Moms About Town – SMB Guide to Family Friendly Events for Nov 2017

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SMB Family Friendly Events

November is upon us and the weather should be cooling down this month. There’s lots of fun to be had for families about town, so grab a scarf, a hot cup of coffee and get out there! Be sure to share what you’re up to on our SMB Community Facebook pages to meet and mingle with other families in Scottsdale.  

See’s Candies Opening – Nov.1 – Dec. 31. Can we just talk about this for a second? What better way to kick off the month of November than with a box of chocolates? See’s Candies opens their seasonal pop-up shop at Kierland Commons, located in the Center Plaza, just east of Shake Shack.  

Arizona Fall League – See website for game schedule. Catch a game with some MLB’s top prospects this fall at the Arizona Fall League (AFL). Given the top prospects that play here, every game in the AFL is like a future All-Star Game. The league plays Monday through Saturday at five Maricopa County Spring Training Stadiums from early October until mid-November with games at 12:35 p.m. and 6:35 p.m. Gates open one hour prior to the start of each game. 

Dia de Los Muertos – Nov. 2 – 5, 9am-9pm. Community, theatre and art come together as downtown Scottsdale celebrates Dia de Los Muertos, an ancient aztec ritual that both remembers the dead and mocks death itself. Discover the extraordinary rituals and observances that take place during this celebration of life while enjoing traditional food, family activities, vibrant music, dance, elaborate altar displays, sculpted art and an interactive community altar. There will be a Noche de Ofrendas (Evening of Offerings) Nov. 2 from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. and art exhibitions daily from Nov. 2-5.  

Touch-A-Truck – Saturday, Nov 4th, 9am-1pm, Aviano Community Park (3975 E Lockwood Dr, Phx, AZ 85050). Hosted by the Junior League of Phoenix (JLP), Touch-A-Truck is a family-friendly event that offers children a hands-on opportunity to explore a variety of machinery and to meet the people who build, protect and serve the Valley communities. Vehicles on display routinely include construction trucks, emergency responders, tractor trailers, utility trucks and a helicopter. The event also features a DJ, local mascots, interactive educational games, bounce houses, slides, a rock wall, face painters, balloon artists and food trucks. *”horn-free hour” from 9:00am-10:00am for children with special needs and sensitive ears. For tickets & more info, visit JLP website

Fashion Week 4 Kids – Saturday, Nov 4th, 10am, Desert Ridge District Stage. Fashion Week 4 Kids (FW4K), a one-of-a-kind event designed to provide kids a fashion week of their own is coming to Desert Ridge Marketplace! The annual celebration boasting a week-long schedule of fashionable events including playful family activities, entertainment and promotions, culminates with a full day of children’s Fashion Shows and activities in The District. Visit fw4kids.com for the full schedule of events. 

Bubble Mania – Saturday, Nov 4th, 3pm-6pm. Bubble Mania at OdySea is a one-of-a-kind, multi-layered, highly interactive family event based around a bubble theme. Millions of bubbles fill the air while guests enjoy live bubble entertainment and a variety of hands-on stations where they can learn about the science of bubbles, create a take-home project and more. $3 per person, tickets available on-site at Butterfly Wonderland & OdySea Aquarium ticket windows or online

National Doughnut Day – November 5 is one of two National Doughnut Days observed by doughnut lovers across the nation. A holiday so nice we have celebrate it twice. The first Friday in June is the other day doughnuts steal the bakery case spotlight!  

National Nachos Day – November 6th. Nacho bar, anyone? Dinner planned. You’re welcome.  

Old Town Farmers Market – Recurring Saturdays until June, 8am-1pm. This lively market features local growers and specialty food producers. Find a wide variety of organic and pesticide free produce. Enjoy a plethora of seasonal specialties such as cider and apples, flowers, free-range beef, free-range eggs and local cheeses. You can also choose from the selection of freshly baked artisan breads, Amish friendship breads, jams, picadillies, and tamales. Stop by for these and more of the great local foods you’ll find at the Old Town Farmer’s Market! Look for the market in the parking structure located on Brown Ave between 1st and 2nd streets (right across from The Mission Restaurant). For more information about the Scottsdale’s Old Town Farmers Market (and other markets around the Valley) visit the Arizona Farmers Market website

SMB Park Hop Play Date – Nov. 8th, 9:30am – 12pm. The weather is beautiful! Join us outside for another Scottsdale Park Hop play date. This month we are meeting at Horizon Park on 100th street. The parking lot can be a little confusing, don’t park in the lot by all of the softball fields, if you go to the other side of the recreation building, there is another parking lot closer to the playground. Lots of sand, slides and swings! We hope you can join us! 

Mom’s Night Out with SMB – Wednesday, Nov. 8th, 6pm-9pm. We are so excited to partner with Board & Brush Scottsdale in November to bring you a fun night of creating and mingling. Every attendee will make one of their wooden signs to take home and their will be food and drinks, of course! Tickets on sale now! Visit the post on SMB website for more details and to purchase tickets. 

Veteran’s Day – November 11th. Honor our Veterans ceremony at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, which begins in the afternoon after a performance by the 108the Army Band and will feature live performances and speakers.   

World Kindness Day – On November 13 as part of World Kindness Day, we are encouraged to spread kindness like an infectious cold at preschool. We want to share it more than usual because studies show when others observe kindness in action they are more likely to carry out an act of kindness, too. Start a chain reaction of love with random acts of kindness.  

Symphony of Light – Runs nightly Nov. 15 – Jan. 14. experience Arizona’s largest family friendly holiday drive-thru light show; fully synchronized to your favorite holiday music. Enjoy the 1-mile long attraction featuring millions of holiday lights. Attraction cost is only $29.50 per car with a percent of proceeds benefiting Phoenix Childrens Hospital. The fun doesn’t end after the 1-mile experience, get out of the car and stroll around to see the only 30-foot holiday light sphere tree and the Holiday Boulevard; a park, play and eat area with an interactive walking for families & Friends. Bounce houses, food trucks, selfie stations and other holiday memory making experiences. For more details, visit the Illumination AZ website

Lights of the World – Runs Nov. 16 – Jan. 2. The largest lights and lantern festival in North America brightens the downtown Phoenix skies this holiday season. Lights of the World is a unique international lantern arts festival that combines the age-old Chinese tradition of lantern festivals with modern cutting-edge technology and lights. The Lights of the World lantern displays extend from 18 to 60 feet, showcasing features of different cultures and civilizations around the globe. With 11 overarching exhibits and 75 stunning displays, Lights of the World promises an unforgettable exploration of global cultures and cuisine. Lights of the World also possesses a litany of other entertainment features, including over 30 Carnival rides and games, a daily performance showcasing acrobatics, 3D light experience and more. For more info, including pricing and tickets, visit website

National Take a Hike Day – National Take a Hike Day is observed annually on November 17.  With over 60,000 miles of trails in the National Trail System across the 50 states, there is no lack of opportunity to take a hike. We are particularly lucky to live in an area where the only problem we have is trying to decide which trail to hit.  

Thanksgiving Day – Nov. 23rd. May you enjoy the day with family & friends as you gather together in gratitude to share blessings and bounty with one another.  

Black Friday – Nov. 24th. The Biggest Shopping Day of the Year. Dedicated and thrifty shoppers line up outside the stores to be the first to grab that special deal or this season’s popular and hard to find gift. Are you a Black Friday Shopper? Share with us your BF scores by tagging @scottsdalemoms on Instagram.  

Small Business Saturday – Nov. 24th. The day encourages people to shop at small businesses on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The single day has grown into a powerful movement, and more people are taking part than ever before. Readers, please share with us your favorite small businesses in the comments below. SMB LOVES supporting local businesses!  

The Santa Social – Nov. 25th, 11am – 8pm, at the Scottsdale Quarter.. 6th Annual holiday kick-off event, The Santa Social, co-sponsored by Whole Foods! We’ll be in The Quad starting at 11am with the arrival of Santa himself. All happenings and activities are free to attend. See Scottsdale Quarter website for schedule of events and more details. 

Dinosaurs in the Desert – Phoenix Zoo, ongoing through April 2018. As you embark on this self-guided expedition into the land of the lost, the zoo hopes the dinosaurs will awaken your curiosity to the limitless beauty of nature that surrounds us all. The gorgeous colors and patterns of animals native to Arizona served as inspiration for the design of some of the creatures in this breathtaking exhibit. This will be an unforgettable self-guided expedition back in time you won’t want to miss. There is a separate admission for both members and non-members of the zoo. Tickets for Dinosaurs in the Desert can be purchased online or at the admission booth. Specially priced season tickets for DITD are available for Zoo members. Visit Phoenix Zoo website for more details.