Courtesy of Artcade Lounge

Invading a downtown Phoenix space in the months ahead.

Local gamers, start digging through couch cushions and hoarding every quarter possible. You're gonna need 'em a couple of months from now when the Artcade Lounge opens its doors in downtown Phoenix

Ariel Bracamonte and Nico Paredes, the pair behind the popular Artcade Show earlier this year (which featured vintage games used as canvases for local artists), announced Wednesday that they've found a location for a similarly themed arcade/nightspot concept. And by happenstance, it's the exact same spot where the Artcade exhibition took place.

See Also:
- The Artcade Show Opens Tonight at Parazol Studios in Downtown Phoenix
- Five of Our Favorite Arcade Games From ZapCon
- Ten Favorite Arcades in Metro Phoenix

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Photo: Dan Dry, https://www.facebook.com/KentuckyDerby

Grab your hats and get thirsty for mint juleps -- it's Kentucky Derby time.

The 139th annual event is home to outlandish outfits, southern cocktails, and more than a few reasons to forego watching the actual horse race, and instead, watch the crowd. Here are a few parties on our Derby list for May 4 ...

See also:
- Five Must-See Arts and Culture Events This Week in Metro Phoenix
- A Really Stupid Hat: Royal Wedding Edition

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twitter.com/MayaClubAz

Maya Day and Nightclub in Scottsdale.

The members of Scottsdale scene better make sure their swimsuits, beach towels, and sunscreen are in order, as a major pool party venue is set to make its debut next week.

Proprietors of Māyā Day and Nightclub, the 27,300-square-foot beach club and entertainment complex situated in the heart of Scottsdale's party-hearty downtown district, have announced that it will open its doors (and pool) to the tanned and toned masses on Wednesday, April 24.

See Also:
- Seven Must-See Metro Phoenix Pool Parties in April
- 10 Favorite Pools in Metro Phoenix
- Five Things You'll Need to Know about Sunscreen to Survive Summer

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David Dimmick

Coolin Out's new store on Roosevelt.

If David Dimmick and Chuck Huus look a little tired lately it's only because they've been busting much ass gearing up for the opening of the Coolin Out Hip Hop Shop in downtown Phoenix. The cozy Roosevelt Row boutique -- which features an emphasis on street art, clothing, and all aspects of hip-hop culture -- will open its doors to the public later tonight.

According the Dimmick (a.k.a. DJ Fact 135) and Huus, who are the duo behind the Coolin Out Lifestyle Brand and clothing line, the shop will help add an extra dose of hip-hop and urban culture to the downtown arts district.

See Also:
- Downtown Phoenix's First Friday: An Illustrated Guide to April 5
- Joseph "Sentrock" Perez and Eighty Grand Clothing to Open a Pop-Up Apparel Shop at The Lab This Weekend
- Coolin' Out Opens Hip-Hop Shop Along Downtown Phoenix's Roosevelt Row Tonight

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Skeeball games inside Gringo Star Street Bar in Tempe

The nightlife scene along Mill Avenue in Tempe isn't really much of a haven for the button-pounding and joystick-loving crowd, as far as gaming action goes, save for those Golden Tee and bar-top touchscreen things found at most watering holes.

That will change in a few weeks when Gringo Star Street Bar debuts at the intersection of Mill and Fifth Street and brings with more than a dozen arcade games, skeeball, and even some old-school home consoles.

See also:
- Downtown Phoenix's ZapCon Expands to Include Retro Gaming Documentaries and a Performance By The Minibosses
- Ten Favorite Arcades in Metro Phoenix

More »

Claire Lawton

It's no secret we're big fans of letterpress, so when Cindy Iverson, local artist and co-founder of Letterpress Central mentioned a Wayzgoose slated for this summer, we took a few notes.

The traditional Wayzgoose began as a celebration hosted by a master printer for his workmen that marked the end of summer and the beginning of working by candlelight. The celebration evolved with the industry and was later known as an annual outing of printers on a newspaper staff. Today, the word's used by a few printing associations as a celebration of letterpress and a great excuse to spend time swapping secrets, learning techniques, and showing off new tricks.

And if that sounds enticing, you better get your calendar out.

See also:
- A Sneak Peek at Letterpress Central: The Paper Studio's New Workshop Space
- Letterpress an Election Day Keepsake at the ASU Book Arts Studio
- Hazel and Violet INK's Vintage Printing and Modern Inspiration

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Rendering of The Newton, courtesy of Venue Projects

Come November, Venue Projects, along with John Douglas Architects, will unveil a 17,227-square-foot mixed-use multi-tenant space in the now-defunct Beef Eaters Restaurant on Third Avenue and Camelback Road.

The Newton, named for Beef Eaters' late founder Jay Newton, will include a Phoenix location of Changing Hands Bookstore, a co-working space called The Lively Hood, and a restaurant concept by Phoenix chef Justin Beckett of Beckett's Table (stay tuned to Chow Bella for more details).

See also:
- Tempe's Changing Hands Bookstore Is One Step Closer to a Second Location in Phoenix
- Disappearing Ink: What Will Happen to All the Books?

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Chet Lawton

Big box retailer Walmart is known for its super-size stores and shelves stocked with super-size quantities of pretty much everything.

But this fall, Walmart is planning a serious downsize -- specifically into a spot on the bottom floor of Vista Del Sol, an ASU residential project on Apache Boulevard in Tempe.

See also:
- weGrow (aka The "Walmart of Weed") Opens
- Five Favorite Places to Stock Up Like a Prepper in Metro Phoenix

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facebook.com/mayaclubaz

Summertime is going to be here before you know it. And with it comes the annual surfeit of posh pool parties at upscale swimming joints. One of the more popular places that the well-heeled bikini and boardshorts crowd will be flocking to will be the Maya Day and Nightclub in Scottsdale.

The 27,950-square-foot attraction -- perched along Saddlebag Trail, it will feature a gigantic swimming pool, ritzy amenities, and several adjacent nightlife establishments -- is tentatively scheduled to open in April. And in preparation for its launch, Maya's proprietors are holding a big casting call on Monday in order to fill a variety of positions at the club, ranging from bartenders and wait staff to go-go girls, DJs, and other entertainers.

See Also:
- High-End Beach Club Coming to Scottsdale
- Owners of The Mint, RnR, and Axis/Radius to Open Hi-Fi Kitchen & Cocktails in Old Town Scottsdale

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Voice Places

Landmark local comedy club Tempe Improv, which closed last summer after decades of hosting hundreds of superstar stand-ups, is making a return. The legendary laugh establishment, located near University Drive and Rural Road in Tempe, is scheduled to reopen its doors in mid-April.

It's just the latest development in the recent drama-filled history of the Improv, and it has a couple of surprising wrinkles.

See Also:
- Tempe Improv Closing on June 1
- Tempe Improv Owner Mark Anderson Found Dead in Buckeye Hotel Room
- Medical Examiner Determines Tempe Improv Owner's Death Was From Natural Causes

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