Get out there and make the best of the weather all metro Phoenix has to offer – our best things to do picks for this week and weekend are below.

Through 4/16: Maricopa County Fair 

True to its agricultural roots, the fair includes a livestock show with pigs, sheep, goat, cattle, rabbits and chickens. But it also has thrill rides, fried foods, carnival games, performances and a shopping pavilion with more than 60 vendors. Food choices include fried coffee, deep-fried Oreos and Twinkies and mac-and-cheese hot dogs.

Details: April 12-16. 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 10 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday. Arizona State Fairgrounds, 19th Avenue and McDowell Road, Phoenix. $9; free for age 7 or younger; $8 per vehicle for parking. maricopacountyfair.org.

Through 4/16: Disney on Ice ‘Dream Big’

Tinker Bell will take audiences on a tour of favorite Disney stories when Disney on Ice “Dream Big” comes to Talking Stick Resort Arena. Ariel, Rapunzel, Snow White, Anna, Elsa and Olaf will all be part of the family-friendly show.

Details: Thursday-Sunday, April 13-16. Times vary, check website for details. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $11.25-$15. talkingstickresortarena.com.

 

4/14-15: Phoenix Pet Expo 

The Phoenix Pet Expo is the ultimate pet event. Highlights include pet-friendly exhibitors and rescue groups, obedience training and pet care demonstrations, prizes and giveaways, product discounts, talent and costume contests, vendors, complimentary nail trims, discounted vaccinations, adoptable animals and more. Pets welcome.

Details: April 14-15. 3-8 p.m. Friday. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale. Free. 480-312-6802, phoenixpetexpo.com.

4/14-15: Grown & Sexy Weekend

Friday’s bill is topped by Musiq Soulchild. The neo-soul sensation has sent three albums to the top of Billboard’s R&B charts — 2002’s platinum “Juslisen,” 2007’s “Luvanmusiq” and 2008’s “OnMyRadio.” His best-known songs include the Top 5 R&B hits “Love,” “Halfcrazy,” “Dontchange,” “B.U.D.D.Y.” and “Teachme.” His latest album, “Life on Earth,” produced his biggest R&B hit since 2009, “I Do.” He’s joined by Donell Jones, Avant, Vivian Green and Lyfe Jennings. Saturday’s bill is topped by Tank, who recently topped the R&B album charts for a fifth time with “Sex Love & Pain II.” His hits include “Maybe I Deserve” and “Please Don’t Go.” Saturday also brings performances by Kelly Price, Silk, Jon B and Carl Thomas.

Details: 7 p.m. Friday, April 14, and Saturday, April 15. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. Two-day tickets: $76.50-$127.50; Single-day tickets: $45-$75. 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.

4/15, 5/20, 6/17: Spark! After Dark 

The nighttime version of Mesa’s creativity festival is just as much fun. Explore craft projects and interactive displays while enjoying live performances. Beverages, beer and wine are available for purchase. Food trucks will be on hand for visitors to grab a bite to eat. See website for details on each evening’s theme, which changes monthly.

Details: 7-11 p.m. Saturdays, April 15, May 20 and June 16. Free. Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com.

4/15: Four Peaks 20th anniversary

The popular Tempe-based brewery turns 20, and its owners are celebrating with a big bash. Guests will meet at the Wilson Tasting Room, where Blues Traveler, Ryan Rexley and Mr. Blotto are set to perform. Favorites such as Kilt Lifter and Hop Knot will be served, as well as hard-to-find beers and throwbacks such as the ML209, a malt liquor named for Rapid 209 on the Colorado River, where the brewery’s founders had a memorable rafting trip. Four Peaks has seen some significant growth with expansion into Nevada, New Mexico and Southern California, and its Pitchfork Pale Ale was recently bottled. The event is for all ages.

Details: 3-10 p.m. Saturday, April 15. Four Peaks Wilson Tasting Room, 2401 S. Wilson St., Tempe. $20. 480-634-2976, fourpeaks.com.

4/15: Dolly Sanchez Memorial Easter Egg Hunt 

The annual egg hunt will host kids ages 1 to 10 as they search for candy-filled eggs. Hunts by age group lasting 20-25 minutes each will begin at 8:20 a.m., concluding with a hunt at 11 for disabled individuals who can enter with ease thanks to new accessibility ramps. Activities will include a petting zoo, pony and train rides, carnival games, bounce houses, crafts and photos with Mr. and Mrs. Bunny. Food donations are requested for St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.

Details: 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 15. Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Ave, Peoria. Free admission and parking with canned-food donation; fees for some activities. 623-773-7137, peoriaaz.gov/specialevents.

MORE: Easter events around Phoenix | Where to get Easter brunch | Get Easter bunny pictures

4/15: BRUFEST

UFEST is going by a new name in 2017. KUPD’s annual festival is now BRUFEST, a Sabaso Craft Beer, Taco and Music Festival presented by Bud Light at Fear Farm on Saturday, April 15, with headlining sets by the Offspring, Pennywise, All That Remains, Atreyu, Hell or Highwater and Through Fire. Need more fun? There’s also Lucha Libre Mexican wrestling. The event begins at 1 p.m. but you enter at noon to enjoy additional craft beer tastings for $65, or if you purchase a VIP pass.

Details: Saturday, April 15. Fear Farm, 2209 N. 99th Ave., Phoenix. Festival admission $49-69; craft beer tasting $65; VIP passes $125. 98kupd.com/events_and_concerts/brufest/.

4/15: Rugged Maniac

Gather your wackiest and most adventurous friends and head to Wild Horse Pass for the Rugged Maniac event. In addition to a 5K mud run filled with plenty of obstacles, the day includes beach volleyball, a pie-eating contest, a stein-hoisting competition and more.

Details: 10 a.m. Saturday, April 15. Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, 20000 S. Maricopa Road, Chandler. $89. ruggedmaniac.com.

4/15-16: Egg hunts at Enchanted Island 

Enchanted Island Amusement Park offers two days of egg-hunting fun for ages 1-10. Bring baskets and arrive early to register and get kids an age-appropriate stamp. Hunts will be held by age group in 15-minute intervals. Eggs will be filled with surprises, including 40 grand-prize eggs filled with treats such as all-day ride passes, season passes and free birthday parties at Enchanted Island. The Easter Bunny will be available for pictures 10 a.m.-3 p.m. each day. Make sure to bring your own basket.

Details: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, April 15-16. 1202 W. Encanto Blvd., Phoenix. Free. 602-254-1200, enchantedisland.com/specialevents.php.

4/15: ‘Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical’

Touring show celebrates the irrepressible energy and goofy storytelling of the Bollywood musical tradition, where the dancing is always more important than the plot. “True to Bollywood form, it is a melodramatic love story held together by very loose and wildly fantastic limits,” says NY Theatre Guide.

Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, April 15. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St. $30-$50. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com.

4/16: Rawhide Easter Egg-Stravaganza 

At this family-friendly Western theme park, kids ages 12 or younger can hunt for eggs (well, pick them up, really) from Cowboy Cottontail. Also featured are a candy corral, water-balloon toss and rides, plus regular Rawhide attractions: mock gunfights, stunt shows, shooting gallery, train and burro rides, gold-panning and shopping. Reservations are recommended for the Easter buffet, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, April 16. 5700 W. North Loop Road, Gila River Reservation. Free; $5 to park. 480-502-5600, rawhide.com.

MORE AZCENTRAL ON SOCIAL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Through 4/30: ‘The Scottsboro Boys’

The songwriting team of Kander and Ebb fused hard-hitting social commentary with Broadway spectacle in “Cabaret” and “Chicago,” and their 2010 musical “The Scottsboro Boys” tested the limits of dramedy by drawing on the fraught tradition of minstrel shows to tell the story of the infamous 1931 trial of nine young African-American men accused of rape. The first local production of the show is a team effort by Phoenix Theatre and Black Theatre Troupe.

Details: Through Sunday, April 30. Phoenix Theatre, 100 E. McDowell Road. $30 and up. 602-254-2151, phoenixtheatre.com.

Through 5/29: ‘Planet Shark: Predator or Prey’

Shark Week’s a thing for a reason. People love sharks. Or to be scared of sharks. Either way, the new Arizona Science Center exhibit promises to be cool, with SENSORY4 Technology for a walking, multi-sensory cinematic experience. “Come face-to-face with the great white shark” and “gain a whole new level of respect for the ocean’s oldest predator.” Oh, and get a look-see at the teeth, the jaws and at fossils as old as 370 million years old.

Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, through Monday, May 29. Arizona Science Center, 600 E. Washington St., Phoenix. $11.95 adults, $9.95 for children ages 3-17.  azscience.org.

Through 7/16: ‘Samurai: Armor From the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection’

More than 140 suits of armor, helmets and face guards, weapons, horse trappings and other battle gear trace the evolution of the distinctive Japanese warrior culture through exquisite workmanship and design. The pieces come from one of the best and largest collections in the world and will be featured in an illustrated catalog featuring essays by experts in samurai armor.

Details: Through July 16. $18; $15 seniors; $13 students with ID; $9 ages 6-17. Admission is free 3-9 p.m. every Wednesday, 6-10 p.m., on First Fridays and the second weekend of every month. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. First Fridays; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesdays; and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays. Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave. 602-257-1880, www.phxart.org.

Alison Stanton contributed to this article.

Biggest and best upcoming events in Phoenix

Hoping to plan out your weekends and big outings for the next couple of months in the Valley? We have you covered.

Read or Share this story: http://azc.cc/2hPuB3x