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Upcoming Scottsdale Holiday Events 2009

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:27:22 +0000

RAILROAD PARK’S HOLIDAY LIGHTS PROGRAM BEGINS DEC. 11

More than 100,000 lights will adorn trees and displays during McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park’s Holiday Lights event this season. Festivities kick off at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 11 with a tree lighting, entertainment and a visit from . . . Santa! Holiday lights runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. through Saturday, Jan. 2, excluding Dec. 24, 25 and 31. Santa will be there nightly through Dec. 23. If you would like more information, call (480) 312-2312.

FIREWORKS, SANTA ALL PART OF HOLIDAY HARMONY DEC. 5

Wear your mittens and scarves for Scottsdale’s annual Holiday Harmony. This free, “snowy,” family event will be from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at Civic Center Mall, 7380 E. Second St. There will be arts and crafts, entertainment, games, and a visit with Santa! Photos with Santa will be available for $2 with the proceeds benefiting the Scottsdale International Club dance group. A tree-lighting ceremony will be at 6:20 p.m. and the event will be capped off with a fireworks display. For more information, call (480) 312-0217

More Scottsdale Holiday Events

Green by Design Awards Celebrates Eco-Friendly Business Practices

Josh Kenzer — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:25:28 +0000

The Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau revealed the winners of the Green by Design Awards at its Quarterly Update Meeting on Nov. 3 as part of its sustainability initiatives. Orange Tree Golf Resort, Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch, Desert Botanical Garden and O’Neil Printing were recognized for exhibiting outstanding sustainability practices.

The Scottsdale bureau acknowledged participants in three categories: Green, Greener and Greenest. The Green category recognizes businesses that created green projects, programs or campaigns; while the Greener designation is awarded for improvements on pre-existing efforts. The Greenest category is for companies that practice both green initiatives and offer green products or services.

GREEN AWARD WINNER
Orange Tree Golf Resort won in the Green category for installing a solar water heating system, which dramatically reduces natural gas emissions, for use in their on-site laundry and housekeeping area as well as for 20 guest rooms. It is estimated that the resort will decrease their associated natural gas bill by 50 percent and eliminate approximately 100 tons of carbon emissions annually. In six months, the company hopes to expand this green practice to all guest rooms.

GREENER AWARD WINNER
The Greener award was given to the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch for its ongoing improvement of green practices. The resort’s most recent sustainable projects include a 12,000-square-foot solar hot water system and the installation of a “cool roof” system. Thus far, the Hyatt has achieved proven results from the solar hot water system of up to a 41 percent reduction of natural gas within a given month. They are now serving as a model for other Hyatt properties.

GREENEST AWARD WINNERS
Two leading companies were recognized with the Greenest award – the Desert Botanical Garden and O’Neil Printing. The Desert Botanical Garden implemented a wide array of recycling and waste reduction programs not only to reduce their waste but also to help educate the public and act as a voice in the community. The Garden’s composting of green waste is eliminating around 180 tons of waste from a landfill annually. In addition, they offer numerous programs and classes to the public, an increasing number of which relate to sustainability.

O’Neil Printing strives to maintain an eco-friendly environment within the workplace and helps clients decrease their carbon footprint by providing eco-sustainable products and coaching clients toward greener options. According to an O’Neil recycling partner, in the second quarter of 2009 alone, O’Neil’s recycling program saved 2,157 trees, nearly 900 thousand gallons of water, almost 50 thousand gallons of fuel, over one-half million kilowatt hours of electricity and almost 400 cubic yards of landfill space.

“The Scottsdale bureau is proud to recognize these companies working to preserve our environment,” said Vice President of Marketing Lauren Simons. “The Green by Design Award winners have shown their dedication to enriching our community and protecting our future.”

A total of 14 companies submitted for the Green by Design Awards, including: Bio Waste Systems for Food Waste Separation and Collection, Dixon Golf, Enterprise Technology Services, Grayhawk Golf Club, i-o Data Centers, John’s Refrigeration, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa, PlanetEarthPromotions.com, Thunderbird Artists and Symfonic Marketing.

Join Norm from Cheers at The Big Pour

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:18:01 +0000

Every man’s bar buddy, George Wendt, aka “Norm,” will grace a barstool at The Big Pour, Sat., Nov. 14, at Scottsdale Waterfront. George graciously accepted the invitation to visit fans, sign his new book Drinking With George, participate in a beer seminar and hoist a few in the process.

The Big Pour, Nov. 12-14, will offer a Saturday “Fan” ticket @ $50 specifically for Norm fans that includes:

Meet & greet with George
Signed Copy of his book “Drinking With George”
15 Pours from a selection of hundreds of craft beers
Everclear Concert

In true spirit of the occasion, George said: “Hope they have a warm barstool for me…plenty of copies my new book and I’m ready to throw some down with Big Pour fans in Scottsdale.”

Wendt, who graces DRAFT Magazine’s November/December cover, will enjoy The Big Pour with other patrons, experiencing a beer lover’s adventure with hundreds of craft beers from breweries across the globe, never before in Arizona.

The Capitol Christmas Tree is Coming from Arizona

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:29:36 +0000

Arizona has been given a grand opportunity to showcase the “Grand Canyon State” with a tree to provide that magic splendor you see each year on television of the beautiful Christmas tree illuminating the foreground of the Nation’s Capitol.

There will be a tree cutting ceremony this Saturday, November 7th in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest near Alpine, Arizona. From there, the tree will make several stops in Arizona before heading across the country to be presented to the President on Monday, November 30th.

You are invited to attend the tree cutting ceremony or stop in and see the tree as it travels through Arizona. For all the details, check out the official website at http://capitolchristmastree2009.org/

Wearable ArtWalk and Wearable Runway Fashion Show

Josh Kenzer — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:26:43 +0000

Scottsdale Fashion Week has confirmed a Wearable ArtWalk gallery line up that spotlights live body painted models, botanical fashions, fashion hounds, couture jewelry collections, and wearable fiber art.

The celebration kicks off on SouthBridge with the Wearable ArtWalk Opening Presentation and Preview Runway Fashion Show from 6-7p.m. where models will showcase exclusive designs on an outdoor runway.

The show will open with Calvin Charles Gallery’s ‘Living Sculpture’ by Deborah Paswaters who will start the runway action with her live body painted models. Ambiance Fleur Eclectics, exhibiting at Occasions! By Design, will close the show with its collection of live botanicals presented as wearable art on fashion models.

Participating Wearable ArtWalk Galleries

Babette | 7051 E 5th Ave
Wilde Meyer Gallery | 4142 N Marshall Way
Cornelis Hollander Designs | 4151 N Marshall Way
Galina Couture | 4151 N Marshall Way
Naked Horse | 4151 N Marshall Way
Calvin Charles | 4201 N Marshall Way
Jewelry by Gauthier | 4211 N Marshall Way
Palavela Home | 4222 N Marshall Way
Gallery Andrea | 7019 E Main St
Xanadu | 7039 E Main St
Occasions! By Design | 7077 E Main Street
Colores | 7100 N. Main Street

Little Black Dress Wines has created a Wearable ArtWalk Passport that will be available at the SouthBridge presentation and the Wearable ArtWalk galleries. Guests are encouraged to wear their own ‘little black dress’ to the event and collect stamps from Wearable galleries for the chance to win two VIP tickets to Scottsdale Fashion Week on November 6 and 7.

The Wearable ArtWalk is free and takes place from 7-9 p.m. in various galleries on Main Street, Marshall Way and Stetson Avenue in downtown Scottsdale. Full details about gallery shows are at www.scottsdalefashionweek.com/artwalk.asp.

Wearable ArtWalk’s musical entertainment begins at 7 pm and includes pop-rock faves Jay & Ash at the Party Before ArtWalk (near the Stetson fashion stage), plus neoclassical pianist Elijah Bossenbroek, the flute sounds of Flavio, and solo singer-songwriter showcase Soliloquies featuring Jeordie and Teneia Sanders.

Throughout the night ArtWalkers will enjoy complimentary samples from the Little Black Dress Wines, Bacon Restaurant, Crudo Café, and Icelandic Glacial Water.

The 3rd annual event is open to the public and is presented by the Scottsdale Gallery Association in conjunction with the City of Scottsdale. Additional sponsors include Little Black Dress Wines, ShowUp.com, and the Scottsdale Downtowner.

Free parking and trolley or carriage rides are available at all corners of the Arts District. For information about future ArtWalk events visit www.ScottsdaleGalleries.com.

Scottsdale Fashion Week Schedule Announced

Josh Kenzer — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:46:45 +0000

The evenings of November 6 and 7 will be alive with over two-dozen runway shows. The Main Runway will be located on the Scottsdale Waterfront at Scottsdale and Camelback Roads. This New York style tented fashion show will showcase leading fashion designers and tastemakers on an 80-foot runway. Coinciding with the In-Tent shows, an outdoor runway under the stars across the Arizona canal at Southbridge will feature up-and-coming designers. For more information, visit the Scottsdale Fashion Week website.

Friday, November 6, 2009

SouthBridge Open Runway | Show Times (pm):
- 5:30 – Dance Performance
- 6:15 – iuk iuk – Designer of the Year
- 7:00 – Destiny’s Bride
- 7:45 – Twirl Boutique
- 8:30 – Angela Johnson
- 9:15 – Italia Rocks Couture
- 10:00 – Tikini Hut
- 10:45 – Ivon Reyes Couture
Lifestyle Showcase
5:00pm to 11:00pm
Scottsdale Waterfront at SouthBridge
Main Tent Stage Runway
Show Times (pm):
- 6:00 – Kevan Hall
- 7:00 – Zhao Bandi
- 8:00 – bebe
- 9:00 – Escada
- 10:00 – Dillard’s with Celebrity Fashion Stylist Nolé Marin and Designer Eva Franco

Saturday, November 7, 2009

SouthBridge Open Runway | Show Times (pm):
- 5:30 – Nostalgic Boutique and AGA Couture
- 6:15 – Joya Bazaar
- 7:00 – Garage
- 7:45 – RAW by Amelia Walsh
- 8:30 – VMarie Fashion
- 9:15 – Vickilyn’s Closet
- 10:00 – Art Institute of Phoenix
- 10:45 – Pucci Salon
Lifestyle Showcase
5:00pm to 11:00pm
Scottsdale Waterfront at SouthBridge
Main Tent Stage Runway
Presented by Scottsdale Fashion Square
Show Times (pm):
- 6:00 – Banana Republic
- 7:00 – kate spade
- 8:00 – St. John
- 9:00 – CH Carolina Herrera
- 10:00 – Barneys New York

Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:34:41 +0000

Now through November 29th, 2009
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

Experience the “Soundsuits” of Chicago-based artist and former Alvin Ailey dancer Nick Cave—multi-layered mixed-media, wearable sculptures named for the sounds made when worn. Reminiscent of African and religious ceremonial costumes as well as high fashion, they are made using scavenged ordinary materials—fabrics, beads, sequins, old bottle caps, rusted iron sticks, twigs, leaves and hair—that Cave re-contextualizes into visionary masterpieces.

Worlds First Microsoft Retail Store Opens in Scottsdale

Josh Kenzer — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:36:05 +0000

The worlds first Microsoft Retail Store opened this morning in Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall. View the video below for the ribbon cutting and unveiling of the store.

The Bigger and Better Scottsdale Fashion Square

A weekend with Natalie Gulbis at Fairmont Scottsdale

Josh Kenzer — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:20:43 +0000

The sensational Fairmont Scottsdale and the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course are the venues for an amazing weekend of golf with one of the best athletes on the LPGA Tour. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Book today.

Package includes:

• Two nights in a luxuriously appointed Fairmont guest room
• Two full American breakfasts
• Golf demonstration with Natalie Gulbis
• One round of golf at TPC Stadium, where Natalie will play several holes with each foursome
• One welcome reception with Natalie Gulbis at Stone Rose Lounge
• One dinner at BOURBON STEAK with Natalie Gulbis
• Discounts on golf at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course
• Discounts on treatments at Willow Stream Spa
• Welcome amenity from adidas

Book Now

Chef James Porter on Crave Arizona 2009

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:31:41 +0000