Phoenix Updates for October 2011

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS MONTH’S EDITION
• Greater Phoenix supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
• The 8th Annual Uncorked & Unplugged food and wine event returns to Desert Ridge Marketplace.
• Boo! In Phoenix. The Valley celebrates Halloween.

The Westin Kierland Resort takes part in the fight against breast cancer by fundraising in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month. The Kierland Golf Club will donate $1 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for every round of golf played on Saturdays and Sundays in October. ONEHOPE, a wine company that donates 50 percent of its profits to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, will be served in the resort’s dining venues and lounges. Agave, the Arizona Spa will offer special rates and packages as well.The Arizona Biltmore launches the Winemaker Dinner series beginning this October thru May 3, 2012. On eight separate occasions, guests can taste bold, innovative menus paired with wines from California and France as they watch haute couture fashion shows sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue. Arizona Biltmore Executive Chef Todd Sicolo and Sous Chef Conor Favre will create the four-to-six course menus. The wines’ creators will attend to socialize and answer any questions. Admission- Single Ticket: $95, Season Pass: $665.

Cocktail lovers can get expert teaching from “Good Libations” cocktail-making class at JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. The class starts with a tour of the resort’s organic herb gardens, where guests can pick their own herbs. It ends with a cocktail class taught by one of the resort’s mixologists, incorporating the handpicked herbs into a freshly-made cocktail. This “how-to” class highlights the resort’s extensive variety of desert botanicals, organic herbs, and highly-regarded beverage program. This class is an exciting way to learn more about spirit and herb pairings, desert ingredients and at-home herb gardening. A complimentary seed packet brings the fun home. Price- Guests: Free, Non-Guests: $25.

Attendees wanting a budget-friendly meeting option are given so by the Planner’s Edge at the Sheraton Crescent Hotel, which offers 20 on-site event options dedicated to team and corporate bonding.

Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak’s annual Pumpkins at the Peak is coming up in just a few weeks and the resort would like to invite all guests and local residents to a fun-filled Halloween festival that supports St. Mary’s Food Bank. On Oct. 28 from 5 to 7 p.m., the resort’s River Ranch will host family-friendly activities like face painting, cookies decorating and fortune telling, and of course, the resort encourages everyone to dress up in Halloween costumes. The entrance fee for the event is either two cans of food or $5 a person, which will be donated to St. Mary’s. For more details, please see below.

The largest meetings resort in the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts worldwide portfolio goes to the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess with their new 52,331 square-foot conference center. The $20 million center completes a total of 150,000 square feet of event space and debuts Oct. 11, 2012. Designed by Kollin Altomare Architects of Long Beach, Calif., the center will boast a modern Southwestern design and feature “nano” walls that open for a rejuvenating meeting or banquet. All rooms will be wired with the most advanced audio-visual presentation capabilities to ensure effectiveness and timeliness for future conventions. The new porte cochere and outside veranda will flaunt an artistic water feature and seating area perfect for breaks in between sessions or meetings. Howard S. Wright Construction is building the center, and it is expected to create 350 jobs in Scottsdale next year. The center caps off the resort’s five-year, $75 million renovation plan starting in 2006. Groups that book 100+ rooms by Sept. 30, 2012, will receive the “Celebration Is On Us” package that includes a one-hour, destination-themed reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Groups that book from July 4, 2013 to Sept. 3, 2013, will receive a fireworks show.

“Sundays in Paradise” kicks off Oct. 9, 2011, at Sanctuary Resort on Camelback Mountain inviting the community to experience free concerts, dining deals, and picnic fun on the resort’s lawn. An optional $50 Gourmet Picnic Package is available and includes a blanket, bottle of wine, and appetizers. For attendees who want a special stay, the resort offers a $195 rate for the night of the event. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets and families to these Sunday events taking place until Nov. 27, 2011.

The Boulders Resort celebrates its 10-year anniversary Oct. 10, 2011, and will offer exciting workshops and programs at its Golden Door Spa for the entire month. Events include Lip Print Readings, Organic Cooking Demonstrations, Shamanic Ceremonialist Experiences, and Yoga in the Organic Garden. Adrenaline junkies should experience the “Carefree Encounters”, a one-on-one interaction with desert animals, such as the 390-pound bobcat at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center. After an exhilarating day of spa and adventure activities, guests can enjoy four-diamond dining at the resort’s AAA-rated Latilla. Its new concept of Mediterranean cuisine offers savory flavors of ancient times and a touch of Southern France and Northern Italy fare.

Looking for a Phoenix getaway for the weekend, let Montelucia Resort & Spa take the hassle out of planning by booking the Fall Weekender package including accommodations for two nights, two 50-minute spa treatments, $100 Prado dining credit and $100 ROQ dining credit. Rates are valid thru December 31, 2011.

The Hermosa Inn is home to an innovative program that honors its artistic roots by bringing guests and locals together for an intimate evening of fine dining and conversation. The events are held throughout the year in the highly acclaimed restaurant, LON’s at the Hermosa. Belva Davis is honored at Hermosa Inn’s Artists in Residence Series Oct. 12, 2011. Davis was the first black female television journalist on the west coast and has received eight local Emmys and several other awards from various national and international organizations. Held in the private library at the hotel, the evening includes a wine reception, a four-course dinner of Chef Jeremy Pacheco, and a salon-style encounter with Davis. Price: $125. Upcoming artists include Fiona Purdy, The Brothers Cazimero and Kevin Caron.

Enchantment Resort has newly enhanced casita guest rooms equipped with stunning new furniture, carpets, Fili d’Oro linens, and indulging bathrooms. Guests can enjoy a scene of the Boynton Canyon with a morning paper, orange juice, and bottled water on the large viewing decks of their rooms. Flat-screen TVs and BOSE docking stations offer the rooms sensational tech-savvy capabilities. The resort’s new 13,000 square foot meeting space has floor-to-ceiling windows and offers outdoor possibilities perfect for a corporate event or late-summer wedding.

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Arizona residents can celebrate Arizona’s Latino cultural heritage with the first ever bi-annual CALA Festival running until Nov. 16, 2011 put on by the CALA Alliance, a community-based organization dedicated to cultural inspiration and appreciation of the Americas. This months-long festival offers more than 35 possibilities for excitement and awe, bringing them Latin American arts and entertainment from organizations such as the Phoenix Art Museum, Scottsdale International Film Festival, the Tempe Center for the Arts, the Musical Instrument Museum, and more.

Experience the dynamic pairing of music and American history with The Power of Music at the Musical Instrument Museum. The traveling exhibition features images of those in the tumultuous and quick-paced period of the Civil War and World War I and instruments from the MIM’s American collection. It is available until Nov. 27, 2011. Elvis fans can’t miss the MIM’s permanent exhibition Elvis Presley, a dedication to his rock and roll years. Arguably most notable is the 1975 Martin D-28 acoustic guitar Elvis played during his 1977 tours, including his final concert in Indianapolis, Ind. Entrance to both exhibits are included in general admission. Admission- Adults: $15, Seniors 65+: $13, Youth 6-17: $10.

President of Americans for Indian Opportunity LaDonna Harris (Comanche) is winner of the eighth annual Spirit of the Heard Award and will receive the honor Oct. 14, 2011, at the Steele Auditorium in the Heard Museum. The recipient should demonstrate individual or community excellence and adhere to the museum’s mission of educating the public about the culture of Native peoples and is chosen by the museum’s Board of Trustees American Indian Advisory Committee. Harris was instrumental in giving the Taos Pueblo people the Taos Blue Lake and in regaining federal recognition of the Menominee Tribe. Harris founded Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity and also helped found several of today’s leading national Indian organizations. The award ceremony kicks off the annual Native American Recognition Days. Admission is free and open to the public.

The 3rd annual Zombie Walk Invasion takes place Oct. 29, 2011, in downtown Phoenix covering the streets with more than 2,000 people of the walking dead. A costume contest entices families and zombie-lovers to dress their scary best, as costumes will be judged by a special celebrity guest. A canned food drive for the St. Mary’s Food Bank makes this terrifying event less horrifying. Entertainment will ease the anxiety with bouncy houses, choo-choo trains, make-up artists, tarot readers and live Reggae music. Additionally, Heritage Square is hosting an All Hallows Eve festival on the night of Oct. 29 featuring a beer garden hosted by the Rose and Crown.

Boo! At the Zoo is a family-oriented Halloween event at the Phoenix Zoo that includes several child-friendly activities and games Oct. 22-23, 2011. A tradition for more than 20 years, this fall festival offers a pumpkin patch and maze, both exciting adventures for the little ones! Special events featured are the Pumpkin Stomp and Chomp and the Mascot Meet & Greet.

Haunted History is back at the Pioneer Living History Museum offering guests a Halloween weekend filled with hair-raising legends of the Southwest. Last year’s events were such a success Pioneer decided to extend it to three ghoulish nights, giving guests an extra chance to experience the museum’s historical tragedies. The eerie evening begins at 6 p.m. in the Event Arena with a Ghoul Guide describing scary regional legends of murders, ghosts, and disasters. A tour of the actual homes described in the stories sends chills up the spines of those inside the Pioneer Twilight Zone. Most of the buildings have been removed from their original resting places, and Haunted Historians are waiting at each one to creep further into what took place there.  Museum-goers can experience this frightful weekend Oct. 28-30, 2011. Admission- Ages 8 and above: $11. Tickets are limited and presold.

The NEST is back with 50,000 square feet equipped with $1 million in special effects and 135 actors for a haunted house experience guests will not forget. Only the most courageous can bear the goings-on at the NEST, and this year’s 3D maze of mesmerizing horror is no exception. The structure also includes Mirror Mania, more than 100 feet of confusing mirrors, Bleak, 3,000 feet of pitch black, and of course, the NEST, a span of rooms forcing a chill to the bone by both temperature and unwelcoming beings. Good Morning America awarded the NEST as the Spookiest Haunted Attraction in America, and it is the recipient of several other nationally-known awards. Rawhide’s haunted house ends after Halloween, so thrill-seekers should test their bravery while they can. Admission- General: $25, Fast-Pass: $40.

The Arts Council of the North Valley presents its Renaissance Yuletide Feaste to the lords and ladies of Arizona, recreating Merrie Olde England to celebrate the holiday season. Royal Renaissance singers, rich medieval costumes, and a five course repast await those who attend Dec. 17 and 18, 2011, at the Ironwood Castle and Anthem Golf and Country Club. Price: $85 per person.

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The latest addition to downtown Phoenix is the Phoenix Ale Brewery. The brewery and bottling facility are housed on 1.1 acres of land directly adjacent to the Phoenix Metro Light rail system. The craft ale house will conduct brewery tours and beer tastings, as well as selling beer “to go” in bottles, growlers (a 64oz glass container), 15.5 gallon kegs and 5.17 gallon kegs. Brewery tours will be held weekdays at 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. The brewery shop will be open from 12- 5 p.m. weekdays and 12 – 3 p.m. on the weekends.

The BrittleBrush Bar & Grill at The Westin Kierland Resort opens Oct. 1 and gives the resort a unique breakfast experience with a neighborhood feel. Chef Graeme Blair created the menu with breakfast modernity in mind, adding a hint of Scottish-cuisine for an unexpected twist. Local ingredients from vendors, such as Shamrock Farms and Hickman’s Family Farms, gives this new dining addition community approval. The restaurant boasts a dog-friendly patio, lawn activities, DIY Bloody Mary Bar, and all-day breakfast. Arizonans will make it a weekend favorite, and travelers will appreciate its comforting home-like familiarity.

The Radisson Hotel Phoenix Airport has changed its name. Formally known as the Radisson Phoenix Airport North, the hotel made the change after it became the only Radisson hotel at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. A new name calls for a new menu at the hotel’s 44th Street Grill, and it brings a necessary healthiness to the restaurant. It includes free-range chicken, 100% Black Angus beef burger, and organic salmon. New plates, glasses, and silverware add to the renovation.

Guests receive a customized menu under the starts with a Celestial Picnic at the Four Seasons Resort at Troon North. Executive Chef Mel Mecinas tailors the meal to romance, placing it all in a deluxe basket completed with a choice of Champagne or wine. A telescope for stargazing is included, and a celestial talk and guided session by astronomer Richard Allen can be arranged. Mecinas also offers “Chef du Jour”, a personalized meal in Talavera, the resort’s signature American restaurant. A signed menu and a chef’s jacket with embroidered name are included.

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The Tocaloma Spa at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak’s Resort Tapatio Cliffs Resort reveals a new Swarovski crystal service. Instead of nail polish, the service uses crystals to add sparkle to guest’s step ranging in a variety of colors. For just $60, this service adds an interesting way to pamper when on vacation.

EmerginC is a new product line introduced at the Four Seasons Resort at Troon North offering parabin-free and artificial color and fragrance-free products for treatments at The Spa. EmerginC is a results-oriented line made from several pure international botanicals and cutting-edge cosmeceutical-grade ingredients. It’s featured in The Spa’s Vitamin Repair Facial, Gentleman’s Facial, and Alpha Beta Peel and Facial. Visitors should discover the saving properties of the new line by sampling the services at the resort’s spa.

Take time to unwind this fall with Joya Spa. Why just book a spa day when you can book a spa weekend. Grab a friend and come to Montelucia Resort & Spa to enjoy the Discover Joya package which includes overnight signature accommodations as well as a $200 spa credit per person.

The Four Seasons Resort at Troon North also features its Spa and Salon Tapas Tasting menu which gives guests a sampling of its services at a reduced price. Sunday through Thursday, from 3-8 p.m. at the spa and 3-6 p.m. at the salon, guests can select two 25-minute tapas treatments inspired by the holiday season. For just $99, primping princesses can enjoy a combination of a Swedish massage, scalp massage, sole satisfaction, herbal wrap, and soothing body polish.  The “Vanilla Spice” martini and manicure experience and the “Margarita and Makeup” option are also available at a discounted price.

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