Phoenix Happenings for October 2010

Again, I’d like to thank the Greater Phoenix CVB for supplying this information.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS MONTH’S NEWS

• Several Greater Phoenix Starwood hotels and resorts will support ONEHOPE Wine’s commitment to Breast Cancer Awareness.
• The Lookout Mountain Golf Club at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort makes way for an environmental transformation
• Local First Arizona launches “Shift Arizona”

SPA

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Aji Spa is hosting a salute to the many intrepid warrior-women whose lives have been affected by the diagnosis of cancer. For only $250 treat yourself or a deserving friend to a 25-minute Aji facial, a Pretty Pink Pedicure, complimentary lunch in the Aji Spa café, your own custom-designed pink Aji Spa robe (regular retail value $120), a local artisan crafted pink bracelet and includes all gratuities. Offer good throughout the month of October. Some of the proceeds will benefit the research, prevention, early-detection clinics and care provided by The Gila River Cancer Support Group. In addition, the restaurants at the resort will also be donating 50% of the sale of every bottle of ONEHOPE chardonnay to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess offers their Tickle Me Pink package during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Join the “Power of Pink” cause – 5% of the proceeds from this package will benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation! This wonderful package includes an exclusive 60-minute Stress Relief or Pink Massage followed by their popular 60-minute Pomegranate Pink Pedicure.

DINING

The Meritage Steakhouse at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa presents Turkeys to Go, two traditional Thanksgiving dinner choices. Enjoy a whole roasted Tom turkey with house-made cranberry sauce and orange honey-glazed baked ham with a bourbon golden raisin sauce. Delectable side dishes include all of the trimmings and top off the scrumptious meal with pumpkin or pecan pie. The dinner serves 6 to 8 people and is $169 plus tax. The second offering includes roasted free-range sliced turkey with orange cranberry chutney; honey-glazed sliced ham with bourbon golden raisin sauce; mixed greens with blue cheese and candied walnuts; corn bread stuffing, Vermont maple yams with marshmallows; mashed potatoes with giblet gravy; green bean casserole, fresh-baked rolls; and pumpkin or pecan pie. A portion of the cost will be donated to Waste Not.

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa continues cocktail culture with “Five at Five,” Whiskeys of the World Tasting at The Rim Lobby Lounge. Guests can experience everything from Kentucky Bourbon to Scottish Pure Malts, whiskeys fit for a king and whiskeys that are slow filtered through thick layers of maple charcoal.

Rico’s American Grill, a restaurant touting American classics with a Southwest twist in a neighborhood setting, made its debut on October 2 led by Executive Chef Kenneth Arneson. This location is adjacent to the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort. Named after a now defunct nearby Mercury mine, the dining spot celebrates the area’s rich mining history with historical artifacts and a themed interior. The bar menu includes a signature Rico’s Rough Ryder brew, beer and tequila flights, and more.

Now open for breakfast, Morning Glory Cafe is serving the Valley’s only breakfast on a farm. A signature Arizona breakfast spot, Morning Glory Café serves house baked muffins and pastries, locally made sausages, seasonal omelets and more. Relax by the organic gardens and enjoy a refreshingly local menu featuring the market’s finest ingredients. This location is bike and pet friendly.

The Arizona Wine Growers Festival takes place this November. Shake hands and drink the juice of Arizona’s own wine grape farmers and wine producers in the picturesque setting of Phoenix’s historic Farm at South Mountain this fall. Nearly all of the state’s top wine growers will gather to showcase their finest wines at an interactive event where guests will learn about Arizona wine production, walk through an exhibit of the state’s wine growing regions, participate in fun and educational wine seminars and taste dozens of wines.

A new, neon sign marks the site of Bluewater Grill Seafood Restaurant, a California favorite that sailed over to Phoenix. Expect the highest quality seafood, classically prepared, at a fair price, in a friendly, casual atmosphere. Bluewater Grill is committed to being on the forefront of environmentally responsible behavior.

Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale introduces “celestial picnics” under the stars.  Guests can customize a menu with Executive Chef Mel Mecinas tailored toward romance.  Paired with a bottle of Champagne or wine of the guest’s choice, the picnic is packaged in a deluxe basket with all the traditional accoutrements. To enhance the evening, a telescope for stargazing and a celestial talk and guided stargazing session by astronomer Richard Allen can be arranged.

RESORT NEWS

During the month of October, five Starwood hotels and resorts in Greater Phoenix will support ONEHOPE Wine’s commitment to Breast Cancer Awareness by serving the label’s Chardonnay in their dining outlets and lounges.  Participating Starwood properties in the greater Scottsdale/Phoenix area include The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, The Phoenician, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, and the Sheraton Crescent Hotel. ONEHOPE donates 50 percent of profits generated from the sale of every bottle of its Chardonnay to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and is working toward a contribution goal of $100,000 this October alone.

Enjoy a holiday getaway to The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa and enjoy “Better Tomorrows.” For every night Westin Kierland Resort guest pay regular rate, they can receive the next for 40 percent off.  Whether they stay for four nights, six nights or more, their tomorrows can be that much better. To make for a more memorable stay enjoy all Kierland has to offer: special family programs, spa deals in honor of Breast cancer month, three- and seven- day golf packages, world-class cuisine and wine and celebrate Halloween with a spooktacular event.

The Lookout Mountain Golf Club at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort is experiencing some exciting changes. This season will make way for an environmental transformation aimed at achieving optimal water conservation. Taking the place of three ponds on the course will be new hazard complexes comprised of bunkers and native desert waste areas. The annual water savings is estimated to be more than ten million gallons. The water conservation project is slated for completion in mid-

October 15.

Meeting planners are going beyond coffee and doughnuts to keep attendees engaged. Creative concoctions from the award-winning culinary team at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa are sure to keep energy levels up and offer an unforgettable experience. Themed options include Healthy Break, Southwestern Break, Homemade Smoothie Station, Chocoholic Break, Old Time Movie Break and

Make your own Trail Mix.

Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale will be decked out with all the holiday trimmings this festive season.  Holiday “Home away from Home” happenings at the Resort include a snow-capped gingerbread village on display in the lobby, showcasing more than 20 specialty houses and circled by a working train.  Guests can enjoy complimentary hot roasted chestnuts and steaming apple cider.  Children’s teas will highlight the season on select dates, and Talavera restaurant, Crescent Moon restaurant and Onyx Bar & Lounge will feature festive menus and cocktails. Special rates are available from November 14-December 30.

This winter, the Boulders Resort, acclaimed as “one of the most romantic hotels in the country” offers wedding couples, honeymooners and romantics distinctive amenities only offered at this extraordinary desert hideaway: Private individual Casitas nestled among 12-million-year-old Boulders with cozy fireplaces; Sunset secluded  “tee box dining for 2 ” on elevated tee box of the famed golf course overlooking the Sonoran desert, emerald fairways and desert starlight; Private secluded dining atop a mountaintop via private helicopter (resort has its own helipad); Private Hot Air Ballooning with spectacular views of The Boulders, breathtaking desert panoramas, the Sonoran Foothills and, of course, a beautiful sunrise with champagne; Couples Massage in the Couples Sun Suite, a spacious couple’s suite with views of the desert garden outside (private 700 square-foot suite with private access, steam showers, private patio, outdoor shower, private Jacuzzi, indoor and outdoor massage tables, data port and television).

The Fiesta Resort is offering a Fiesta Fall Frenzy Special to encourage area visitors and Valley residents to experience Arizona’s “unexpected oasis” before the bustling holiday season begins. Stay at the Fiesta Resort in Tempe, AZ, any night between now and November 14, 2010, and receive a $50 food and beverage credit that can be used at Milagro’s restaurant, in the Kachina Lounge, or for room service.

For the 19th year, Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch has been chosen by the readers of Meetings & Conventions magazine as a “2010 Best of the West,” meeting properties. The selected winners were evaluated for the overall staff attitude, quality of meeting rooms, and quality of guest services, food and beverage service, proficiency of handling reservations, availability of technical/support equipment and the range of recreational facilities.

The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale is also offering a Desert Holiday Magic Package that includes the Native American Learning Center, the Arizona Wine Experience, Arizona’s Birds of Prey, Reptiles of the Desert, guided hikes up Camelback Mountain and more.  Be sure to save time for the mysteries of the Sanitas per Aquas Journey at Spa Avania. As a part of the package you can stretch your dollars by purchasing $100 in food and beverage credits and receive $120 to use in our bars and restaurants. This magical offer disappears after October 19th.

Kimpton’s FireSky Resort & Spa is pleased to introduce packages for locavores and oenophiles alike. Falling for Arizona package features sips, nibbles and experiences unique to both the resort, Valley and Grand Canyon State. The package, good through Dec. 31, 2010 includes a bottle of Arizona wine, in-room dining, two tickets to the Desert Botanical Garden and a 25 percent discount at Jurlique Spa. Grape Escape for Wine Lovers is a package for travelers who are ape for the grape. The offering includes a welcome bottle of Arizona wine and snacks, free appetizer and flight of local/featured wines with dinner at Taggia, as well as 20 percent discount on Jurlique Spa’s Chianti and Grape Seed Crush body scrub and/or the Stomping of the Grapes manicure or pedicure.

ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Now open at CityScape, a new urban center in downtown Phoenix, is Par Exsalonce Salon & Spa and West of SoHo, Offering a wide selection of popular brands including Ed Hardy, Vocal and 7 For All Mankind, So-Ho also offers coordinated shoes, purses and jewelry. CityScape also has Lucky Strike bowling and a Five Guys burger outlet.

Local First Arizona is launching “Shift Arizona,” a campaign designed to foster civic pride and strengthen the local economy by changing the buying patterns of consumers and businesses. Residents are being encouraged to SHIFT 10% of their buying to locally-owned businesses, which can have an exponential economic impact on the local community.

Opening on November 20, American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music will be the first traveling exhibition at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM). From the mambo, rhumba, and cha cha cha dance crazes of the 1950s to East L.A. punk rock of the 1970s; from conjunto and Tex-Mex to contemporary styles like reggaeton and banda rap, American Sabor will bring to life an extensive but often overlooked area of American pop. Instruments, costumes, and other artifacts from musical icons such as Carlos Santana, Celia Cruz, Los Lobos, Linda Ronstadt, Tito Puente, Flaco Jiménez, the Fania All-Stars, and many others will trace the trajectory of Latino music across the American landscape and into the hearts of millions.

The Heard Museum features 10 exhibition galleries, the original Heard Museum Shop, the Berlin Gallery of the Heard Museum Shop featuring outstanding fine art, lush outdoor courtyards and walkways, multiple gardens and the Café at the Heard. Enjoy daily public guided tours at noon, 2 p.m. and 3 p.m Now featured at the museum: Preston Singletary: Echoes, Fire, and Shadows; Arctic Spirit: Inuit Art from the Albrecht Collection; POP! Popular Culture in American Indian Art; Around the World: The Heard Museum Collection and more. Stop by for Movie Mondays, which features movies showcasing rich Arizonan history.

Watch as the wildlife at the Phoenix Zoo gives way to wild lights during ZooLights, the largest holiday light display in all of Arizona. More than 3.5 million lights will be glowing and 600 glimmering animal light sculptures, unique only to the Phoenix Zoo, will swing through trees, hide in bushes, hop across lawns, and sparkle in places where they’re least expected. New this year: Polar Slide – 150 foot long slide for winter tubing without the snow; life size, 3D lion and Oryx displays; new sea-life displays on the Arizona Trail and exciting new Music in Motion light show and more. ZooLights runs nightly from November 25 – January 9, 2011.

The Arizona Science Center presents RACE. A project of American Anthropological Association, RACE is a powerful exhibition experience exploring the science, history and everyday impact of one of the most controversial topics in American today – are we really so different? Open October 10, 2010 through January 2, 2011.

Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium will be featuring vampire bats in homage to Halloween. Construction for the 4th aquarium exhibit building is also underway

GOLF

Kierland Golf Club at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa offers new Ladies Golf Clinic, recognizing that women have a different approach to men when learning and playing the game. Women can experience instruction in a comfortable “Ladies-only” setting.  Participants learn an array of topics including full swing, hitting out of the bunkers, chipping, putting and more.

Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa has a great Arizona Golf Escape they will be offering now through December 31, 2010.The Arizona Golf Escape includes room accommodations for two, daily breakfast for two, unlimited golf for two and roundtrip airport transfers. The Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa is the only Arizona resort with access to five golf courses and is home to the Southwest’s only 54 holes of championship golf.

Troon North Golf Club has just announced the new Troon Family Golf program, making the game more accessible to junior golfers and their families. For those looking to play more affordable golf and have limited time to spare, Troon North Golf Club has also created an innovative executive 9-hole golf course called Monument Express. Designed within the full layout of the famed Monument course, Monument Express measures around 1,500 yards long and offers two different PAR options based on the skill level of the player.

For more information:

Media Contacts: Douglas MacKenzie
Director of Communications
(602) 452-6250
dmackenzie@visitphoenix.com

Trish Hendrickson
Communications Coordinator
(602) 452-6249
thendrickson@visitphoenix.com

Thanks Doug and Trish for bringing us up to date on what is happening in Phoenix.