Friday June 12th and Saturday June 13th
 
Do you like great Barbeque eats, great wine, beer, and live Blues music? OK, silly question. Of course you do. This weekend, the Kokopelli Winery & Bistro is proving once again that they know how to throw a party. Toss away your preconceived notions of a snooty wine-tasting with classical music in the background. Toss them far away. The folks at Kokopelli like to party and they’re proving it with a bash that could send a shockwave all the way to cork-sniffing ivory towers of Napa. We’re talkin’ Good old American Barbeque with names like “Roasted Roadkill” and “Cheeseburger Pasta”; Music celebrating the Blues strongholds of Memphis, New Orleans and St. Louis; A BBQ sauce contest, Trivia contest and more. There’s a party in Chandler and you’re invited. Of course if wine is your thing, you will find plenty of the best around. Kokopelli will be releasing their “new” 15th Anniversary label on the latest vintages of their famed Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.

There will be a discounted wine tasting ($5) on Friday from 5-10pm and all day Saturday. Frozen wine drink specials include the “Wine-A-Rita”, the “Pinot Colada” and “Strawberry Surf”, all made with Kokopelli wines. And beer? Oh yes there is beer, in fact it’s half off beers on Saturday from 11am-5pm. Make sure to enter your BBQ sauce recipe for the Saturday contest at 2pm. It has to have a Kokopelli wine as one of the ingredients and you have to provide the recipe to prove it (Hey…It is their show). Gift certificates to the winner! As with all Kokopelli events, the BBQ & Blues Fest promises to be fun for the whole family. For more information, go to www. kokopelliwinery.com MUSIC! Friday Night The Freddy Hall Trio 6:30-9:30pm Saturday Special Guest Performer (TBA) 1:30-4:30pm The Stan Sorenson Trio 6:30-10pm
 
FOOD! • Memphis Style Slow- Cooked Ribs. Full or half slabs. • Roasted Roadkill (Beef Brisket) Louisiana style BBQ. • Cheeseburger Pasta with Kobe Beef served over a bed of Rigatoni • Chicken & Shrimp Skewers • Pescado del Rio fish of the day served seared with mango salsa • BBQ Glazed Salmon • Lots of sides, potatoes, wild rice, beans, cole slaw and more!

Where: Kokopelli Winery & Bistro Historic Downtown Chandler 35 W. Boston St. Chandler, AZ 85225 (480) 792-6927

Arizona’s largest fireworks show to light up the sky over Tempe Town Lake!

Tempe will once again celebrate Independence Day in grand fashion this year by hosting the largest fireworks display in Arizona. The 58th annual CBS 5 July 4th Tempe Town Lake Festival, produced by the Kiwanis Club of Tempe, will take place on Saturday, July 4, at Tempe Beach Park. Gates open at 4 p.m. All ages can celebrate the holiday with live local entertainment, a splash zone, kids activities and games, rock climbing walls and face painters. The 58th annual fireworks spectacular, presented by ProTix, begins at dusk. Net proceeds will benefit the Kiwanis Club of Tempe.

ATTRACTIONS

○ Pure Fitness Hot Summer Nights Stage: A variety of bands will take the stage beginning at 4 p.m. Performances will be shown on video screens provided by University of Phoenix.
○ Fantastic Family Fest: Free inflatable village for all ages with a variety of rides, rock climbing wall and more. ○ azcentral.com Splash Playground: Cool off with water fun and games for all ages.
○ Assorted Food Courts: Foods for every palate, including Macayo’s, brats, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, snow cones, smoothies, fry bread, Pepsi products, Budweiser beer gardens and more.
○ SKYE VIP Garden: Ticket to exclusive area includes a seat in a misted area, SKYE Restaurant dinner, two drink tickets and a great view of the fireworks show. Limited tickets available for $60 each, plus applicable service charge. $30 for children 6-12 years old. Children 5 and under are free, meal not included.
○ ProTix Fireworks Spectacular: A 40-minute fireworks show launched from the Mill Avenue bridge and choreographed to patriotic and classical music. TICKETS – Children 12 and younger and current military with military ID card receive free admission. Tickets can now be purchased at the following locations:
○ City of Tempe offices: Advance general admission tickets are available for $5 until July 3. Please visit www.tempe4th.com for locations.
○ Fry’s and Fry’s Marketplace stores: Advance general admission tickets are available for $6 at all Valley Fry’s stores. Visit www.tempe4th. com for Fry’s store locations.
○ www.ProTixonline.com or 1-866-9ProTix: Advance general admission tickets are $6 each, plus applicable service charge. SKYE VIP Garden tickets are also available. ○ Day-of at Gate: Adult tickets are $8 each, or two for $15. Tickets will be sold at the gate until park reaches capacity.
Pre-sale tickets will be honored all night.

TRANSPORTATION
 
Bus Ride the bus for free in Tempe on July 4. Most Tempe bus routes will operate every 15 minutes to the Mill Avenue District until 8 p.m., with return service extended until 2 a.m. Many downtown Tempe bus and Orbit routes will drop off and pick up at the Tempe Transportation Center on the northeast corner of Fifth Street and Forest Avenue. Due to street restrictions, several downtown Tempe routes will be detoured to connect with light rail and will not serve their normal stops. If you choose to take the bus and transfer to light rail, you will be required to pay a fare. Parking is available at the following park-and-ride locations: • Tempe Marketplace – Orbit Earth to downtown; Route 81 (McClintock) to Apache and McClintock light rail station • Tempe Sports Complex – Route 62 (Hardy) to downtown • Tempe Library Complex – Orbit Jupiter to downtown • Arizona Mills Mall – Route 56 (Priest) to Priest and Washington light rail station; Route 92 (Guadalupe/48th Street) to downtown METRO Light Rail Park at one of the designated

METRO -  light rail park-and-ride locations and ride the train for $1.75 per trip, per person. You may want to purchase an all-day pass for $3.50 at the start of your trip to avoid having to use busy fare vending machines in the downtown area at the end of the event. (Reduced all day passes are available for $1.75 for youth, people age 65 and older and people with disabilities.) METRO light rail will operate under extended hours, running every 15 minutes until 2 a.m. Park-and-ride locations include:
• Apache Boulevard and Price Road
• Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive
 • Apache Boulevard and Dorsey Lane
 
PARKING – Because of high attendance, plan to arrive early and leave late for the best parking. Event patrons are encouraged to consider these parking suggestions:
○ ADA parking is available at the US Airways Garage.
○ Patrons traveling from the west should park at the lot located at Rio Salado Parkway and Hardy Drive.
○ Patrons traveling from the east should park at the ASU lots near Rural Road and Rio Salado Parkway or the SunCor building on Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue.
○ There are several thousand parking spaces in the Mill Avenue District. Visit www.tempe.gov/ parking for locations.
○ Avoid parking on the north bank. The Mill Avenue bridges will be closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Patrons who park on the north bank of the lake will NOT be able to walk across the Mill Avenue bridges to attend the event.
○ For street closures and traffic updates, visit www.tempe.gov/streetclosures.
○ Expect some delays after the event. Your patience is appreciated.
Visit www.tempe4th.com for more information.

Fabulous Fourth of July Fun at The Look in Tucson

 This Fabulous Fourth of July it’s food, fun and family at Westward Look Resort. The Fourth of July weekend celebration offers guests three days of poolside fun, entertainment and dining. Check in early on Friday, July 3rd and head out late on Sunday, July 5th… for only $89 per night! For non-stop Fourth of July fun, resort guests can take in games, live poolside music, kids’ activities, bar specials and more. To satisfy hungry appetites on Saturday, July 4th., resort guests can dive into the afternoon barbeque buffet for only $17/per person and $8.50 for kids.
 
This Fabulous Fourth of July $89 per night room rate includes a deluxe suite-sized guest room, breakfast each morning of your stay for two adults and two children, early check-in at 9 am Friday, and a 6 p.m. late check out on Sunday, July 5th. To add to the delight of your stay, Westward Look Resort’s all-new guest rooms include lavish features like Sealy Posturpedic® pillow-top mattresses, all-natural bedding, 42-inch flat panel televisions, and high-speed wireless access. Inroom bathrooms incorporate walk-in showers, lighted make-up mirrors and 100% cotton waffleweave robes. All festivities and activities are for registered resort guests only. Please call today to book your Fourth of July getaway at Westward Look Resort at (520) 297-1151 or book online at www.WestwardLook. com.
 

ADDITIONAL 4TH OF JULY SITES

Fabulous Phoenix Fourth – nearly 25 years running, Phoenix’s Steele Indian School Park is always drawing big crowds for its legendary fireworks display. The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m., but if you are planning on indulging you can stay at the nearby Hilton Garden Inn Phoenix/Midtown for a low $59 dollar rate. www.phoenix.gov

4th of July Great American Picnic – if you’re looking to squeeze in a mini-vacay, then you’ll love The Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa’s old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration. You can enjoy a resort style barbecue with music via a live DJ, and military vehicles and F-16s sightings provided by Luke Air Force Base, and a fireworks display starting at 9 p.m. Plus, the resort is offering a smoking deal on room packages, visit www.wigwamresort.com for details.

7UP Fireworks Spectacular – Chandler’s refreshing and fun way to celebrate America’s birthday. The event features many family friendly activities including live music, a bike parade, classic cars on display, and a 35-foot water slide. Best of all admission is free and parking is only $5, check out www.chandleraz.gov for more info.
 
Fireworks Extravaganza – the name says it all. Harold’s Cave Creek Corral is hosting this Independence Day blow out which will feature Americana music that’s a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll from local band Young Country and EastonAshe. Partygoers will also enjoy a barbeque, drink specials, fun kids activities, and of course fireworks. www.haroldscorral.com

Sparkling wines are some of the most food friendly and overlooked wines in America. In my mind the two biggest reasons we as Americans don’t drink “sparkling” wines are as follows: 1.) Hangovers caused by consuming copious amounts of poorly made, overly sweet bubbles in our youth. 2.) Weddings or more specifically wedding cake. I hope the first reason should require no explanation to those of us afflicted with such a memory. The second reason may have many scratching their heads, so allow me to elaborate.

Wedding cake is quite possibly the sweetest confection on earth. Sweet foods make dry wines stronger, you might even say aggressive. The bubbles in sparkling wine have a similar effect making the acidity and dryness of the wines more pronounced. Traditional wedding reception protocol goes something like this: Guests receive a glass of bubbly, a toast to the bride and groom, ‘Cheers!’. Next we encounter the problem. You are handed a piece of wedding cake, dutifully take a bite, revisit your bubbly and out comes the old “bitter beer face”! Suddenly you don’t like sparkling wine.

It is time to put these experiences behind you and jump back in the pool. The world has too many lovely sparkling wines for you to enjoy. Many of them are easy on your wallet, as well as on you the next day. Spanish Cava for example can be very soft and easy to drink. Cava has a very distinct slightly earthy nose. In Italy they have Prosecco which is both the name of the wine and the grape. Prosseco was built for us here in the desert. Wickedly refreshing, it’s lightly fruity with styles ranging from off dry to dry. In the “New World” wine regions you find Champagne inspired bubbles. In South Africa, Australia and the U.S.A. sparkling wines tend to be based on the traditional Champagne grapes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. These wines come in a range of styles from sweet to bone dry and show more fruit characters than their French counterpart. So what are you waiting for, get on the Bubble! Cheers!


Mears is the Director of Operations at Sportman’s Fine Wine & Spirits, with multiple Valley Locations (www. sportsmans4wine.com). If you have questions or comments, please write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Scottsdale - For many, when the evening comes to an end, the energy is still flowing and the idea of calling it quits is hardly appealing. Breathe easy, as there’s finally a cure for those wishing to keep the vibe alive or simply relax and unwind. Afterlife proudly fulfills this need, as a safe, fun option to ending the night safely. You’ll find this unique and inviting location in the heart and soul of Old Town Scottsdale (previously occupied by e4 nightclub). Easily within walking distance, Afterlife provides different unique settings in the perfect location for thrillseeking bar patrons and partiers once the end of the night arrives Most importantly, Afterlife provides the perfect end to a night on the town, allowing plenty of time to regroup and unwind for a safe ride home and a new day ahead. .Just a few of Afterlife’s exclusive features, completely unique to Scottsdale nightspots all-together, include:

Read more: When the Night Ends the Fun Begins