First Fridays' Shiny New Cousin

If you've been under a rock for a while, Tempe is all excited about their newest giant retail space, and frankly this one has all the rest beat. It's Tempe Marketplace - 1.3 million square feet of pure retail joy, crammed with 120 retailers and more new parking than ASU could dream of.

And this shiny new retail "experience" has spawned its own version of Phoenix's First Fridays - Third Thursdays. How creative.

Tempe Marketplace teams up with 103.9 FM and AT&T to get a national and local band to play every third Thursday of the month. Crowds sit or stand around, and can explore the wonders of Target and Old Navy while being serenaded. Oh, and it's free.

I really didn't want to enjoy Third Thursdays, it felt a little blasphemous, but I couldn't really help it. The thing is free, after all, and the bands weren't half bad. Plus there is a Chipotle within walking distance, which is always a plus. Basically, it beats sitting at home doing homework or paying for a movie. Plus if you end up deciding that you don't like the crowds, you can always bail and it's not like you lost anything. But for the most part, since the shows are 18 and over only, the crowds are fine, mostly college students, I even saw some people I recognized. No high schoolers, no children, and hardly anyone over 25. Add a burrito, and this is definitely something I'll be attending again.

— Megan Hunt

Alice Cooper and Petting Zoos

I like to try new things, even if they haven't been given the best past reviews - you just never know, you might be surprised. For me, that meant finally heading over to the Arizona State Fairgrounds for the State Fair, which has confused me for a while now. I always hear that it's lame and trashy, but then I wonder what would draw the big musical acts to play there. Must be the money.

The State Fair has elements of a small town fair - a cooking contest, a petting zoo, and the usual nauseating carnival rides. At the same time, it does host some big musical events - we found out we were just a day shy of catching Rihanna, and apparently Alice Cooper performs at Halloween. I imagine that it would be odd to hear Alice Cooper playing while you're feeding llamas in the petting zoo.

Most of the attractions require tickets which cost extra, on top of admission, and the free things are probably free for a reason. Still, it seemed like plenty of people were willing to pay for the privilege of paying for rides - the fairgrounds were packed. There were lots of families with little kids, bored looking teenagers, and a surprising amount of couple.

Overall, although I feel bad to say it, it was pretty trashy. It was generally dirty, the rides had a look of disrepair, and it was very, very loud. Crappy carnival music, the smell of frying Oreos, and flashing lights does equal a migraine - not to mention the headache of forking over extra cash for a ride that looks like it can barely handle another go.

— Megan Hunt

Local movie night at the Paper Heart

My friend told me about the local movie night at the Paper Heart arts venue in downtown Phoenix. On one Wednesday of every month, the Paper Heart plays movies from local filmmakers as a way to foster independent films in the valley. It sounded pretty cool, and the Paper Heart is definitely fun, so we headed out last Wednesday to see the short films presentation.

In the audience with us were artsy students, middle-aged couples, and well-dressed business people. It was an odd mix indeed - almost as wide a variety as the films shown, which ranged from a post-apocalyptic scenario to an odd drama about a cheating wife, and even a very poignant story of a high school student who finds out that she is an illegal immigrant.

I am personally a fan of short films, because I don't have the longest attention span, and since of the films are poor quality or just downright bizarre, its nice to know that they're not going to last as long as a full-length feature. Still, it was a great chance to see some interesting people and to see some films that will probably not be shown anywhere else.

The next screening, Wednesday November 14th, sounds even better - a film festival called "Halloween Can't Be Over Yet," featuring creepy short films. I never want Halloween to be over, so I'll definitely be there.

— Megan Hunt

Take a Hike

I haven't been hiking since I was lured into doing it by a tiny badge for a Girl Scout vest, so needless to say I was apprehensive about my second trip to South Mountain Park to try out one of the trails. I had brief visions of myself giving up half-way through and sitting by the side of the trail while toddlers and the elderly passed by me with pitying looks. However, I've been hearing from classmates that it could be a lot of fun, so I decided to give it a shot.

Luckily, South Mountain has its own Web site, offering descriptions of each trail as well as difficulty ratings, so that I could plan accordingly. I talked a friend from one of my classes into coming with me on a Friday morning, coaxed by promises of breakfast after an 8 am hike. We found the description of the Telegraph Pass Trail most alluring, with claimed "easy to moderate difficulty", a 1.5 mile length, and most importantly, "first .5 mile paved." Paved was the key word.

The whole trip was actually surprisingly enjoyable, the trail was better than I expected and the view was nice. Plus it felt good to already be up and exercising by 9am, in a way that was much less painful than going to the gym - not to mention there's no gym fee.

If you want to try something outdoorsy, or if you want to feel less guilty about all the liquid calories you'll consume this weekend, try a hiking trail on South Mountain in the morning and brag about it later.
— Megan Hunt

Smart Art

Feel like getting some culture this week? Even though visiting the Phoenix Art Museum might not make the best crazy night-out story the next day, it is the perfect place to relax and see some cool art. And hey, it won't cost you a penny.

The museum is free from 3 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays, which makes it a lot easier to convince your friends to join you for some research. The museum features large collections of art from many geographical regions and time periods. There really is something for everyone - they even have a special exhibit on graffiti, and one room devoted wholly to fashion design.

When my friends and I showed up at 4 p.m., the museum was pretty empty, save for a few families and some elderly couples. After seeing out some of the exhibits, we wanted to check out the café. Unfortunately, the Art Museum Café closes for lunch at 3pm, but they serve pastries and drinks until 5pm, so we stopped off to grab a bite around then. By the time we wandered back to the exhibits later in the evening, there were more people around, and it was a much younger crowd.

We ended up staying for much longer than we expected - there was so much to look at, and the fact that we kept getting lost didn't help. But later in the evening was definitely more fun, it felt younger and hipper to be there at night, so we were glad we stayed. If you're looking for some free entertainment, you can't get much better than the Phoenix Art Museum - and maybe you won't brag about it to your friends, but you may be able to impress your professors.

— Megan Hunt

Spilling beer on the youngsters at the Marquee

I am ashamed to say that I have lived in Tempe for most of my life, yet until Friday I had never been to the Marquee Theatre. The concert that finally got me to go to the popular music venue in Tempe happened to be the Arctic Monkeys, not because I'm a huge fan but because my friend got tickets.

My friends and I parked at the Towers and walked to the concert to avoid a potentially packed parking situation, and we had some trouble right at the door. My friend had been given a receipt instead of a ticket at the box office, and he was turned away from the concert by an overzealous security guard who was convinced he was giving him attitude. Minus one, my roommate and I went into the venue anyway.

The foyer has the bar, and main room with the stage at the front is circular. The venue seems too small to hold all of the screaming fans, but there is a great view of the stage from any point in the room. This particular concert drew mostly college students who, judging from the amount of lyrics known, were like me and were only familiar with one or two of the Arctic Monkey's most famous songs.

The venue was pretty enjoyable, and was definitely one of the best places I've been to see a concert. The crowd was pretty fun, minus getting my toes stepped on and beer spilled on me, which is to be expected at any concert. Next time there is a band that I'm dying to see, I'll make sure to get tickets well in advance – and who knows, by the time I go again, maybe I'll get to the be the one spilling the beer.

— Megan Hunt

Xtreme Bowling an "xtreme" embarrassment

How "Xtreme" is Xtreme Bowling at the AMF Tempe Village Lanes? So much so that they left out the 'e', apparently. But other than that, if you're looking for something to do on a weekend night, Xtreme bowling is a lot of fun.

My friends and I were looking for something a little more low-key, so we headed to Tempe Village Lanes on Rural and the 60 at 10pm on Friday. If you have never been to any sort of midnight bowling, the alleys usually turn up the music, turn off the lights, and use black lights to give the alley a more festive feel. Despite their best efforts, it's still a bowling alley, and the food is gross. Xtreme bowling is more about having fun than bowling well, and it's a good thing too - it was a lot of fun, even though I am convinced that I am the world's worst bowler.

Getting three gutter balls in a row is somehow less embarrassing with black lights and Britney Spears' Toxic blasting in the background. The night is a great chance to chat with friends while you wait for your turn - or in my case, another chance to embarrass myself. Just be sure you don't invite anyone too serious about bowling - it's hard to concentrate when your giant bowling shoes are glowing.

— Megan Hunt