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| Country Guide > North America > United States of America > Arizona |
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Social Profile Food & Drink Most restaurants serve American or American/Continental food but Mexican, Chinese and Italian cuisine is also available, sometimes as a ‘Southwest style’ fusion using Mexican spices. Drinking is legal in any licensed bar, restaurant, hotel or inn Mon-Sat 0600-0100 and Sun 1200-0100. The minimum legal drinking age is 21. Many supermarkets and drug stores sell alcoholic beverages. Most liquor stores close at 0100. Possession and consumption of alcohol are prohibited on the Navajo, Hopi and other reservations. Theatre & Concerts Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix hosts the Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Opera and Ballet Arizona (all of which are based in Phoenix), as well as the Actors’ Theatre of Phoenix. Touring Broadway shows can be seen at Phoenix’s historic Orpheum Theatre (restored for US$14 million over a period of 12 years and completed in 2002) and the circular Gammage Auditorium, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, in nearby Tempe. Nightlife Phoenix and Tucson have various nightclubs, and there is evening entertainment at many resorts in the area. Scottsdale’s nightlife is more concentrated, while the university crowd go out in Tempe, where there are good jazz clubs on Mill Avenue. Shopping Phoenix has excellent shopping facilities, including Biltmore Fashion Park and the Arizona Center. Other good shopping centres in the metro area are at the Scottsdale Fashion Square and the upscale Italian-style Borgata, also in Scottsdale, and along pedestrianised Mill Avenue and at the Arizona Mills mall in Tempe. Special buys in Arizona include Navajo silver and turquoise jewellery, sand paintings, rug weaving, Hopi silver jewellery, kachina carvings, pottery, basketry and paintings. Tucson is a good place to pick up many of these items, as well as reasonably priced goods from Mexican import stores. Sport Home games during the American football season are held at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe between the Arizona Cardinals and other visiting teams. The Arizona Cardinals will move into their new state-of-the-art stadium in Glendale for the 2006 NFL season. A number of Arizona cities provide the training ground for some excellent major-league baseball teams every March, although none could match the Phoenix-based Arizona Diamondbacks, who shine at the Bank One Ballpark. The Phoenix Suns play basketball in the America West Arena, where hockey games between the Phoenix Coyotes and visiting teams are held in winter. Horse racing can be seen at Turf Paradise in Phoenix and Rillito Downs in Tucson. Car-racing takes place in Tucson at the Southwestern International Raceway and in Phoenix at Firebird Raceway and Phoenix International Raceway, where NASCAR races are held. Rodeos are popular in Arizona and there are over 25 major rodeo sites throughout the state. Skiing is available in the winter at The Arizona Snow Bowl near Flagstaff, Mount Lemmon (one hour outside Tucson) and Sunrise Ski Area outside Pinetop/Lakeside. Other sports available include archery, horseback riding, bowling, fishing, golf, hiking, hunting, swimming, river tubing, hang-gliding, ballooning and tennis. Special Events The annual Navajo Nation Fair is the largest Native American fair in the USA. It takes place in Window Rock, capital of the Navajo Nation, for five days in September. It includes lasso competitions, rodeos, horse racing, arts and crafts exhibitions, country & western dances, song and dance competitions, livestock and agricultural exhibits, food and a big parade. The following is a selection of special events occurring in Arizona in 2005: Jan 14-15 Sierra Stampede (all-women’s professional rodeo), Sierra Vista. Jan 22 Dillinger Days Street Festival, Tucson. Feb 18-27 50th Annual Arabian Horse Show, Scottsdale. Feb 20 Chili Cook-Off and Western Heritage Day. Mar 12 Territorial Days, Tombstone. Apr 2-3 Art Walk, Tubac. Apr 9 Tombstone Rose Festival. May 4 Cinco De Mayo, Nogales. May 21-23 Wyatt Earp Days, Tombstone. Jun 29-Jul 4 Frontier Days and World’s Oldest Rodeo, Prescott. Aug 27-29 Apple Harvest Festival, Willcox. Sep 14-16 Gila Valley Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering, Safford. Oct 6-23 Arizona State Fair, Phoenix. Oct 14-16 Helldorado Days, Tombstone. Oct 28-30 London Bridge Days, Lake Havasu. Nov 12-13 Emmett Kelly Jr Days, Tombstone. Nov 25 32nd Annual Festival of Lights, Bisbee. Dec 17 La Posada, Ajo. |