The Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

This week you can show your punk trivia prowess, take your dog along for garden adventures, or explore the living quarters of a famed architect. Here’s a look at the best things to do in metro Phoenix this week, along with a friendly reminder to mask up and be safe out there.

Oak Street Alley Murals

Head over to the Oak Street Alley off 14th Street this week to see dozens of murals painted by some of the best-known artists in metro Phoenix, from La Morena to Thomas “Breeze” Marcus. The alley features murals created in a wide variety of styles, with themes that range from music to bicycles. Take a camera along so you can capture the current canvas, which will change throughout the year as artists make new works. Recent murals include Lucretia Torva’s homage for Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Chocolate Sugar Cookie Workshop

Maybe you feel a little envious every holiday season, when perfectly baked and decorated holiday cookies start filling your social media feed. Get a jump on creating your own fancy treats this year with the Chocolate Sugar Cookie Workshop for beginners happening at Mix Cooking School in Chandler at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5, where the decorating focus will be making fabulous winter designs. The cost is $60.

'Look to Nature' Exhibit

Amid pandemic life, some people are turning to nature as a way to relieve stress and get a fresh perspective. You’ll find a similar sense of tranquility in works by Toshiko Takaezu, an artist who grew up surrounded by flora and fauna in Hawaii. Explore her work at the Ceramics Research Center for ASU Art Museum in Tempe, where the “Look to Nature” exhibit highlights the ways she incorporated “Eastern and Western techniques and aesthetics.” Museum admission is free. Center hours this week are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, January 5, to Saturday, January 9.

Punk Trivia Night

The Rebel Lounge is presenting Punk Trivia Nights every other Wednesday at 8 p.m. Your first chance to participate in 2021 happens this week, on January 6. Signups start at 7 p.m. While you’re there, check out the Arizona-themed mural on an east-facing exterior wall, where you’ll spot work by Ashley Macias, Andy Brown, JB Snyder, and several additional artists. Trivia night admission is free.

Taliesin West Tour

Taliesin West in Scottsdale, which was designed by artist and architect Frank Lloyd Wright as a winter home and desert creative space, is offering public tours. Their one-hour Guided Insights Tour includes Wright’s private quarters and living room, along with several additional spaces from a drafting studio to a cabaret. This week’s tours happen between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 7, to Sunday, January 10. Adult tickets are $40.

Dog Day at the Garden

There’s good news for pups this week, as Dog Days at the Garden returns to Desert Botanical Garden on Saturday, January 9, when you can bring your dog (on a leash) along to explore garden trails between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. (the last dog admission is 10:30 a.m.). Bring a doggie dish to fill at garden hydration stations and waste bags for cleaning up after your canine companion. Garden admission is $14.95 to $29.95.