Metro Phoenix Things to Do This Weekend: Mariachis, Muggles, and More

September is wrapping up and October is beginning this weekend with plenty of things to do around metro Phoenix. Highlights include a tour stop by comedian Lewis Black, the annual Mariachi and Folklorico Festival in Chandler, a celebration of all things William Shatner, and one of your last chances to see the Phoenix Rising in action on the pitch this season.

Read on for more details and start making plans. You can also click over to Phoenix New Times' calendar for more options happening from Friday, September 30, to Sunday, October 2.

Wizarding Extravaganza

Potterheads of the Valley, grab your wands and get ready to mingle with muggles. The suitably fantastical Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library, 1106 North Central Avenue, will become a Hogwarts of sorts for the Wizarding Extravaganza on Saturday, October 1. An evening of activities and fun inspired by the Harry Potter franchise will be offered, such as games and photo ops with Hagrid and Professor McGonagall lookalikes. Themed treats and cocktails (which we’re guessing will include a take on butterbeer) also will be served, and the evening will be capped with an outdoor screening of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in the courtyard. Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes and bring chairs, blankets, and pillows (beanbags can also be rented for $10). Fall under their spell from 5 to 10 p.m. Tickets for the general public are $40 for adults and $20 for kids 12 and under. Benjamin Leatherman

Phoenix Rising FC vs. New York Red Bulls II

The players of Phoenix Rising FC could use a Ted Lasso-style pep talk these days. It's been a tumultuous year for the local pro soccer team, as it crashed and burned in the standings over the summer, got a new head coach, and attempted to salvage the season with a last-ditch drive to make the playoffs. The Rising's comeback came up short, though, and they are currently playing out their remaining contests in futility and frustration. So should local sports fans ignore the team in favor of pinning their hopes for hometown glory on the Phoenix Suns’ upcoming season? Definitely not, as home games at Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex, 19593 South 48th Street in Chandler, are a sight to behold, with rowdy packs of fans adding to the atmosphere. Win, lose, or draw, their passion doesn’t dim in the slightest as they cheer on the team. Witness the fever pitch unfold for yourself when the Rising host the New York Red Bulls II on Saturday, October 1. The game is at 7:30 p.m., and tickets start at $20.63. Benjamin Leatherman

Lewis Black

Are you fed up with what's going on in this country? So is comedian, actor, and The Daily Show contributor Lewis Black, and he'll talk about it when he brings his Off the Rails tour to Celebrity Theatre, 440 North 32nd Street, on Saturday, October 1. The show is presented by Live Nation and Danny Zelisko Presents. Expect plenty of apoplectic and hyperbolic tirades about a wide variety of sociopolitical issues, including (but not limited to) the upcoming midterm elections, the GOP, and the pandemic. “If you have to ask why I am calling this the Off the Rails Tour, then we are truly off the rails," Black stated in a release. Share in his rage starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $49.50 to $79.50, and a "buy one, get one" deal is also available. Click here for more details. Jennifer Goldberg

Mariachi & Folklorico Festival

Looking for a way to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month? Get immersed in traditional music and culture at this annual celebration at Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 North Arizona Avenue, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 1. Grammy Award-winning ensemble Mariachi Los Camperos, the 16-member Mariachi Estrella de Mexico, and the dancers of Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli-AZ will perform during the event. Meanwhile, the Gallery at CCA will host a special exhibition of Latino works, and various art and culture vendors will be set up in the lobby. Tickets range from $48 to $68 per person and are available through Ticketmaster. Benjamin Leatherman

Shatner: The Motion Picture

William Shatner may be best known for starring as James T. Kirk in the massive Star Trek franchise, but local creator, video editor, and performer Dan Stone maintains that the iconic actor’s lesser-known roles are where he truly delivers. Stone, who grew up in the Maryvale neighborhood in Phoenix, presents his latest piece of work — Shatner: The Motion Picture — as part of his ongoing series, the Worldwide Freakout, at Majestic Neighborhood Cinema Grill, 1140 East Baseline Road in Tempe, on Saturday, October 1. The 8 p.m. show is sold out, but the venue added an earlier screening at 5:10 p.m. to provide maximum Shatner satisfaction. Shatner: The Motion Picture is Stone’s cinematic cut-up, a beyond thoughtful collage of work the actor did during the 1970s and '80s. It richly emphasizes his acting style that blends a signature measured vocal cadence with an equally plodding physicality. And while Stone, the president and CEO of Worldwide Freakout, has shown versions of this movie previously, this is its beefiest iteration. Tickets are $10.81 per person. Amy Young

Monster Jam

The gridiron heroics of the Arizona Cardinals aren’t the only action-packed thrills to be had at State Farm Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive in Glendale, these days, thanks to the titanic trucks of Monster Jam. Drivers like Tristan England, Linsey Read, Diesel Dave, and Krysten Anderson will roar along and above a dirt track inside the cavernous venue in souped-up 12,000-pound rides. The include such over-the-top names as “El Toro Loco,” “Jurassic Attack,” and the legendary “Grave Digger.” Cars will be crushed, wheelies will be popped, and stunts will be unleashed during the tour’s stop in the Valley on Saturday, October 1. The monstrous fun gets going at 7 p.m. Resale tickets start at $36 via Ticketmaster. Benjamin Leatherman