Get out of the summer heat. Join monOrchid gallery for their first ever annual Family Day!

Saturday
July 27
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Children of all ages invited!

This is an opportunity to celebrate the greatest gifts in our lives–our families– and the culture and community that sustain them. Fun and wonderful activities for all ages and cultural underpinnings that “elevate” to boot.  People in the know will bring their swimsuits too – there are persistent rumors of a kiddie pool in Dorina’s office 🙂  Show your love for your super extended Phoenix family and participate in making our city stronger. As the yogi says, “be here now.” ~ Wayne Rainey, owner of Monorchid

• Docent-lead tours of the exhibit.
• Live painting by local artist Jayme Blue from the Thermal PHX exhibit.
• Limited edition Thermal PHX Color sheet and drawing tables for children to create in the gallery.
• Hip Veggies will be creating awesome veggie art and debuting their new screen-printed canvas tote by artist Rafael Navarro.
• Yoga in the grass at “The Lot” (all ages, bring your mat): 10am to 11am.
• “Tales of a Tombstone, Arizona Tortoise” reading by authors Heather and Tad Smith.
• Performance by local musicians Andrew Waterhouse and Steven Totten (of Tres Lunas).
• Local treats from great Phoenix restaurants Carly’s Bistro and Pallets Food & Bar along, delicious cookies from Urban Cookies Bakeshop and Brilliant Sky Bakery.

The exhibition is meant to be a “thermal” for emerging local artists, helping them elevate their work by providing an exhibition opportunity in a major art space during our long, hot Phoenix summer. This wonderful exhibition offers a variety of art that will appeal to everyone. We hope you will join us for this very special event!

The 2013 McDowell Mountain Music Festival (MMMF) is coming up Friday, 22 March – Sunday, 24 March and this year, not 10 days away, it’s goin’ down in downtown Phoenix! If past events serve as an indicator, crowds are expected to be in the thousands! The festival grounds are at Margaret T. Hance park (at the east side of the park, off 3rd Street, just north of Moreland) at 200 E Moreland St, Phoenix.

This is a super-duper, like, really big deal my friends. If you’ve been in downtown for more than about 5 years, you should know automatically why. If you have not, read on. Well, even if you do know why, please read on. No use just stopping here.

Prior headliners include The Flaming Lips, The Black Crowes, Ratdog, Gov’t Mule and The John Butler Trio. By 2011, MMMF had raised over $500,000 for local charities. Fully 100% of proceeds this year will benefit Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Ear Candy Charity, and uMom New Day Centers. The event started at West World in 2004, moved to The Compound in 2011 and in 2013 digs its roots into downtown Phoenix.

The MMMF is a big deal. There will be thousands of people, camping, eating, and drinking. This is a huge influx of cash to downtown businesses. But I don’t think people get it.” Downtown advocate and Arizona Preservation Foundation president, Jim McPherson.

Well, we get it, Jim. And I’m here to tell all my friends about it, too. They’ll get it. And they have friends who’ll get it, too, you see, so they’ll share it and… so on, and so on! You’ll all want tickets, of course, and a peak at this year’s band line-up. (You will notice the link in the last sentence is for the new local venue called Last Exit Live. See below. Buying your tickets through there will help a new local venue establish itself.)

The 2013 McDowell Mountain Music Festival line-up:

Balkan Beat Box        JGB Band        Deer Tick             Les Claypool’s Duo de Twang             Dr. Dog              The Roots             Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
The Shins            Heartless Bastards                 Umphrey’s McGee                  Iration              Yonder Mountain String Band  

And while you’re thinking about downtown Phoenix, here’s an excerpt from our next Get Your PHX event invite.

For our March 21 Get Your PHX, I’m very excited to announce that we are going to get an honest to goodness preview of a new downtown venue, Last Exit Live—the local stage which will feature the  McDowell Mountain Music Festival—before they open!

Last Exit Live is the Official Sponsor and organizer for the Local Stage at McDowell Mountain Music Festival this year. They’re coordinating with the Get Your PHX Team to bring you a Local Stage Pre-party and the soft opening of Last Exit Live.

So I’d love to hear what you think about the Festival: Is there any real value to downtown Phoenix to having the music festival here this year? Do you think it will make any lasting impact for our rising city?

This weekend marks the 11th annual M7 Street Fair. The fair and  classic car show features indie crafts, live music, food, cool cars, shopping, vintage trailers and fun for kids in Downtown Phoenix.

Every street fair that we have, every open market goes to building a better downtown. You just don’t get this sense of community in pre-planned developments. I’m just sayin’.

The first fair was 11 years ago, when local vendors partnered up with the School of Architecture at ASU to revitalize phoenix and a deteriorating Melrose Curve. The merchants received grant money from the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Fight Back Program and with the support of the surrounding neighborhoods, the Melrose District began to rebound.  One year after the Seventh Avenue Merchants Association incorporated, they held a “street fair” to commemorate the building of the first lighted canopies on Seventh Avenue.

Just over a decade later, what started as a 6 vendor street fair has grown into a highly anticipated family event with over 140 booths, food, live music, over 200 classic cars, and almost 18,000+ visitors

Its happening this weekend, March 3, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 7th and W. Glenrosa Avenues

We’ll you there! I’ll be out there with Ru visiting the booths and all that fun stuff.

Arizona is a beautiful place full of fantastic neighborhoods and if you’re moving here, you’ll probably need a little help deciding what community is right for you.

Jeannie Bolger and I have created a guide for new home buyers with links for information about schools and attractions for different parts of the valley.

This guide will be really handy for people moving in to phoenix neighborhoods or for companies to have on hand for their employees.

If you know of somebody thinking to move to Phoenix, or a company that is expanding in Arizona, please share this resource with them.

Download it here and keep it on hand in your office. Ken Clark’s Relocation Guide

Of course, Jeannie and I are just a phone call away if you need anything.

These piñatas are for viewing not for whacking. Let’s just get that out of the way first.

Otherwise, attention artists, non-artist, children, adults, people who love candy, and community members at large! The annual Mutant Piñata Show is back and I encourage all of you to enter your best piñata for the ultimate grand prize of having your work displayed to the local Phoenix community to view. The Bragg’s Pie Factory is hosting the ever so popular annul Mutant Piñata Show for the 5^th year now.

This exhibit is to display the creativity that lies within Phoenix; the exhibit will be comprised of whimsical and wacky piñatas created by locals. If your work is sold, you will receive 70% of the purchase price. Come down to the Bragg’s Pie Factory the first and third Friday of March and April to see this vivid spectacle for yourself, the best part is there is absolutely no entry cost so the more the merrier. Last year there were over 100 entries and the Bragg’s Pie Factory is hoping to exceed that number this year.

All entries must be in by March 1^st, 2012 so start getting in touch with your inner piñata artist and spreading the word to your friends and family.

We all know how important downtown growth is for our economy. As you can probably tell from this blog, I’m a big fan of Green Vendors and sustainable growth downtown (even if the term “green” has been around more than Kim Kardashian).

This image is from 2010 Green Build Conference. I just wanted to show off that I met Ed Begley Jr. Yep, I'm a total renewable energy dork.

Well, if your a pro-environment, sustainable vendor in the city of Phoenix, Green Team is pleased to present the Green Vendor Showcase of Opportunities on Feb. 9

This event is a chance for vendors to work with the city’s EPP Program as well as get one-on-one interaction with some of the city’s department big wigs and discuss new opportunities for the city to make greener choices. And better yet, there’s no cost to participate! But you have to work fast. Vendors need to register but January 31st, (as in tomorrow!) by the end of business hours at the office of Environmental Programs. You can Call 602-256-5669 to register and ask any questions.

Want to just stop by and see whats new in the world of sustainability? Well, you can check out the first annual “We Love Green Vendors” showcase on 2/9 from 9:30-11:30 am in the atrium of Phoenix City Hall, 200 W. Washington St.  The event is free!

Mix 60% road race and 40% Joseph’s Technicolor Dream Coat (minus Donny Osmond) and what do you get?

The Color Run!

This weekend, just a hop and a skip from downtown phoenix,  the annual Color Run 5k will be happening in Tempe.

Don’t worry non-runners, the 5k is a fun run for all levels of athleticism. Runners will receive custom Color Run race shirts, a bag of Color, race number, “Color Runner” finisher sweat band, donation to local charity, and Sponsor Goodies. There’s only one rule, wear white. Why? Oh because you get covered in paint along the way! Each kilometer of the event has a designated color.   As the runners/walkers hit the KILOMETER COLOR ZONE, they will be dusted with COLOR.

Don’t worry, it’s for a good cause. All the proceeds from the 5k go to Cardon Children’s Medical Center in Mesa. After you cross the finish line you be invited to a post-5k party with bands, food, and more. Non-runners can join too, but be warned, there’s a good chance of walking away covered in paint dust.

The annual Color Run is going down at Tempe Beach Park in Tempe, Arizona on Saturday, 28 January 2012.

Insert “woe is me moment”: I’m soooo bummed I can’t run this. I’m still nursing an injury from my Grand Canyon run in November!

Its that time of year again! The Local First Fall Festival is on!

(Added extra: this year it actually feels like fall!)

Did you know that Arizona is home to more than one hundred local and organic food providers, over one hundred advertising and marketing agencies, more than two hundred art suppliers and venues, and other great local businesses?

I would not blame you if you didn’t know that. It’s not like you hear about it on our local news. (But that’s a different post.)

Local First Arizona is an organization that supports local businesses around the state. The local first philosophy is driven by the benefits the local business have on the economy and community culture. This weekend LFA will be hosting their seventh annual fall festival. The festival boasts a ton of food from independent eateries and 66 local vendors.

Last year over 6,000 participants joined local businesses for family friendly fair. Musicians and bands and bands from across the state will provide entertainment. There will be local wineries and breweries on site for the adults as well as activities, like rock climbing, for the kids.

But why support local businesses? The simplest answer is it’s socially responsible. As our economy comes back, we need to support our local communities first. By patronizing our local businesses, we are directly supporting our own communities by keeping tax dollars in the state.

Join your fellow locavores this Saturday at The Duck and Decanter, 1651 E Camelback, from 10-4 pm. You can read more about Local First Arizona on their website

October is a great month to live in Phoenix. Not only is the weather beautiful, excluding this week of course, but there are great things going on all month long in every corner of town.

October 15^th

• Oktoberfest is upon us. Pull on your Lederhosen or Dirndls and head down to Margaret T. Hance Park. Of course there’s more than just beer and sing-a-longs. There will be mouthwatering sausages, authentic strudel, and German products to boot. You can find out more about tickets and times on their website.
• The Makers Faire is a One day DIY festival celebrating all things art, food, science, music and more. The festival will be held downtown between 3^rd and 5^th on Roosevelt Row from 11am to 7pm. http://www.makerfairephoenix.com/
• Tour de Fat is an annual bike ride held at various time of year across the country.  Tomorrow at 10 am is the official Tour de Fat parade where bike and Fat tire beer enthusiasts will mount wild bikes and ride Tempe beach park followed by a beer pour from 11-4 all in the name of fun and local cycling nonprofits.  

Other things happening this weekend. How about the Arizona State Fair, the Arizona taco festival, or the  The TASTE Chandler Culinary Festival. It might seem like a very foodie weekend, but what wrong with that?

Oct 20^th is our next Get Your PHX Event from 5:30pm – 8:30pm at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center. Come by and have a beer while you learn about their efforts in habitat restoration and education.

Oct 22^nd

• For those of you who want to feel a little more artists and a little less bloated,there is the  The Humanities Festival. The Humanities festival is a day of cultural, educational, and artistic activities from internationally known groups, authors and artists. The festival runs from 10am to 6pm at the new Civic Space Park Downtown next Saturday.
• The Grand Avenue  Festival is a celebration of Phoenix’s drive to revitalize and renew its downtown.  Come Celebrate Downtown’s vibrant culture, art, history and adaptive re-use of the Lower Grand Avenue arts and small business district and adjoining neighborhoods The 3rd Grand Avenue Festival will be October 22nd from 3 – 11 pm.
• The Food Truck Festival is rolling into town thanks in part to the Roosevelt Row CDC and Phoenix Street food Coalition. A ticket gets you inside to sample from each of the food trucks at your leisure. More than two dozen food trucks and carts are expected to be on hand for the event, providing hungry patrons an opportunity to taste the latest food trend popping up all over the nation.

What else is coming up that weekend, Chandler’s Day of Play, The Arab American Festival, The TBAG Zombie Bike Ride, and more!

And that’s just the next two weeks! With all the events going on this month, there’s something for everyone. Get out there and be a part of Phoenix’s growing community.

Irrigation in place as we moved dirt last Saturday.

Over the course of a weekend a once vacant lot on the corner of 6^th and Garfield became fertile ground for beauty and science. As we mentioned in our post last week, this past weekend volunteers, organizers, and even a couple politicians gathered for the planting of Valley of the Sunflowers.

Not too long ago, Sean Sweat, an Intel employee, met with some friends and discussed the potential for this lot. Luckily, he was talking to the right people. Kenny Barrett and Cindy Dach, of the Roosevelt Row CDC, and Braden Kay of the ASU Global Institute for Sustainability are good friends to have when you’ve got big ideas.

RRCDC is a non-profit downtown which promotes the interests of the downtown community by supporting public events and fostering urban renewal. Kay introduced the project to Bioscience High School, which also overlooks the lot. Bioscience High is currently building a biodiesel car, and was conveniently looking for a source of oil.

With help from the Roosevelt CDC and two start-up grants from Intel, They were able to propose his plans for a temporary sunflower field to the City. The hope of this and many other revitalization efforts is not only too beautiful but bring business downtown.

Of course the City was hesitant at first, but because VOS already had the plans and the money, it didn’t take long for the city to get on board. Because the project was temporary and funded, the city leased the lot to Valley of the

Sunflowers for free, putting it on the fast track to realization.

It was the “temporary” use of the lot made this project possible. The lot is currently allocated to the Arizona Cancer Center, which plans to start construction in the next two years. Until construction begins the two acre lot will be put to good use by VOS. They are planning two grow cycles, keeping stick notes and directions, so this project can be recreated again.

So how can you help? Well they’re still looking for an oil press and a tractor, if you’ve got one lying around. If not you can donate time through the RRCDC website or head to their kick starter page and donate to the cause.