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Easter in Scottsdale

Josh Kenzer — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:29:09 +0000

Looking for Easter activities in Scottsdale. Here’s a few fun things to do:

Easter Brunch in Scottsdale

The Phoenician
10:00 – 3:00 pm
McCormick Ranch Golf Club
“Easter Champagne Brunch”
10:00 – 3:00 pm
Z’Tejas
(with Easter Egg Hunt – see below)
11:00 – 2:00 pm
Fairmont Scottsdale
Easter Baskets for grown ups!
Join us at our Easter Sunday brunch celebration and enter to win our deluxe Willow Stream Spa Wellness Easter Basket! Willow Stream Easter baskets for grown ups and that special someone in your life available for purchase at Willow Stream Spa Boutique.
Radisson Fort McDowell
11:00 – 3:00 pm
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale – Crescent Moon
10:30 – 3:00 pm
W Scottsdale
12:00 – 2:00 pm
Complete with gospel choir and jazzy interludes, W Scottsdale is hosting its first ever Easter Sunday Gospel Brunch.
Trader Vics
11:00 – 8:00 pm
Cafe ZuZu
(with Easter Egg Hunt – see below)
6:00 am – 3:00 pm

Easter Egg Hunts in Scottsdale

Glow in the Dark Easter Egg Hunt at Enchantment Resort in Sedona
7:00 – 8:30 pm, Camp Coyote
Join the Camp Counselors as they hunt for glow in the dark eggs throughout property. The hunt will end at an undisclosed location for a special surprise!
Easter Egg Hunt at Enchantment Resort in Sedona
9:00 – 10:30 am, Tipi
Keep your eyes peeled for these delicious decorated eggs. The Easter Bunny will make a special appearance for pictures with the kids!
The Borgata of Scottsdale shopping center is hosting an Easter Egg hunt on Saturday April 3^rd in the center courtyard from 10:30 – 11:30 am. The event is free. Guests can enjoy kids crafts, beverages and a light breakfast provided by Starbucks, a visit from the Easter bunny and of course the main event, the Egg Hunt!
Z’Tejas will also be hosting their annual Easter egg hunt for the kids that will take play every hour from 11:00 am with the last egg hunt starting at 2:00 pm. The Z’Tejas Easter Bunny will be one site throughout the day while Z’Tejas staff takes pictures of families and children with the costumed bunny. The pictures are available to all families for free!
Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale will be transformed to celebrate Easter festivities with all the trimmings. In addition, the Resort’s youngest guests will enjoy a visit from the Easter Bunny himself and two spectacular Egg Hunts at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Fountain Terrace. There also will be a bouncy house, potato sack races and Easter-themed crafts for kids of all ages.
Cafe ZuZu will hold its 5th Annual Easter Egg Hunt at 9:00 am on the ZuZu Patio. Meet under the pink and purple balloons! Prizes will be awarded to the participants who collect the most eggs as well as the lucky person who finds the golden egg. Parents are asked to remain with their children.

Easter Activities in Scottsdale

The 15th Annual Spring Paintout at the Desert Botanical Garden
Over 40 of Arizona’s finest landscape artists painted on site at the Desert Botanical Garden throughout March. Art Show and Sale showcasing their amazing work will be in the Stardust Foundation Plaza
April 2, 3, and 4 from 9:00 – 3:00 pm
Free with Paid Garden Admission
Desert In Bloom Tour by Across Arizona Tours
This tour offers a rare opportunity for photos and a short walk among the wildflowers and plants in bloom everywhere in the Sonoran Desert.
Mild to Wild is offering Easter weekend special savings on guided whitewater raft trips on the Upper Salt River Canyon (April 2, 3, 4): 1 free child with 2 paying adults!
Wildflower and Cactus Bloom Adventure and Birdwatching by Arizona Desert Events.

Easter Discounts in Scottsdale

Residence Inn Scottsdale Paradise Valley has an Easter weekend promotion for our Studio Suites at a rate of $99 per night.
The Scottsdale Plaza Resort is offering an $89 per night for standard rooms (April 1^st through the 5^th) and an Easter brunch on the 4^th for $39.95 for adults and $14.95 age 6-12, 5 and under free.
Sprinkles Cupcakes: From March 26th through April 4th, Sprinkles will create a special Easter HOP Box filled with 12 tasty cupcakes with 4 different flavor of cupcakes including dark chocolate, red velvet, carrot and brown sugar praline cupcakes, the former only available on Easter. The cupcakes are adorned with pink and green bunnies, sure to bring out the Easter spirit in us all!

Enjoy Easter Brunch at the Fairmont Scottsdale

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:53:27 +0000

Celebrating the newness of spring with a festival of flavors, the Fairmont Scottsdale is bringing together four restaurants and five chefs for one abundant Easter Brunch, Sunday, April 4, 2010. The Easter Bunny himself will join in the fun, visiting families as they dine, and each child will receive a treat-filled egg, with five lucky kids finding a golden egg inside with a big prize such as a “staycation” to bring the whole family back this summer. Live musical entertainment will also add to the brunch’s festive setting.

Overlooking the South Pool at the resort’s new Princess Falls waterfall, brunch-goers stroll through selections from four Fairmont Scottsdale restaurants, offering sustainable seafood, modern Mexican cuisine, the finest cuts of beef, fresh-from-the-farm produce, artful pastries and quite creative cocktails. Featured are:

La Hacienda by Richard Sandoval – By Chef de Cuisine Forest Hamrick

La Hacienda takes a vibrant new twist on Mexican food, featuring favorites such as mole poblano chicken breast, pipian de puerco confit of pork shoulder and a Southwest omelette station with a choice of cheeses, caramelized onions, chorizo, mushrooms, shrimp, crab, asparagus and more.

Featured cocktail: El Pina Diablo, a pineapple-serrano chile-infused tequila with pineapple juice, homemade sour mix and a splash of Triple Sec.

The Grill at the TPC Scottsdale – By Chef de Cuisine Erik Forrest

From fresh blue waters, The Grill selects the highest-quality seafood from artisan farmers through the CleanFish Alliance. Easter Brunch highlights smoked salmon and sturgeon, steamed “peel and eat” shrimp, a Laughing Bird shrimp salad, stone crab claws, an oyster bar and a raw bar with steamed clams and mussels.

Featured cocktail: The Comfort Cup, a concoction sure to improve one’s golf game, made of Southern Comfort, fresh citrus juice and muddled strawberry.

Michael Mina’s BOURBON STEAK – By Executive Chef Daniel Patino

Those looking for fine cuts of beef should head straight to this grilling station, with Kobe skirt steak and juicy rib-eye cap. Two decadent accoutrements are a Worcestershire demi sauce, made with veal stock, red wine, caramelized vegetables and balsamic vinegar, and the sauce au-poivre, made of veal stock, brandy, red wine, green peppercorns and cream.

Featured cocktail: The Cable Car, made of Montecristo spiced rum, orange curacao, fresh lemon and a cinnamon-sugar rim.

LV Bistro – By Chef de Cuisine Manuel Rodriguez

Fresh, healthy and organic, LV Bistro works with community farmers to get the best vegetables right from the field. LV Bistro offers breakfast items such as organic vanilla yogurt, granola, a breakfast griddle with French toast and all the toppings, beef brisket hash, international cheeses, salads, a carving station with lamb chops and Scottish salmon to order, and an assortment of grilled produce including baby artichokes, zucchini, roasted peppers, arugula and perfect-whipped mashers.

Featured cocktail: The Farmer’s Garden, made of house-infused tomato-cucumber vodka and house-made fresh juice blend of oranges, apples and carrots.

Pastry Art & Desserts – By Executive Pastry Chef Dave Blom

Chef Blom is a third-generation baker, whose chocolate and sugar masterpieces are as pleasing to the palate as they are to the eye. For Easter Brunch, Blom is creating Bailey’s coffee chocolate bombes, orange blossom angel food with strawberry concorde, passion fruit strawberry mirroir, peach & huckleberry tarts with lavender streusel, grasshopper cheesecake, carrot cupcakes with vanilla bean frosting, tiramisu dessert shots, chamomile crème brulee spoons, an assortment of miniature confections, hand-rolled chocolate truffles and pralines, fruited macaroons, plus an array of Danish pastries, muffins, hearth-baked breads and rolls.

Stone Rose Lounge – Featured cocktail: Gerber’s Signature Bloody Mary made with Finlandia vodka

Sipping Made Fun for Little Ones

Kids will have lots of bubbling beverages to choose from, including:

Fauxmosa – made with Sprite and orange juice
Martinelli’s Apple Cider – with fresh berries and foam
Canadian Shirley Temple – made with orange juice, Sprite and grenadine
Caramel Chocolate Hot Cocoa
Smurfy Lemonade – made with fresh blueberry puree and fresh-squeezed lemonade
Easter Freckles – made with fresh kiwi, strawberry and lime, blended with fresh-squeezed lemonade

The Fairmont Scottsdale Easter Brunch, including all of these outlets in one location just outside LV Bistro restaurant, will be served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 4. The price is $55 for adults (including a glass of champagne), $18 for children ages 6 – 12 and children 5 and younger dine for free with the purchase of an adult brunch. Specialty cocktails are $8-$13, and the children’s specialty drinks are $4. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 480-585-4848.

Celebrate Spooky Scottsdale Events this Halloween

Whitney Willis — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:45:23 +0000

With Halloween less than a week away, it’s time to start looking at all of the spooktacular events that Scottsdale has to offer.

Start out the Halloween season by visiting the Desert Botanical Garden’s 8^th annual Great Pumpkin Festival Oct. 22-Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Experience a weekend festival that brings the true feel of autumn to the desert. The Great Pumpkin Festival comes to life with pumpkins, hayrides, country-western entertainment and carnival games. Don’t miss the hay bale maze and the Arizona Big Train Operators’ interactive exhibit. All activities are included with Garden admission. Prices are $15 for adults, $13.50 for seniors, $7.50 for students ages 13-18 with proper I.D., $5 for children ages three to 12 and children three and under are free.

Halloween Day festivities begin 10 a.m. and continue through 5:30 p.m. as Adelante Gallery at el Pedregal celebrates the Dia De Los Muertos holiday featuring Day of the Dead Art and Imagery by four local artists and festive live music by Louis Castro on the courtyard stage. View unique, hand-crafted works of art such as paintings, custom-made sugar skulls and jewelry showing the holiday’s famous skeletons. Specialty margaritas will be available in addition to homemade “Pan de Muertos” (Day of the Dead Bread) by Chef Christine Wieland. Admission is free.

And to finish off your spooky night, attend The Fairmont Scottsdale’s Haunted Hotel Halloween Ball at Stone Rose Lounge. Starting at 9 p.m. on Oct. 31 Scottsdale’s most sophisticated Halloween event begins featuring music, classic cocktails, celebrity guests and the Valley’s best costume contest with a variety of cash and prizes. The Haunted Hotel Halloween Ball in partnership with 944 Magazine offers a lavish twist on classic Halloween festivities with a decadent “Haunted Hotel” theme hosted by one of Scottsdale’s hottest outdoor nightlife destinations. Fortunetellers and tarot card readers will entertain partygoers throughout the evening along with a surprise live act by performance artists, and the best part is – admission is free!

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

UPDATED: The Power of Pink at the Fairmont Scottsdale

Josh Kenzer — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:11:49 +0000

It’s about “thinking pink” at Willow Stream – The Spa at Fairmont Scottsdale, where a treatment room has been painted pink to support breast cancer awareness. When guests book a Pink Massage or Pink Pedicure, 5 percent of the proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation during Willow Stream’s “Power of Pink” program running October 1, 2009 – October 1, 2010.

The Pink Pedicure uses a decadent pomegranate sugar scrub provided by the pink Whish body product line…and toes can even be topped off with OPI’s special “Pink of Hearts” polish. All Whish products are also 15 percent off in the Spa Boutique, such as sugar scrub, body butter and shower gel. On “Pink Mondays,” breast cancer survivors receive 15 percent off spa or salon services. While enjoying any of these treatments, spa-goers also enjoy use of Willow Stream’s 44,000 square-foot luxury facilities.

The “Power of Pink” program is in conjunction with Fairmont Scottsdale’s on-going effort to support breast cancer research with several employees participating in both the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk for the American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure each year. The resort’s Princess Shop also offers special pink products the month of October.

UPDATE: Here are some additional details about the spa services being offered.

The “Pink Massage” is a 60-minute therapeutic massage provided in Willow Stream’s new “Power of Pink” room complete with pink walls painted in the official Komen for the Cure colors, along with pink blankets provided by Komen and a pink ribbon plaque with inspirational phrases. There is also a dedication poster for guests to sign their name or the name of a loved one. The Pink Massage is $169.*
The “Pink Pedicure” in the Willow Stream Salon offers a decadent pomegranate sugar scrub using the whimsical pink Whish product line … and the toes can even be topped off with OPI’s “Pink of Hearts” pink ribbon nail polish. All Whish products, such as the sugar scrub, body butter and shower gel, are also 15 percent off in the Spa Boutique. The Pink Pedicure is $109.*
“Pink Mondays” are for breast cancer survivors, who receive 15 percent off any spa or salon service.
The Shops at the Fairmont Scottsdale are also offering pink products the month of October, including the Signorelli “Hope” t-shirt, Ballmania Pink Ribbon Lip Balm, semi-precious pink stoned Native American jewelry by Colette Simonetta and the “Power of Pink” bracelet and badge holder by Brighton.
Soft pink robes and Willow Stream pink “blinged” logoed baseball caps with rhinestones will also be available for purchase year-round in the Spa Boutique.

This Fall, It’s a ‘Season of Personal Discovery’ at the Fairmont Scottsdale

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:20:18 +0000

It can be said that one of the best investments people can make is in themselves…and sometimes it’s as simple as the irresistible bliss of being carried away with a good book. This fall, the new “Season of Personal Discovery” offers vacations with an inspiring purpose, giving up-close and personal time with 32 best-selling authors and lecturers over six themed weekends at the Fairmont Scottsdale, a AAA Five Diamond resort located in the Sonoran Desert.

From September 25 – December 6, 2009, the “Season of Personal Discovery” weekends invite travelers to follow their passion and learn life-enriching skills. Each weekend is themed to satisfy every booklover’s fancy:

Living Your Best Life – September 25-27, 2009
The world’s top lifestyle and health writers join together for this inspiring weekend: Chris Crowley, Joseph C. Piscatella, Nicholas Boothman, Sean Foy, Tom Moon and Tom Valenti.

For the Love of Books – October 2-4, 2009
Riveting and powerful, authors Anita Diamant, Debra Dean and Lisa See have each crafted works of literary art.

Ultimate Girls Getaway – October 9-11, 2009
This pampering weekend invites grown-up girls to pack their “little black dress and their pj’s” to spend time together with fun, entertaining events and fascinating workshops led by Nadja Piatka, Beverley East, Kathy Balland, Linda Henley-Smith, Sandi M. Marques and Lisa McKenzie.

Food and Wine for the Soul – October 23-25, 2009
For passionate epicureans, this weekend features these food and wine experts: Michael Mina, Michelle Bernstein, Jamie and Bobby Deen, Karen MacNeil and Robin Goldstein.

Cloak and Dagger – November 6-8, 2009
Gripping and suspenseful, this weekend delves into the minds of masters of mystery: Steve Berry, Les Standiford, Joseph Finder, M.J. Rose and David Morrell.

Grand Finale Weekend – December 4-6, 2009
From a Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist, to crime novelists and global philanthropists, this weekend is literary jambalaya, packed with laughs, mystery and a meaningful punch. Literary Stew includes Dave Berry, Ridley Pearson and Scott Turow, and Small Change for Big Change features Wendy Smith, Jacqueline Novogratz and Jessica Jackley.

Each themed weekend includes a three-day/two-night stay at the resort, exclusive admission to the Friday “Meet the Authors” welcome reception, Saturday readings, demonstrations and “Q&A” sessions, a Saturday evening “Mix & Mingle” reception and gala dinner, a Sunday farewell breakfast and a keepsake “Season” gift. Pricing is $499 per person, based on double occupancy, including gratuities. For complete details and reservations, dial 800-908-9397 or visit www.fairmont.com/scottsdale.

The Fairmont Scottsdale – a Slide Show

Josh Kenzer — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:56:31 +0000

Experience National Geographic Explorers Camp

Josh Kenzer — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:53:41 +0000

This last Saturday, I had the pleasure of taking my kids to the National Geographic Explorers Camp at the Fairmont Scottsdale. Usually, parents use resort camps as built in babysitters so they can go out and explore the resort on their own. However, with the National Geographic Explorers Camp, it’s the kids who are getting the once in a lifetime experience. Each camp features a different guest speaker who presents to the kids about their craft and devises ways for the kids to interact with that profession.

For us, it was wildlife photographer Joel Sartore. Joel’s experience as a wildlife photographer would be diffuclt to match. He had plenty of stories to share of hair rasing encounters with nature each accompanied by fantastic photography. After getting an overview of equipment and a short presentation on taking great pictures, each kid in the camp was outfitted with digital point and shoot cameras. They were divided into smaller groups and sent out on a photo safari, walking around the Fairmont Scottsdale Resort taking pictures from a worms eye view, a birds eye view and a 360 view – Joel’s tip for finding great pictures. Joel jumped from group to group, giving tips to the kids as well as the camp instructors – he was even nice enough to put up with photo questions. As a testament to his teaching, here are a few pictures my kids took. Neither Mayah or Tyler has been allowed to touch my camera, so they were learning for the first time.

Bird in Flight - Photo by Tyler Kenzer

Pink by Mayah Kenzer

After the photo walk, the kids watched a short National Geographic video featuring Joel and ate lunch. They then spent an hour and a half playing in one of the Fairmont’s pools, complete with water slides. The Fairmont’s camp staff was awesome with the kids and ran the camp like a well oiled machine.

After swimming, Joel took some portrait photos of the kids. All said, the full day camp was 8:00 am till 4:00 pm. Parents have the choice of entering the kids for half the day for $59 or full day for $89 – which includes lunch, a backpack, a hat, a water bottole and a great experience. The camp is open to children 5-12 years old.

The guest speaker also sticks around for a Saturday night family dinner presentation. Joel geared it more towards the adults since the kids had heard him talking all day. The presentation was inspiring and engaging. The dinner was buffet style which featured food like mac & cheese, chicken fingers and hot dogs for the kids and Salmon, beef brisquet and roasted chicken for the adults. Diner is $30 for adults and $15 for kids 6-12. 5 and under is free.

There are only three camps left this summer, August 8th featuring Dr. Mireya Mayor – the Female Indiana Jones, August 22nd featuring Dr. Kobie Boykins – Mr. Mars, the NASA engineer, and September 5th featuring Dr. Mark Moffett – Modern Day Explorer. Whether you are visiting for the summer or live in the valley, make sure to get your kids into one of these camps.

Here are some photos I took from the days events:

Free baby sitting for Date Night at Bourbon Steak

Josh Kenzer — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:48:13 +0000

Every Friday and Saturday night, the Fairmont Scottsdale’s Kids Club will stay open until 10 pm so parents can have a romantic evening at BOURBON STEAK. Their Kids Club offers certified child care services for children ages 4 and up. It’s complimentary for resort and local guests with existing dinner reservations. So make your reservation now, (480) 513-6002.

Arizona Businesses Asked to Show their Green Side

Melissa Matthews — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:24:51 +0000

The Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is encouraging Arizona companies to show off their green efforts and enter the 2nd Annual Scottsdale Green by Design Awards program to be recognized for their sustainability initiatives.

As part of the Scottsdale bureau’s green programming, the Green by Design Awards recognize companies that exhibit outstanding green practices. Companies can nominate their business or another local company for the efforts they have made to become more environmentally friendly.

Awards will be presented in three categories:

Green: For the creation of green projects, programs or campaigns
Greener: For the improvement of pre-existing green projects, programs or campaigns
Greenest: For businesses that have both green business practices and offer green products or services

In all categories, entrants must demonstrate their effort to help preserve the environment or reduce their carbon footprint. This may include, but is not limited to: waste reduction, energy efficiency, water conservation, green meetings, or a green product or service for consumers.

“The Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau is challenging local companies to do their part and utilize sustainable practices,” said Rachel Sacco, president and CEO at the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We want to recognize those who are dedicated to maintaining the vibrancy of our destination, which is critical to our future.”

Visit www.ScottsdaleGreenbyDesign.com to download a nomination form (on the Green Community Resources page). Applications are due Sept. 1 and awards will be presented during a Scottsdale bureau event in the fall.

Winners of the Scottsdale Green by Design Awards will receive special public recognition by the Scottsdale bureau commemorating their efforts, as well as recognition on the Scottsdale Green by Design Web site, in a Scottsdale bureau quarterly e-mail blast to 100,000 leisure visitors, and in the bureau’s monthly “Spotlight on Scottsdale” tourism section in The Arizona Republic.

Last year’s awards were given to Hotel Valley Ho in the Green category, Fairmont Scottsdale in the Greener category and Edwards Design Group in the Greenest category.

Along with its Green by Design Awards, the Scottsdale bureau’s green efforts include working to promote the city’s sustainable offerings at the Green Build International Conference and Expo in November. To correlate with the conference, the bureau, along with the City of Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Downtown Group, is working on a special Green Street Scottsdale event to showcase sustainable ventures and provide conference attendees an opportunity to experience downtown Scottsdale. The event will include the weekly Scottsdale ArtWalk, live music, artist demonstrations and exhibitions.