This season, stop by Scottsdale to experience its spectrum of arts, museums and entertainment at several western-themed attractions. Plus, visitors will find locally-owned restaurants and galleries and a whole slate of new things to do. Here are 10 ways groups can tour Scottsdale:
1. Visit Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art to see Bruce Munro’s light-based display of compact discs, fishing rods and fiber optics in his series titled, “Desert Radiance.” The exhibit will be available from Oct. 3-Apr. 24.
2. Concert-goers must not miss LiveWire, Scottsdale’s newest live music venue. The 14,000-square-foot building in the entertainment district is equipped with 25-foot HD screens and a LED screen wrapped mezzanine level.
3. Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row is a 1920s-style saloon and gastropub. It’s also a country music performance club with 5,200 sq. ft. of venue space. Owned by the country music star and Grammy nominee, local and national acts regularly come through.
4. Shop ‘til you drop at Biltmore Fashion Park, a hub of small, independent retail stores. There are 13 boutiques and an outdoor patio that hosts live music, chef demonstrations, tastings and a bi-monthly farmers market.
5. Take in the Sonoran Desert from above with Desert Splash Seaplane Adventures. From October to April, aerial tours are offered on board a Cessna Caravan jet-prop amphibious seaplane. See a bird’s eye view of Salt River Canyons, Roosevelt Dam and the Spires rock formations.
6. Local experts from the Ultimate Art & Cultural Tours take visitors on a downtown trolley for a free two-hour tour held on the second Saturday of each month. Along the way, learn about downtown history and visit Old Adobe Mission, the arts district, Scottsdale Civic Center Mall and Hotel Valley Ho.
7. Musical Instrument Museum has one of the largest musical displays, with 15,000 instruments and artifacts in its collection. The museum also holds an outdoor music festival, MIMFest, which returns this November.
8. Bring your sweet tooth on a chocolate tour of Scottsdale, a new walking tour that weaves through four downtown districts and eight shops filled with sugary goodies. Taste brownies, ice cream, Belgium chocolates, cannolis and more.
9. Scottsdale is home to a number of breweries and craft cocktail bars. For locally brewed beer, head to Sip Coffee & Beer House, Goldwater Brewing, Union Barrelhouse, Two Brothers or Bad Water Brewing’s. Try Counter Intuitive, Second Story Liquor Bar, The Hermosa Inn or Cowboy Ciao for some exquisite cocktails.
10. The culinary scene in Scottsdale meets all the criteria to be a foodie city. With a number of farmer’s markets, farm-to-table restaurants and critically-acclaimed chefs, there are more than 600 establishments to choose from. Some favorite options include The Upton, Sumo Maya Mexican Asian Kitchen and Bink’s Scottsdale.
