Hello downtown readers! It’s T.J. Triolo, your downtown Phoenix events guide. I’m back this week; last week I was sick and that left me in bad shape for a while. Ah well, at least I’m now well enough to enjoy some of these lovely upcoming events again!
Arizona Storytellers: Undercover
Monday, Oct. 8
7–8:30 p.m.
Crescent Ballroom
308 N. 2nd Ave.
Come one, come all to The Arizona Republic’s night of storytelling about lies. This event is hosted by Republic reporters Kaila White and Lorraine Longhi, and I’d imagine the subject material will make for some interesting stories. Storytellers at this event have stories, according to the event page, about “pretending, posing and faking it.” Usually, the deeper the lies, the heavier the downfall. As a result, I’d imagine there will be some pretty interesting stories told here. Tickets cost $12.
The Mayor’s Arts Awards
Thursday Oct. 11
6:30–9 p.m.
Margaret T. Hance Park
1202 N. 3rd St.
It’s time for Phoenix’s seventh Mayor’s Arts Awards, honoring outstanding local artists in seven different categories, featuring artists involved in theater, visual arts, music, dance and literature! Nominees for the awards are chosen on three criteria: Innovation, impact and integration. I like those criteria, because it also adds up to alliteration! See what I did there? This event is set to be an artsy affair, complete with an outdoor evening setting in Hance Park. Tickets cost $75.
Re-telling Fairy Tales for Fun and Profit: An Author’s Perspective
Friday Oct. 12
6–8 p.m.
Burton Barr Central Library
1221 N. Central Ave.
There’s of a problem with fairy tales in today’s context of fiction: If you want to tell them in a modern way, how do you do it? With how bizarre and unrelatable the settings and characters are, it can be hard to adapt them into modern works of fiction, but when done successfully, the results are interesting (I can’t help but think of “Shrek” here!). That’s where author and illustrator Ursula Vernon is stepping in and explaining to this event’s attendees how to combine fairy tale elements with modern ones to create good stories. This event is free.
Bamboo Workshop
Saturday Oct. 13
10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Japanese Friendship Garden
1125 N. 3rd Ave.
The Japanese Friendship Garden is open again, and here to educate people on Japanese culture through events like this! This bamboo workshop will teach attendees about bamboo, including how to pick, plant and take care of your own. Face it: Bamboo is cool. It looks really nice, it’s sturdy and can even be shaped into small crafts, which this event will also teach you how to do. This event costs $35.
=Jimmy Buffett “Son of a Son of a Sailor” Pre-Concert Party
Saturday Oct. 13
Starts at 12 p.m.
CityScape Phoenix
1 E. Washington St.
Jimmy Buffett is coming to Phoenix, and he’s turning the desert into a beach party for a day. From noon until his concert for his “Son of a Son of a Sailor” tour at 8 that night, there will be an “Ultimate Margarita Beach Party” going on at CityScape. There will be food and drink vendors, music, sand volleyball and more. Ah, the beach; my future home … I just need to graduate first. For those who aren’t going to the concert later, there’s no need to worry; this event is open to the public, and it’s free! Well, it’s free excluding whatever you buy, of course.
Contact the reporter at Thomas.Triolo@asu.edu.
Downtown Devil's community section editor. I also write the Downtown Digest, a weekly column with things to do, with experience writing news articles and creating news videos as well. Graduating from ASU in May 2020.
