Spending an afternoon getting lost in the magical world of a Hollywood movie is the perfect way to escape from life’s annoying responsibilities, and if you visit Scottsdale during the week of November 2 through November 11th, you can escape for as many days as you please! The Scottsdale Film Festival, established in 2001, comes to our glorious city every year around this time and seems to get bigger and better each year! Celebrating films from all over the world and offering the opportunity to meet some of the most innovative directors and talented actors, this film festival, which is a relative newcomer, is giving Cannes and Sundance some competition!
All Scottsdale Film Festival Movies to Be Screened at the Harkins Shea 14 Theater
The Scottsdale film festival started humbly; only 11 films were previewed at that first event in 2001, but even then it was obvious the festival was going to be a huge success. With 9 of the 11 screenings selling out immediately, the promoters began to be excited about expanding. This year, 46 different movies portraying 9 themes, some of which include documentaries, LGBTQ spotlights, and ones directed by females, are expected to be an explosive force in the film world.
This year the focus will be on women directors in film, and two panel discussions will be offered—one featuring women directors and another featuring independent women directors—both of which will only cost $5 to become a member of the panel audience.
Ticket prices vary, with the granddaddy of tickets costing $250 per person (purchase online until November 1st) which provides tickets for 21 movies; single tickets cost $14 and are only available at the Shea Box Office during the festival, while Opening Night tickets for the reception and film cost $25 when purchased online. We’ve only discussed the low and high end ticket costs, but there are all manners of packets available.
For those who find these film festivals a worthy cause, you can become a member and receive VIP Passes in addition to being able to deduct the cost of membership from your taxes; the Scottsdale Film Festival can continue to grow and expand with your help!
Choose Parsons Villas
When the final curtain closes, it will be nice to know that you don’t have far to go to get to your Scottsdale Parsons Villas luxury escape. Offering high end features and a contemporary style that never fails to please, our homes add a luster to your Scottsdale vacation that you won’t get anywhere else in town. Reserve yours today!
When you think of Arizona, you may think of mountains, desert, cowboys and horses, and the ever-present sun shining cheerfully down from the sky. But do you ever think of shopping expeditions? Of spending your days sifting through treasures of silver, cartloads of classy clothing, or being awed by antiques and artwork? If not, we urge you to think again and start planning your shopping extravaganza in the great city of Scottsdale. Our Scottsdale Shopping guide has list of the best shopping spots in town, check them out!
Kactus Jock, 7229 East Main Street
No vacation would be complete without a stop for souvenirs, and while you can always find a good selection of such at the airport gift shops, a stop in Kactus Jock’s will show you what you have been missing! Offering everything from metal sculptures to Arizona-themed Christmas ornaments to extra spicy hot sauce, this shop is the only stop you will need to make when purchasing souvenirs for your family back home.
Antique Trove, 2020 North Scottsdale Road
Spending a few quiet hours exploring treasures from the past is one of our favorite treats, and Antique Trove is one of our favorite spots in which to do so. Offering a sophisticated mix of southwestern antiques, eastern surprises, and the occasional Mantique booth (antiques geared to the men in your life), you’ll be surprised at how quickly time passes as you load up your arms with trinkets, treasures, and treats that will serve as mementoes of the good times you had in Scottsdale!
Gilbert Ortega Native American Galleries, 7155 East 5th Avenue
Old town Scottsdale offers a large selection of shops and boutiques guaranteed to keep your credit cards hot, and Gilbert Ortega’s Native American Galleries has been a local tradition for decades. Featuring the finest of Native American Art, paintings, pottery, jewelry, and clothing, this is the place to visit when you want a true example of the best of Scottsdale’s shopping.
The Poisoned Pen, 4014 North Goldwater Boulevard
While no one appreciates the internet more than a vacation property rental company, there are times when we miss the old days, especially when it comes to reading. The Poisoned Pen, however, allows us to step back in time and relive the glory days of the book; this independent bookseller is homes to shelves filled with books old and new. Offering book signings and book clubs, it’s step into the new millennium keeps it fresh with podcasts and a web store for when you return home to your life of eBooks and internet.
After Your Scottsdale Shopping Day Imagine This…
Returning home to the cool air-conditioned comfort of your Parsons Villas vacation escape with your bags of treasures, you slip into your most comfy jammies, pour yourself a glass of wine, and sink onto the colorful and plush sofa with a REAL book by your favorite author. The hours fly by as you escape into the fiction that excites you and the comfort of our charming condo. You can read all night if you wish; there’s no alarm clock to tell you to get out of bed and get to work. Our homes are designed to make you wish you could stay forever. Choose Parsons Villas and discover the wonders of a Scottsdale vacation!
October in Scottsdale is about as perfect as a month can get. After the long and scorching heat of summer, the first taste of autumn coolness almost makes us giddy with joy! This is why we start planning our costumes the second fall clothing starts appearing in stores; knowing there is still a couple of months or more until the big event, we like to trick our minds into thinking the heat is ending soon! For those of you planning a vacation over Halloween, we’ve prepared this list of things to do in Scottsdale this time of the year so you can be prepared, too!
Halloween Balloon Spooktacular, Talking Stick Fields and Other Things to Do in Scottsdale
Held on October 27th and 28th in 2017 and costing $15 dollars for adults, $10 for children 3-12, and free for children 2 and under, this breathtaking Halloween event promises to be the highlight of your entire year! This year’s dates haven’t been released yet, so stay tuned. In any case, 4000 pounds of candy, tethered balloon rides, food, music, and the overall sensation of a really good time combine to create THE event of the year!
Halloween Day Crawl, Old Town’s Favorite Bars
For those who enjoy a little liquor with their candy —or a lot—the Halloween Day Crawl has been Scottsdale’s favorite pre-Halloween event for years! Tickets cost $20 per person and include lots of extras to ensure your day drinking experience is a good one! Penny drink vouchers, free entry to the bars participating in the crawl (These will be announced later, so keep checking back!), and the chance to win the honor of being chosen for the best costume are just some of the fun you can expect when you participate in this event among other things to do in Scottsdale!
Puddle of Mudd Halloween Costume Party, BLK Live
Scottsdale’s chicest entertainment venue has a spooky night of fun and frolicking in store for our Parsons Villas guests on Halloween night. Feature one of our favorite rock bands, Puddle of Mudd, this night of music, entertainment, and a rocking costume party costs only $10 when you purchase tickets in advance for this event!
Enjoy a Night of Sweets in Your Master Suite
Clean the make-up off your face and slip into your comfiest pajamas; a night of spooky thrills is fun and awesome, but nothing compares to the joys of relaxing in comfort and style in your Parsons Villas luxurious vacation escape! Pick your favorite chocolate and the wine that goes best with it and sit out on the patio enjoying this cool October night. Be sure to also check our testimonials so you can rest assured we offer you the best. Reserve your stay today!
Arizona is known for its heat. From spicy food to beautiful sun-soaked days, you can count on working up a sweat while you work on your summer tan here. Fortunately, there are a bevy of fun, family-friendly, and “cool” activities to beat the heat (hey, it’s a “dry” heat, after all). From wilderness white-water adventures to undersea playgrounds to a day spent on the ice, there is something for everyone looking to escape the heat in Scottsdale.
Arizona Rafting
Did you know there is world-class whitewater rafting in the middle of the desert? The Upper Salt River Canyon and the Salt River Wilderness area feature challenging rapids, beautiful beaches, and scenic, shady canyons perfect for short hikes. Numerous local companies will shuttle you into this pristine wilderness and teach you the ropes while you shoot down slot canyons and over Level III and IV rapids, with no prior experience required! Some tours even include scenic off-road explorations on your way to the launch site, and overnight trips are available during the dry season.
This Ocean is no Mirage
Scottsdale may be in the middle of the desert, but it boasts no less than 3 incredible aquariums (each with heaven-sent air-conditioning). Hop aboard the Living Sea Carousel at the OdySea Aquarium and ride through an underwater wonderland where you will meet sea turtles, sea lions, sharks, and more. Or, check out the undersea tunnel and 161,000-gallon ocean tank at Sea Life Arizona Aquarium, home to scores of tropical fish, turtles, rays, sharks, jellyfish, and more. Perfect for kids 12 and under. For a bit more adventure, head to the Wildlife World Zoo Aquarium with its more than 80 exhibits including a touch tank, penguins, and a restaurant with windows into a massive ocean tank full of sharks.
Indoor Adventures
If the heat hits triple-digits, why not chill out and with cool indoor-activities like laser tag, skateboarding, and bowling? Grab your friends and family, team up, and strap into state-of-the-art laser-tag gear for an epic battle in an arena featuring blacklight, smoke, and high-tech sound systems. Play hide-and-seek, capture the flag, and more while keeping your wits sharp and your aim razor-focused (Laser Quest Phoenix, Stratum Laser Tag). Want to let loose on your skateboard or get a lesson in how to grind? Check out the indoor parks across the Phoenix-metro area for an afternoon of fun in the cool air-conditioning. Or, trade your wheels for blades and head to the indoor ice rinks at AZ Ice or Ice Den. Each boasts lessons, hockey games, arcades, picnic areas, and equipment rentals for all ages and abilities.
While you can always relax in your stylish (and air-conditioned) luxury home rental from Parsons Villas, there are so many fun indoor and outdoor activities in Scottsdale we know you’ll have no trouble keeping cool this summer. From dips in your private pool to LED-lit Rock n’ Bowl to 3-D Arcades, there is no shortage of fun to be had. Fortunately, your next Arizona vacation rental is in the heart of it all. Browse our full catalog to find your own “cool zone,” and reserve online today!
We’ve taken a poll here in the offices of Parsons Villas, trying to figure out which of the summer holidays are our favorite, and although there is something to be said about any holiday that gives you the opportunity to enjoy a summer day, our nation’s birthday is the hands down winner! How can you not love a holiday dedicated to everything American? From hot dog eating contests to live entertainment to the grandest finale show, the fireworks extravaganza, 4th of July in Scottsdale is the perfect celebration of our country’s uniqueness. If you’re planning on spending your Independence Day with us, here are some fun ways to celebrate the 4th in Scottsdale!
Most Celebrations Begin in the Evening
But that doesn’t mean you have to sit around waiting for the gates to open. Start your day off right with a patriotic pancake breakfast at Butter’s Pancakes & Café, located at 14795 Northsight Boulevard or 8390 East Via de Ventura! Their Wild Berry Bliss pancakes are a colorful blend of blueberries, vanilla cream, and fresh wild berries; you can’t get more American than red, white, and blue!
Do What We Americans Do Best: Go Shopping!
Let’s face it, 4th of July in Scottsdale is scorching hot, so you’re going to want to do something inside, like shopping in the air-conditioned coolness of Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall! And because our guests are not ordinary travelers, you can rest assured that SFSM is not your every day mall; featuring high end stores from Armani to Yves St. Laurent, you’re sure to find a little something red, white, and blue if you’re willing to spend a little extra green!
Go West
The 4th of July Celebration at Westworld celebrates America with a Wild West twist. Starting at 4 PM and costing $12 for children, $15 for adults, your day is about to get wild! Offering a stunt dog show in addition to the standard rodeo fun, Westworld is all about the children this 4th of July in Scottsdale. Featuring a fun kids’ zone, pony rides, and a petting zoo, followed by a fireworks show that will have you and your family oohing and ahhing the night away, your Wild West 4th of July Celebration will be the highlight of your Scottsdale vacation.
With a 4th of July in Scottsdale, The Fun Doesn’t End with the Last Firecracker
The show ends around 9:30 and the evening is still young; why not take this party back to your Parsons Villas luxury vacation home for a little nighttime swimming? The pool is coolest at night in July, so pour yourself a cocktail you created in our fully equipped kitchen, slip into your bathing suit, and let the crystal-clear waters of the pool in the backyard of your vacation paradise lull you into a peaceful state. Reserve yours today!
As temperatures cool across the Valley, it’s time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors! There’s no better way to experience all Scottsdale has to offer than by exploring the area’s many fall festivals. Whether you’re a foodie, an art (and crafts) enthusiast, love listening to live music or all of the above, you’ll find an autumn event that appeals in and around Scottsdale this fall.
Scottsdale International Film Festival
Take in more than 50 films from around the world at the annual Scottsdale International Film Festival. With four days of screenings, you can pick and choose from animated shorts, documentaries and full-length features. The festival runs for four days, from November 5 to 9.
Fountain Festival of Fine Arts and Crafts
Just up the road in Fountain Hills, the annual Fountain Festival of Fine Arts and Craft offers something for everyone. More than 500 artists from around the world converge around the downtown fountain to display their handiwork, from painting to sculpture, jewelry to clothing. In the backdrop, one of the world’s tallest freshwater fountains will keep you company as you browse the festival’s many offerings. The festival is free and runs from November 10 to 12.
ArtFest of Scottsdale
With works from more than 150 local and national’s artists, ArtFest of Scottsdale is a true don’t-miss. Explore the displays in Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza, where you’ll find authors, musicians, food, activities for kids and (of course) artists and artisans of all stripes. This two-day festival is the perfect place to get a jump on your holiday shopping, too! ArtFest runs November 18 and 19 and offers free admission and parking.
Las Noches de las Luminarias
Spend a magical evening in the garden wandering along winding pathways lit by the glow of delicate lanterns at Las Noches de las Luminarias. Each fall, this event at the Desert Botanical Garden transforms the already beautiful Sonoran Desert landscape into an otherworldly experience. Enjoy local musicians and sip on a mug of hot cider as you stroll through the cacti. The festival runs from November 17 to December 31; parking is free and Desert Botanical Garden members receive a discount on admission tickets.
There’s so much to do and see in the Scottsdale area this fall. Take advantage of the perfect weather to get out there and enjoy all the Valley has to offer!