Rick McKinney, a four-time USA Olympian and two-time Olympic silver medalist with nearly 50 years of coaching, teaches archery lessons for ages 8 and up on Saturdays, Nov. 7 to 28, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Apache Junction Rodeo Grounds overflow lot, 1590 E. Lost Dutchman Blvd. The four lessons cost $60 and bows, arrows and accessories are provided, the Apache Junction Independent reports. Register through Apache Junction Parks and Recreation, 480-474-5240.
Source: Apache Junction IndependentHistoric downtown Avondale. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0
The NASCAR Cup Series Freeway Insurance 500 runs Sunday, Oct. 18 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale as part of The Chase presented by Mobil 1, with the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and ARCA Menards Series racing Saturday, Oct. 17. Sunday-only and two-day tickets, camping and hospitality are on sale now, and the track is advertising 20 percent off Cup Series tickets, per its event page.
Source: Phoenix RacewayEvent publicity photograph; not a record of the upcoming Dragonfly & Butterfly Bash. Image source: City of Chandler
Chandler Nature Center's annual Dragonfly & Butterfly Bash runs 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Veterans Oasis Park, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road. Expect hands-on crafts and games for all ages, guided nature walks of about 20 minutes on easy terrain, and giveaways. A Nature of Things session with Borderlands Restoration lets you pre-order native plants and pick them up on site. Admission is free.
Source: City of ChandlerPumpkin-swim publicity photograph; not documentation of the upcoming date. Image source: City of Chandler
Pumpkin Dunk turns Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center, 5901 S. Hillcrest Drive, into a floating pumpkin patch from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. The water is heated, there is an on-deck family costume contest, and the cost is $5. Registration is required, per the city's event page.
Source: City of ChandlerBaker photograph accompanying the sourdough workshop announcement. Image source: Discover Gilbert
James Beard Award-winning baker Don Guerra leads a hands-on whole-grain sourdough class at Agritopia, 3000 E. Ray Road, on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The class covers dough mixing and development, fermentation, starter care, shaping and baking, and tips for baking confidently at home. Discover Gilbert lists a minimum of 30 participants; check the listing for tickets.
Source: Discover GilbertHD SOUTH venue photograph; not documentation of the announced workshop. Image source: Discover Gilbert
Harvest in the Heritage District adds a free Instrument Make & Play Workshop on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10 to 11 a.m. at HD South, 10 S. Gilbert Road. It is inspired by Celebration Soundscape, the district's light-and-sound installation by local composer Dalton Attig, and is presented with HD South, ASU professor Duane Roen and musicians Maureen Roen and Attig. All ages are welcome; grab a free ticket through Discover Gilbert.
Source: Discover GilbertGhosts & Goodies publicity photograph; not documentation of the upcoming date. Image source: Glendale Independent
Westgate Entertainment District's Halloween night returns Friday, Oct. 23 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., the Glendale Independent reports. Ghosts & Goodies is free and open to the public with trick-or-treating through the district, costume contests and interactive activities. Westgate is at 9400 W. Hanna Lane.
Source: Glendale IndependentThe historic Woolworth building in Glendale. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Glendale's Office of Arts & Culture debuts Masterpieces & Margaritas on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Murphy Park and the E. Lowell Rogers Amphitheatre, 5812 W. Glendale Ave. The painting is free and guided by professional artists, then margaritas and beer are for purchase while live music plays in the amphitheater, per the Glendale Independent.
The Gold Canyon Arts Council's Canyon Sounds Performance Series turns 30 this year. Fandango! opens the season at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20 at Gold Canyon United Methodist Church, 6640 S. Kings Ranch Road, followed by the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus on Dec. 13 at the Apache Junction Performing Arts Center, Take3 on Jan. 15, Frisson Ensemble on Feb. 5, the Spanish Brass Quintet on March 5 and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra on April 2, per the Apache Junction Independent.
Source: Apache Junction / Gold Canyon IndependentA view of Maricopa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Chris J · CC BY-SA 2.0
Maricopa's new pickleball and volleyball courts at Copper Sky are ready, and the city is making a week of it. The ribbon cutting is Tuesday morning, Sept. 22, then New Courts on the Block starts at 6 p.m. that night: a pickleball round robin (sign up on ActiveNet the day before or in person at 6), sand volleyball, 80s music and a costume contest with prizes for best throwback look. Saturday, Sept. 26 is Discover Pickleball, a free morning of beginner clinics, open play, skills challenges and a raffle of 12 paddles donated by USA Pickleball ambassadors. No paddle and no experience needed, the city says.
Source: City of MaricopaThe existing former Copa Kitchen space; the sign inset shows a proposal, not a completed installation. Image source: InMaricopa
InMaricopa reports the former Copa Kitchen at 20924 N. John Wayne Parkway, at Maricopa Fiesta Drive, could become Sakura Asian Kitchen. A sign plan filed with the city shows a nine-foot illuminated sign for the space, and Cobblestone Farms resident Steve Hwang registered Sakura Restaurant Group on July 14. Copa Kitchen closed in August, and its former owner had hinted the spot would turn into a sushi and Korean concept. No opening date has been announced.
Source: InMaricopaPerformer photographs accompanying the festival announcement; not a festival scene. Image source: Arizona's Family
The first Fastball Comedy Festival takes over Sloan Park, the Cubs' spring training ballpark in Mesa, on Oct. 17 and 18. Bill Burr and Tom Segura share the center-field main stage on night one and Dave Chappelle closes night two, with a second stage behind right field and special guests both nights, the Cubs announced Aug. 24. The festival is phone-free and 18 and over. The park's own event page lists Andrew Santino and Rachel Feinstein among the added performers and two-day passes from $248.
Source: Arizona's FamilyDowntown Mesa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Ixnayonthetimmay · CC BY 3.0
Mesa's Haunted Hangar is the Halloween edition of Cockpit Close-Up, set for Saturday, Oct. 31 from 8 to 11 a.m. at the historic WWII hangar at Falcon Field Airport, 4626 E. Fighter Aces Dr. Kids in costume can trick-or-treat with city departments and airport businesses and get up close to private aircraft shown by WOFF, a volunteer pilot group based at the field. It is free, per the city's event listing.
The city recognized TheaterWorks on Sept. 15 with a proclamation signed by Mayor Jason Beck marking four decades of live theatre and arts education in Peoria and the West Valley, the Peoria Independent reports. Founded in 1986, the company has grown into a cornerstone of the city's arts scene, welcoming hundreds of thousands of patrons and giving a creative home to thousands of performers, students and volunteers.
Source: Peoria IndependentBuck & Rider, a sister restaurant from Hi Noon Hospitality. B&R Fish Shop is not pictured. Photo: Hi Noon Hospitality
B&R Fish Shop is headed to 4343 E. Camelback Road, Suite 400, and Hi Noon Hospitality's CEO told What Now Phoenix the team hopes to open in December. A floor plan filed with its beer-and-wine license application labels the roughly 3,500-square-foot project Fish Market Camelback and shows a dining area, kitchen, service counter, sushi case and beer and wine retail displays, with no patio or drive-thru. Hi Noon runs Buck & Rider, whose original restaurant is nearby, plus locations in North Scottsdale and Gilbert.
Source: What Now PhoenixQueen Creek Town Hall. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Tony the Marine · CC BY-SA 3.0
Queen Creek Olive Mill's October Sangria Social is Saturday, Oct. 17, an all-day event in the grove at 25062 S. Meridian Road with four seasonal sangria flavors, food and live music among the olive trees, per the Visit Queen Creek calendar. The same calendar lists the mill's Pizza Date Night on Oct. 14. Garlic Festival weekend two is this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26 and 27.
Source: Visit Queen CreekThe Scottsdale Waterfront. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Joseph Plotz · CC BY 3.0
The Scottsdale 75 Picture Scavenger Hunt sends you to 75 places that shaped the city, from Taliesin West to the Mustang Wall at Mustang Library. You use the Seeker app to check in, take selfies, earn points and collect city swag, and finishing all 75 stops plus the bonus activities enters you for grand prizes. The city also premiered Diamond in the Dust, a documentary on Scottsdale's rise from a small desert town, which is now free to watch on YouTube, and released Hands-On History, a book of reflections from 75 residents.
Source: City of ScottsdaleAn existing brand location; the planned Lakefront cafe is not pictured. Image source: What Now Phoenix
The white-and-yellow Dallas coffee brand is planning a cafe at The Lakefront at Scottsdale, the redevelopment of a 1978 property at 7501 E. McCormick Parkway with views of the lake and Camelback Mountain, What Now Phoenix reports. A groundbreaking ceremony for the project is set for Sept. 24; the cafe's opening date has not been announced. La La Land already pours at Kierland Commons in Scottsdale and on 44th Street in Phoenix, and SUSHISAMBA has also signed on at The Lakefront.
Source: What Now PhoenixSurprise Lake. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: RandomMainstream · CC0
Fall Fest West, presented by PS I Love AZ, makes its debut Saturday, Oct. 3 from 3 to 9 p.m. at Surprise Stadium, 15850 N. Bullard Ave. Explore Surprise lists local makers and small businesses, food and sweet treats, beer and cocktails, and family-friendly activities and entertainment for an evening of autumn fun. Admission is free.
Source: Explore SurpriseThe Tempe skyline. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Siphonophora · CC BY-SA 4.0
Valley Dollz is planning a soft launch on Oct. 2 at 511 W. University Drive, What Now Phoenix reports. The idea came from the founder selling her own brand at pop-up markets and hearing other women vendors ask for one shared storefront. Inside, women-owned businesses rent racks or shelves, so shoppers find Y2K fashion, vintage and secondhand clothing, jewelry, skincare, soap and handmade goods in one place, plus work by local women artists and a workshop space for classes.
Source: What Now PhoenixSuperstition Mountain near Apache Junction. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Waqcku at English Wikipedia · Public domain
The Apache Junction Public Library has earned the Certified Autism Center designation from the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, the city announced September 15. Staff completed autism and sensory training, the library finished an onsite review, and it is developing sensory guides to help visitors plan a visit. The library also offers sensory kits for children and adults.
Source: City of Apache JunctionHistoric downtown Avondale. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Marine 69-71 · CC BY-SA 4.0
The City of Avondale's Sam Garcia Library is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with free, family-friendly programs through September and into October, and the library's annual Tu Herencia celebration lands Saturday, September 26. Check the city's news post for times and the full program list.
Source: City of AvondaleDesert hills around Cave Creek. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Kennito454 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Cave Creek's event season is here, the town said September 16, and Taste of Cave Creek, October 14 and 15 at Stagecoach Village, brings the second annual Mayor's Cup between participating restaurants. Harold's Cave Creek Corral won last year for best overall presentation and food; this year the categories expand to best food, best booth presentation and best dessert, with 13-inch silver cup trophies, second- and third-place ribbons, and Town Council members judging. The town also noted the Visit Cave Creek Facebook page has grown by 10,316 followers since August 2025, and sales tax revenue is slightly up even as statewide tourism is down.
Source: Town of Cave CreekPublicity photograph for the traveling museum; not a record of its scheduled Chandler visit. Image source: City of Chandler
The Office of Collecting & Design, a traveling museum built inside a 42-foot trailer by artist Jessica Oreck, stops at the Chandler Museum October 7 to 11, the city announced September 18. It is a tactile, screen-free collection of leftover fragments, organized for delight; visitors can do a flatlay photo experience or a scavenger hunt. Related events: a film screening and conversation with Oreck Friday, October 9, 6 to 8 p.m., and flatlay workshops Saturday, October 10, at 10:30 a.m. and noon, both registered on Eventbrite. The museum at 300 S. Chandler Village Drive is free; trailer tour tickets are sold by the Office of Collecting & Design.
