young at heart Daddy and Daughter Sweetheart Dances: Pops and their little princesses trip the light fantastic from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Kiwanis Park Recreation Center, 6111 South All-America Way in Tempe. Friday’s ball is for girls ages 4 to 7, Saturday’s…

the ice is right Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Walt Disney’s World on Ice presents this special-effects-laden rendition of the Grimm fairy tale. Two-time Canadian figure-skating champ Karen Preston plays Snow White, and Russian blader Serguei Tartykov portrays the handsome prince. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and…

thursday february 1 Parada del Sol Rodeo: Scottsdale’s annual Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association-sanctioned roundup is one of the world’s best, attracting many of the top ropers and riders in the field. Performances are at 1 p.m. Thursday, 1 and 7 p.m. Friday, 1 and 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m…

the ice is right Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Walt Disney’s World on Ice presents this special-effects-laden rendition of the Grimm fairy tale. Two-time Canadian figure-skating champ Karen Preston plays Snow White, and Russian blader Serguei Tartykov portrays the handsome prince. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and…

thursday january 25 The NFL Experience: The 20-acre interactive theme park features more than 60 exhibits and attractions, including “QB1,” “Sudden Death” and “Halfback Option,” as well as scheduled appearances byabout 50NFL stars. The “Super Bowl Card Show” features approximately 75,000 square feet of collectibles, and the NFL Team Shop…

good sports Pat Murphy’s “Spring Training” Baseball Camp: The head coach of the Arizona State University baseball squad hosts this multiweek clinic for kids ages 7 to 12. It continues Saturday. Call 965-6085. NFL Youth Clinic: Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Nat Moore created this motivational event. More than 60…

thursday january 18 Das Rheingold: The first act in Wagner’s tetralogy, Der Ring des Nibelungen, isn’t over ’til the vicious dwarf sings. Arizona Opera continues its season with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Symphony Hall, 225 East Adams. All shows are sung in…

thursday january 11 “Fred Harvey’s Southwest”: Heard Museum Guild’s annual lecture series continues through February 8. The facility’s director, Martin Sullivan, lectures on “The Harvey Era: Trains, Tourists and Transformations in American Life” at 9:30 a.m. Thursday. Rayna Green, director of the American Indian program at the National Museum of…

good sports Martin Bayless Football Clinic: Kansas City Chiefs safety Bayless is the namesake of the clinic, which teaches kids the basics. Free sessions are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the Arizona State University practice fields in Tempe. Saturday’s session is for children in…

thursday january 4 Little Shop of Horrors: Arizona Theatre Company continues its season with the dark and delicious musical about lovelorn Seymour Krelbourne and the voracious plant named Audrey II. Based on Roger Corman’s 1960 film, the play was penned by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. This week’s performances are…

arts and minds “Celebrating 40 Years: Many Faces, One World”: The exhibit features works by kids from Scottsdale and its sister cities: Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Cairns, Queensland, Australia; and Alamos, Sonora, Mexico. It continues through February 25 in Young at Art Gallery at Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 7380 East…

thursday december 28 Circus Flora: Led by Daniel Balding, formerly of France’s Cirque Medrano and Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival, this low-tech, high-reward family circus was named after, and built around, an orphaned African elephant (who was herself named after a character in Jean deBrunhoff’s Babar books). This year’s…

’tis the season “First Night”: The free, family-style New Year’s Eve celebration is scheduled from noon Sunday to midnight at Arizona Center, 455 North Third Street. Phoenix’s “First Night” fest features performances by 80 music and arts groups, including Phoenix Bach Choir, Great Arizona Puppet Theater, Movement Source Dance Company,…

’tis the season “Holiday Happenings Around the World”: Phoenix Zoo, 455 North Galvin Parkway, in Papago Park, hosts the latest installment in its yearlong festival “The Celebration of the Natural World,” which continues through September. Kids learn about the seasonal celebrations of other cultures via events like the “Ho!Ho! Holiday…

thursday december 21 The Phantom of the Opera: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, based on the novel by Gaston LeRoux, stars Rick Hilsabeck as the title spook, aspiteful composer who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House and loves young soprano Christine (Sarah Pfisterer). Broadway vet Harold Prince directed the…

thursday december 14 A Christmas Carol: Actors Theatre of Phoenix’s traditional production ofCharles Dickens’ ghost story, adapted by Richard Hellesen and featuring music by David de Barry, continues with performances at 8p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday and 8p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday in Center Stage at Herberger Theater Center,…

’tis the season Breakfast With Santa: Kids dine with the jolly old elf at sittings scheduled for 8:30 and 11a.m. Saturday at Beside the Pointe restaurant atPointe Hilton at Squaw Peak, 7677 North 16th Street. Also on the agenda: cookie decorating and a performance by a children’s choir. The cost…

thursday december 7 ZooLights: Phoenix Zoo, 455 North Galvin Parkway, in Papago Park, is garbed in its usual Technicolor dreamcoat of lights–600,000 strong–during this glorious annual event. The after-hours fun continues from 6 to 9 nightly (except Christmas Eve), through January 27. New this year: “The Enchanted Forest,” including the…

’tis the season Arizona Snow Day: In conjunction with Tempe’s Fantasy of Lights (see Events listing), the city hosts this free event from 11a.m. to 5p.m. Saturday at Hayden Square, Fourth Street and Mill. Highlights include a freak fall of 12tons of snow, a visit from Santa, arts and crafts,…

thursday november 30 Capitol Steps: If you consider Newt Gingrich unintentionally hilarious and stuff like the recent shutdown of the government funny as a crutch, this troupe’s for you. The Washington, D.C.-based Steps were born in 1981, when three congressional aides were drafted to provide entertainment for a Senate Foreign…

’tis the season “Cowboy Santa”: Sort of a cross between Tom Mix and Saint Nick, this version of the jolly old elf wears an honest-to-gosh ten-gallon hat instead of that little red number adorned with the cotton ball. He delivers gifts and good cheer via horseback in benefits planned for…

thursday november 23 Turkey Trot 10K: Organizers bill the traditional Thanksgiving Day run as the oldest annual 10K in Arizona. This year’s event also includes a two-mile fun run and a one-mile fitness walk; they both step off at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, with the Trot following at 9. The scene…