Top 5 Things to Do This Weekend

Though the big news in sports this week was the end of the NFL lockout, there's another football event making headlines in Phoenix this weekend: The AZ Rattlers' playoff opener against Spokane, which could seal the deal for the arena ball team.

If you're not cheering the snakes on from your stadium seat or donning aviator goggles and roleplaying at Con-Fabulation's steampunk-themed murder mystery dinner, here are some other ways to get your game on this weekend:   

Critical Mass @ Steele Indian School Park
While most local cyclists hang up their helmets for the summer season, Phoenix's Critical Mass bike ride keeps plowing on. The organizers of this monthly after-dark ride don't discriminate, either: Everyone is welcome, whether you're sporting a beat-up hot pink Huffy circa 1985, a vintage Schwinn, or a limited edition Paul Frank "Skurvy" cruiser that'll make everyone jealous. 

 

This pretty Kitty's popping up at Bloom Gallery.

​Tempe Art a Gogh-Gogh! @ The Sail Inn
If you thought the store bought ice cream cake and handful of close friends you had at your last birthday bash made for a pretty sweet night, just wait until you get a load of the designers, performers and musicians that plan to cheer Matt "Supa" Vaiza of Clan/Destine into another year at 7 p.m. this Friday night. Outside, look for an all-ages art show with Angela Schmidt, Matt Crux, and the Rack and Stack & Crew tagging dope urban paintings to the sick beats of such DJs as Sexualmente and DJ Rufie. In the bar, local hip-hop legends Foundation Beats and The S.H.i.T will take the stage, along with fire dancers and the sexy sirens of Ava's Opal Collective. Tickets are $8. 

Hello Kitty Art Showcase @ Bloom Gallery Boutique
Sanrio's cool cat has a pretty big cult following, and not all of her fans are prepubescent. There are Hello Kitty boxers, Hello Kitty booze, and even the infamous Hello Kitty, er,  "massager." In celebration of the Japanese cartoon superstar, downtown's Bloom Gallery Boutique is hosting a free show at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, featuring local artists' take on Hello Kitty. Designs include a Wu-Tang Kitty hairpiece by Missconstrued, Hello Kitty inspired pin-up photos and, rumor has it, even a leather Kitty bracelet by El Vaquiero Muerto. Free admission.

Sub:Confusion @ Studio 4D
On most weekends, there's not much to do when it's past last call except take a cab home and plow your face into a pillow. But night owls can get their groove on this Saturday night -- well, technically Sunday morning -- when the doors open at 1 a.m. for Sub:Con's afterhours bash. Work up a hearty appetite dancing to the booming bass beats of mixmasters The Ariel, Deepfreq, Issa Emadi and Pablo Gomez, and stay until after dawn, when you'll be just in time to beat the morning breakfast rush. Get in for $5 if you show up early, or pay $10 after 2 a.m. Group discount available if you can round up five of your peeps to party. 

Nancy Miller

Scorpius Dance Theatre does a balancing act with "Verging" at the Arizona's Got Dance! Showcase.

​Arizona's Got Dance! Showcase @ Tempe Center for the Arts
It seems everyone's jumping on the "National Fill-in-the-blank Day" bandwagon these days, whether the result is National Multiple Personality Day (March 5), World UFO Day (July 2) or National Chicken Wing Day (this Friday). Last year, So You Think You Can Dance judge and producer Nigel Lythgoe christened July 30 National Dance Day, and this year, Arizona's getting involved. Following a weekend of dance workshops celebrating the "holiday," local troupes including Dulce, EPIK, Scorpius, and Desert Dance Theatre will shake a leg on Sunday at a dance showcase from 5-7 p.m. that will prove So You Think You Can Dance Season 7 winner and Arizona native Lauren Froderman isn't the only Phoenician who can move. Tickets are $10-15.