Trampled by Turtles performing at 6:45 p.m. The talent show starts at 5 p.m. and there’s a dance contest at 6:10 p.m. Never fear, New Belgium Brewing is bringing the beer. Tickets are $15. Visit newbelgium.com. Lynn Trimble
Downtown Phoenix Oktoberfest
Local and national food vendors and breweries will be on hand for the first Downtown Phoenix Oktoberfest. After you’ve finished sampling the sauerkraut and taking some bites of bratwurst, you can polka your eyes out or participate in some gastronomic competitions, including a pretzel-eating contest.
Get your hand on a hefeweizen from 4 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 6, at CityScape, 1 East Washington Street. Tickets for this 21-and-over event are $10 online and $15 the day of, with proceeds benefiting the community development group Downtown Phoenix Inc. For more information, visit dtphxoktoberfest.com. Jason Keil
“Visions of Sonwai”
Hopi artist Verma Nequatewa learned to spot high-quality stones while doing a jewelry apprenticeship with her uncle, Charles Loloma, back in the 1960s. Today, she makes exquisite jewelry designs under the artist name Sonwai, which is a Hopi-language word meaning “beauty.” She’ll be at the Heard Museum, 2301 North Central Avenue, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 6, for a free lecture called “Visions of Sonwai,” presented by Annie Osburn, who wrote an art book by that same name. The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day, and you can pay $18 general admission if you’d also like to explore current exhibitions, including “Sonwai: The Jewelry of Verma Nequatewa.” Visit heard.org. Lynn Trimble
Railfair
Before light rail, Lime bikes, subways, and Uber, people got around by railcar. Today, railroad fans help keep the culture alive through events like Railfair, happening from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 6, at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, 7301 East Indian Bend Road in Scottsdale. It’s a free gathering for the railroad-curious of all ages, where you can tour a railroad museum, explore vintage railroad equipment, check out elaborate model railroad displays, and go behind the scenes in the park’s train operations area. Bring money if you want to ride the carousel or train, buy food and drinks, or hit the gift shop. Visit therailroadpark.com. Lynn Trimble
Meet Your Literary Community
Phoenix has a thriving community of writers working in a number of publications and genres. Now you can introduce yourself to over 50 authors and organizations simultaneously at Meet Your Literary Community. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and head to the Phoenix Public Market for a morning filled with inspiration. In addition to meeting Valley authors, participants can take part in a community book exchange, writing critiques, a poetry workshop, and a scavenger hunt. There will also be poetry-on-demand, live comics, and book readings. Turn the page from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 6, at 14 East Pierce Street. This is a free event. For more information, visit piper.asu.edu. Jason Keil
Phoenix Children's Hospital 5K
Chances are you or someone you know has benefited from the care at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Now is your chance to give back a little something to the world-class facility. The Phoenix Children’s Hospital 5K isn’t just for runners. It’s for everyone. So lace up your walking shoes and bring the whole family for a sprint or a stroll down Washington Street. Participants get a T-shirt and admission to the Race Festival.
Race registration begins at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 6, at CityScape, 1 East Washington Street. The starting gun goes off at 7:30 a.m. The race fee for adults is $40. For more information, visit givetoPCHF.org. Jason Keil
Powerhouse: The Tesla Musical
Take that, Alexander Hamilton: Turns out there’s a musical about renowned inventor Nikola Tesla, too. Born during the mid-20th century, the Serbian-American rival of Thomas Edison gained fame for inventing the first alternating electrical current. That’s what makes all those modern-day devices like radios, televisions, satellites, and smartphones possible. Now you can learn all about it, while you revel in catchy tunes and dance numbers. Brelby Theatre Company, 7154 North 58th Drive in Glendale, performs Powerhouse: The Tesla Musical, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 7. It’s a romp through Tesla’s personality and professional life, complete with challenges, failures, and soaring triumphs. Tickets are $25. Visit brelby.com. Lynn Trimble
Tour de Scottsdale
Summer’s over, which means you don’t have to be in an AC-blasting car to enjoy the thrill of hitting the road. Better yet, you can do it with several dozen close friends during the Tour de Scottsdale bike race. Starting off at Market Street in North Scottsdale’s DC Ranch, the course will wind its way through McDowell Sonoran Preserve on the way to the finish line, and riders have the option of riding either a 30-mile or a 70-mile course. The race begins at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 7. Participants will be able to pick up their race packets at the Homestead Community Center in DC Ranch, North 98th Street, Scottsdale, from 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday, October 5, 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, October 6, and starting at 5 a.m. on race day. Registration fees are $100 for the 30-mile race and $140 for the 70-mile. For more information and to register to ride, visit tourdescottsdale.net. Douglas Markowitz
RuPaul's Drag Race: Werq The World
It’s never a drag when RuPaul, drag queen and reality TV sensation, comes to town. For 10 seasons, RuPaul has pitted drag queen against drag queen in entertaining competitions that bring out the fabulous and fierce. Now they’re taking to the road for RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq The World, featuring celebrity judge Michelle Visage and finalists Aquaria, Asia O’Hara, Eureka, and Kameron Michaels – plus fan favorites Bob the Drag Queen, Kim Chi, and Violet Chachki. They’re heading to Phoenix, for a 9 p.m. performance on Tuesday, October 9, at the Orpheum Theatre, 203 West Adams Street. Tickets start at $54, and there’s a package that includes a meet-and-greet, plus tickets in the front rows. Visit vossevents.com. Lynn Trimble
Jodi Picoult
Author Jodi Picoult has a gift for weaving stories that convey the interconnections between people from seemingly different worlds, even as they reveal the hard truths about social issues facing contemporary American culture. This time around, her setting is a women’s reproductive health services clinic. Hear Picoult discuss her latest novel, A Spark of Light, during a conversation with author Diana Gabaldon presented by Changing Hands Bookstore. It’s happening at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9, inside the Bulpitt Auditorium at Phoenix College, 1202 West Thomas Road. The basic ticket package costs $35.48 plus fees, and includes admission for one, a copy of the book, and a posed photo with Picoult. Visit changinghands.com. Lynn Trimble
Community Day
Fall is upon us, which means it is finally time to take a walk and enjoy the scenery now that the temperatures aren’t so oppressive. There is no better place to do that than the Desert Botanical Garden. Your eyes can take in the colorful flora and fauna growing along the impressive picturesque landscapes and the butterfly and hummingbird gardens. The second Tuesday of every month at the Garden is Community Day, which means admission is free. The gates are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9, at 1201 North Galvin Parkway. For more information, visit dbg.org. Jason Keil
Spotlight
Spotlight chronicled the work of a group of Boston Globe reporters who uncovered child sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church. The Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporting team was lead by editor Walter “Robby” Robinson, portrayed by Michael Keaton in the Academy Award-winning film. The real-life Robinson will introduce a public screening of the movie, which continues to resonate as ongoing allegations of misconduct mount against the church. The story begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 10, at the First Amendment Forum at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 555 North Central Avenue. This is a free event. For more information, visit cronkite.asu.edu. Jason Keil
