This year’s theme is “Honoring Our Veterans and Military, One Parade at a Time” celebrating our freedom and our Veterans’ sacrifice. The parade has 111 entries. The Grand Marshal is James Symonds, United States Navy Rear Admiral Retired. The Army Marshal is John Blehm and the Marine Marshal is Bill Ebright. The parade will include the Arizona Fallen Soldiers Memorial banners. They are provided by Constitution Week USA and will be carried by Westwood High School Air Force JROTC, Hamilton High School Air Force JROTC, Dobson High School Air Force JROTC and Mesa High School Air Force JROTC.

Before the parade begins, Arizona’s State Historian, Marshall Trimble, will give a presentation on the main stage at 10:30 a.m. After the parade at 1 p.m., the Women’s Air Force Band (WAFB) will present a free concert in the south parking lot of the Mesa Arts Center. The WAFB, which was formed in the 1950s, is the only all-woman former military band still performing and traveling at their own expense to entertain active military, the general public and veterans at VA hospitals, retirement homes and other locations throughout the nation. There will also be a collection of historic military vehicles on display.

The parade will begin at 11 a.m. on Center Street at Third Place and will travel south on Center Street to First Avenue. At 9:30 a.m., Center Street will close between Main Street and University Drive and First Street will close between Macdonald and Centennial Way. At 10 a.m., Center Street will be closed between Broadway and Main Street while maintaining northbound local access to Second Avenue while First Avenue will be closed between Macdonald and Sirrine. Also at 10 a.m., Main Street will close between Country Club and Mesa Drive. However, local access will be maintained between Country Club and Macdonald and between Mesa Drive and Sirrine. All streets should reopen to traffic by 1 p.m.

The City of Mesa will be closed in observance of Veterans Day. The closure includes libraries and recreation centers. Trash and recycle barrels will be on the normal collection schedule. Residents should have their containers out no later than 6 a.m. The Mesa Arts Center Administration Offices will be closed. However, Mesa Contemporary Arts and the theatres will be open. The Arizona Museum for Youth will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Arizona Museum of Natural History will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Veterans will be admitted free to both museums with identification. The Dobson Ranch and Riverview golf courses will be open. All bus and light rail routes will operate on a Sunday/holiday schedule.

One of the first blues festivals of the calendar year in the United States is Blues Blast 2011 on February 19th. Hosted annually by the Phoenix Blues Society, Blues Blast takes place in the beautiful grassy-sloped Mesa Amphitheatre. Appearing at Blues Blast 2011 will be Tommy Castro Band, Deanna Bogart, Trampled Under Foot, Krimson Chord, and Cold Shott & the Hurricane Horns. The show will start at 11:00 am; gates will open at 10:00 am. Tickets available at http://www.mesaamp.com/
or http://www.bluesblast.info

The event is free to the public and will be held in Downtown Mesa at Main and Macdonald Streets every Saturday through April 30 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information please visit www.macfestmesa.com or call 480 644-6500

The “Ask Me” volunteer booth (at Macdonald and Main Streets) will continue to accept new art supplies for children enrolled in art appreciation at the Arizona Museum for Youth. Suggested art supplies include the following: washable markers, construction paper, colored pencils, glue sticks and chalk. For a more complete list, and to download the Supply Donation Form to accompany your items, view www.arizonamuseumforyouth.com and click on Donations.

MACFest features unique, hand-made items created by local artists every Saturday through April 30, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. For more information, view www.macfestmesa.com.

This event is free to the public

The event is held at the Mesa Arts Center, One East Main Street, in downtown Mesa. On Saturday, December 11 and Sunday December 12 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Various of food vendors will provide food for sale in addition to three stages of continuous entertainment, art studio demonstrations, kids’ zone with hands on children’s activities, original works of art from more than 70 juried artists, beautiful gingerbread houses on display

This is a free festival. For more information visit www.mesaartscenter.com.

The Art Studios at Mesa Arts Center offer a mix of classes and workshops for all ages and skill levels this fall. Callas are open to all ages, interested in performing and visual arts classes.

Youth classes offer a constructive outlet for kids after school and on weekends. Classes include drama, dance, ceramics, painting, cartooning, and so much more. Creative Tots and pre-school blocks are designed to create a positive learning environment with minimal distractions. Additionally, there are School Break Camps during both fall and winter breaks, where campers will enjoy drama, dance, puppetry, music and/or art taught by trained artists and educators.

Performing Arts intergenerational and adult classes offer students the opportunity to work with and learn from all different age groups. Visual Art classes include Printmaking, Jewelry, Photography, Glass Blowing, Blacksmithing, Sculpture, Painting, Drawing, and Ceramics. There are also many performing arts classes for adults, including acting, dance, and music. Classes are offered in state of the art studios, with a very low teacher to student ratio.

Art Studios is now offering Drumming classes and private lessons. Also new this fall are Manga Cartooning classes. Learn how to create cartoons like those associated with Anime and Japanese culture. Visit, “Jump To Japan” at the Arizona Museum for Youth and receive a discount offer for Art Studios’ Manga Cartooning class.

Learn dancing basics or cultivate your child’s skills. Creative drama, improve and comedy, ballet, puppetry, guitar, and many other classes are offered in this category.

Additionally, the workshops are available throughout the fall session, giving participants the chance to work one-on-one with national and regional artists.

Classes will be held at the Mesa Arts Center Art Studios located at One East Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85211

Registration opens at 8 a.m. on August 6. Classes are available at various times starting between August and December.

For a full list of classes and to register you can visit www.mesaartscenter.com, call 480-644-6520, or in person at Mesa Arts Center.

If your ideal image of romance is the scene in Ghost when Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore are working on the potter’s wheel, then Mesa Arts Center has the date night for you.

The largest ceramics studio in the state of Arizona is offering a hands-on, experiential date night around the potter’s wheel. Create a unique piece of art and have fun with your date in a state-of-the-art and friendly learning environment.

At the Mesa Arts Center Art Studios, One East Main Street in downtown Mesa on Friday, June 11 from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

To book your date night visit www.mesaartscenter.com or call 480-644-6520.

The cost is $21 per person for Mesa residents and $24 per person for non-residents.

For more fun things to do, visit the community events page at www.nearbynews.com/the_groves.htm

Doors open at 1 p.m. with a raffle and dessert hour provided by BJ’s Brewery. The fashion show begins promptly at 3 p.m. Tickets are $17 can be purchased through the Mesa Arts Center at: http://www.mesaartscenter.com or by calling Collette Prather at the City of Chandler Parks and Recreation Department (480) 782-2709.

“We are excited to be partnering with new businesses this year,” City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities Recreation Specialist, Jacquie Gallo said. “Last year our raffle raised more than $8,000. We were able to provide scholarships for summer camps, sports trainings and equipment for over 1,300 individuals with developmental disabilities from Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert, Fountain Hills, Scottsdale and Queen Creek.”

Sponsors include: City of Mesa, City of Chandler, Kohl’s Department Stores, BJ’s Brewery and Avalon School of Cosmetology.

Donations for the raffle prizes are still being accepted. If you or your business is interested please contact Jacquie Gallo at (480) 644-4948 or email Jacquie.Gallo@mesaaz.gov.

This terrifying thriller features one of the Bard’s most wicked characters at its center. Spinning out of the whirlwind known as The War of the Roses, this story of one man’s shocking brutality is a paradox of charm and malevolence, virtuosity and corruption, good and evil. This powerful thriller, featuring Bo Foxworth as the “Bottled Spider” of the title role will be a performance that is not to be missed!

“Thou hast made the happy earth thy hell!” Act 1, Scene 2

Also featuring Maren Maclean, Michael Bogle, Jonah Carslon, Jim Coates, Cody Davis, Robert Feugate, Cesar Garcia, Anthony Gonzales, Keath Hall, Slade Hall, Justine Hartley, Ezekiel Hill, Ryan Janko, Jesse James Kamps, Clay McInerney, Madeline Owens, Nicole Parfinovics, Matt Rosin, Cheryl Schaar, Nicolas Alexander Smith, Larry Stone, Robert Topping, Dawn Rochelle Tucker, and Ryan Webb

For more information about performance dates and times, check out www.swshakespeare.org. Single Ticket sales are available now. Buy online at www.mesaartscenter.org or call the Mesa Arts Center Box Office at (480) 644-6500

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Steve Solomon returns to Arizona with his smash hit “MY MOTHER’S ITALIAN, MY FATHER’S JEWISH & I’M IN THERAPY’” — now one of the longest running one man shows in Broadway history. Filled with comedy and musical surprises, this award winning production has met with rave reviews and great audience acclaim from New York to Los Angeles.

SHOW SCHEDULE
Thursday April 15 7:30 p.m.
Friday April 16 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 17 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 18 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

*TICKET INFORMATION*
Reserved seats are priced at $38 for all performances are on sale now at the Mesa Arts Center Box Office. To charge by phone, call 480.644.6500 or visit on line at www.mesaartscenter.com