Calling all basketball fans: you are hours away from hoops heaven! The first few weeks of March Madness have yielded to the big stage, the Final Four, held here in our hometown of Phoenix, AZ. Four teams out of the original 64 remain: Gonzaga, Oregon, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The scene this year is bigger than ever as college ball takes over the Cardinals’ University of Phoenix Stadium, seating up to 100,000. If you’re lucky enough to be going, it will be an event for the ages. Even if your team already bowed out, your bracket’s been busted, or you couldn’t care less about missed free-throws, there are still plenty of ways for you to have fun this upcoming weekend!
Prefer beats over ballin’? This weekend, the March Madness Music Fest lineup has something for pretty much everyone. Headlined by legendary artist Aerosmith, the MMMF event will be jamming all weekend long, with sets by Top-40 mainstay The Chainsmokers, hip hop artist Macklemore, even country artist Keith Urban. And if you can’t justify skipping out on your rent this month to go to Coachella, you’ll be happy to learn all of these concerts at Margaret T. Hance Park are F-R-E-E!
Want to get the family involved in March Madness? Check out the Final Four Fan Fest at the Phoenix Convention Center. With interactive games, youth clinics, autographs, and freebies, it’s sure to a be a hit with all ages. Even if you don’t have tickets for the games, you can still check out the Tip-Off Tailgate, just outside the stadium, on Friday and pretend like you’re headed to the main event.
If you’re more laid back and want to watch your other favorite team while soaking in the sun, this is the last weekend of Spring Training before the baseball season opens. Oh, and if you want nothing to do with any of the sportsing above, check out the Tempe Festival of the Arts. Local jewelry, ceramics, artwork, musicians, and much, much more will be showcased and supplemented by tasty Tempe treats.
As always, there will be alcohol flowing at or near many of these events. If you will be partaking, know that local law enforcement will be on saturation patrols looking for impaired drivers. Whether you’re local or visiting from out-of-state, don’t let this weekend be memorable because of a DUI arrest! With cabs, ride-sharing services, and local transportation, there are oodles of options to get you from point A to point B safely. Have fun, be safe, and drive sober!