Sedona International Film Festival brings Tinseltown to the red rocks By Octavio Serrano Ed Asner, Richard Dreyfuss, Mackenzie Phillips, Blythe Danner and Deepak Chopra are among the stars slated to help the Sedona International Film Festival celebrate its 25th anniversary. From February 23 to March 3, the nine-day festival will host more than 160 movies this year. “Our goal is to expose audiences to films ...

More than 20,000 are expected to attend the parade Del Sol parade Horse-drawn carriages, wagons and stagecoaches. Bands playing lively tunes. Local celebrities, horse riders, dancers and more. These are just a few of the many wonderful sights and sounds that will be part of the 66th Annual Scottsdale Parada del Sol Parade on Saturday, February 9. The theme for this year’s parade is “Arizona Heroes.” When th ...

A Day at the Races  Arizona’s biggest Kentucky Derby Party offers live action and betting at Turf Paradise. By Julia De Simone Whether you’re wearing a one-of-a-kind hat, sipping away at mint juleps, or just taking in the scenery, Arizona’s biggest Kentucky Derby party is where the action is on Cinco de Mayo. The Stella Artois Derby DayClub at Turf Paradise is the only local event offering live action and b ...

Enchanted Island  Charming amusement park delights young and old. By Julie Carlson One of the Valley’s simple pleasures, Enchanted Island is a charming amusement park. Nestled in the heart of Phoenix’s picturesque Encanto Park, listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the Top 12 Best City Parks in America, Enchanted Island is designed for children ages 2 through 10 and their families. An oasis in the city, Encha ...

Cavalia Odysseo  Join horse and man for a dream-like journey. By Laura Stoddard Photos courtesy of Cavalia Odysseo Normand Latourelle’s mother used to call him and fellow Canadian entertainers “happiness merchants.” The group pooled its collective knowledge, skills, and creative visions together about 30 years ago to create Cirque du Soleil. Latourelle is the founder and creative genius behind Cavalia Inc., ...

Place Your Bets The biggest Kentucky Derby Party in Arizona offers live action and betting at Turf Paradise. By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski   When Jason Rose kicked off the Stella Artois Derby Dayclub event at Turf Paradise last year, it sold out in eight days. As a result, more than double the Derby fans can enjoy the May 6 party, which includes a tent close to the Turf Paradise races, a VIP area, and ...

OdySea Aquarium The largest aquarium in the Southwest offers a rare peek at ocean life. By Julie Carlson   After a much anticipated wait, OdySea Aquarium is now open. Holding more than two million gallons of water and fascinating marine life from around the globe, this two-story facility offers visitors an intimate and rare peek inside our planet’s oceans. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian ...

Water Works Bartlett Lake Marina offers boating fun close to home. By Michelle Talsma Everson Located less than 50 miles from downtown Phoenix and 17 miles northeast of Carefree, Bartlett Lake offers a boating surface area of 2,815 acres—more than Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake combined, according to the staff at Bartlett Lake Marina. The popular marina is home to the only boat club in the Southwest and sever ...

Funny Man Rick Bronson is redefining stand-up at Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy at High Street. By Sondra Barr For Canadian funny man Rick Bronson, owner of Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, keeping audiences entertained is the name of the game. His live-entertainment venue in the charming High Street shopping center in Phoenix recently celebrated its year anniversary and by all accounts the laughter keeps fl ...

M.D. Thalmann weighs in on the dog versus cat debate.  As you can tell from this month’s cover, we here at North Valley Magazine are all about our furry little companions, though as usual, the dogs get all the glory and felines get shafted yet again even though us cat owners aren’t the ones picking up poo in a nanometer-thick bag. (Although when I owned a dog, I used a shovel.) I must admit, I was a staunch ...

Stylish Staycations As the season heats up, summer rates at Valley resorts take an affordable dive. Experience the best in luxurious, world-class accommodations at one or more of these amazing resort properties at a fraction of their in-season rates. What are you waiting for? Pack your overnight bag for a lavish weekend of relaxation, fine dining, plush accommodations, and much more. By Paige Bailey   ...

Metal Worker  With a metal inert-gas tool in hand, writer Anissa Stringer tries her hand at welding. By Anissa Stringer   For this issue of North Valley Magazine, I tried something very different— took a welding class! Since I had zero experience as a welder, I had no expectations for the class other than the vague notion that I’d be wielding fire in an astronaut suit. The reality was a little differen ...