With everything from desert gardens to red-rock mesas and sparkling lakes, Arizona’s stunning outdoor environment provides ready-made settings for events that few indoor venues can match.
Factoring in a year-round climate of sunny days and mild evenings, it’s little wonder if attendees want to break out of the ballroom whenever they can.
“People coming to Arizona really want to experience what’s unique to our destination—and, fortunately, there are plenty of ways to do this even in the midst of metropolitan areas,” says Angela Hofford, director of Allied PRA Arizona, a DMC.
Lauren Abbi, general manager of Circa Arizona, a Phoenix-based DMC, agrees, adding that no group is too large or too small to take advantage of the many off-site outdoor venue choices throughout Arizona.
“We are blessed to have so many options for outdoor events, whether it’s something very casual or over-the-top,” she says. “There is something for everyone here, everything from a small, intimate dinner in the desert to a huge gala event at a private estate.”
Blooming Desert
The beauty and majesty of the Sonora Desert is evident right within the city limits of Phoenix at the Desert Botanical Garden, Hofford says. This 140-acre complex of themed gardens and exhibitions nestled among the buttes of Papago Park is devoted to the diverse range of succulents native to the Southwest, including many rare and endangered species.
The options for groups are many, including docent-led walks, sunset receptions on the Wildflower Terrace, chef’s exhibition dinners at Gertrude’s Restaurant, tai chi sessions in the herb garden and outdoor banquets with cactus centerpieces and dishes prepared with herbs and other ingredients from the garden.
“Desert plants and herbs can be incorporated into events in imaginative ways,” Hofford says. “For example, we’ve worked with the chef to create an ethno-botany dinner with plants like prickly pear that were utilized by the original people who lived here. There’s so much interest in local ingredients now and this really ties right in with that.”
One of Arizona’s most versatile venues showcasing the natural environment is Tucson’s Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a world-renowned zoo, botanical garden and aquarium all in one place. The 98-acre site offers two miles of walking paths through habitats for desert animals and some 1,200 species of plants.
Private events can include naturalist-led encounters with creatures such as the North American porcupine, Harris’ hawk, desert tortoise or Tiger salamander. Teambuilding scavenger hunts and behind-the-scenes tours are also among the possibilities.
“The museum also has some very charming areas for dinner events, spaces with large terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows where you can get some incredible sunset views,” Hofford says.
Event spaces include the Desert Garden, which offers shaded seating areas, water features and abundant plant life in an area accommodating receptions of up to 250 people, and the Green Room, a function space for up to 300 with retractable glass panels opening onto a covered terrace overlooking the Tucson Mountains. More intimate places include the Ocotillo Cafe, which includes an enclosed private patio for seating up to 30 for lunches and dinners.
Plant life native to the high elevation of northern Arizona is the focus of the Arboretum at Flagstaff, which has greenhouses, gardens and native habitats throughout its spacious grounds. The arboretum, which is 7,150 feet above sea level, also features iron sculptural pieces created by members of the Arizona Artists Blacksmiths Association. Along with arranging customized tours, groups of up to 60 can rent the Walter Reichardt House, a historic home originally built for the arboretum’s founder, for catered events.
Ranches and Reserves
Private reserves, ranches and estates throughout Arizona lend themselves to a variety of events, providing versatile, panoramic backdrops for memorable evenings under the stars. While many are conducive to cowboy cookouts and other Western themes, those are only a few of the possibilities, says Lori James, owner of AZA Event & Destinations Management.
One of James’ favorite venues is Desert Foothills in Scottsdale, an open space accommodating events from 50 to over 1,000 people in a scenic setting amid saguaros and mesas. While it is within 15 or 20 minutes of many major resort hotels, the venue is a world away in feel, according to James.
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“It’s a blank canvas that can be transformed in any number of ways,” she says. “For an incentive program, we recently did a big gala evening with an awards dinner by setting up architectural tents with open sides and chandeliers. We painted a desert path and did uplighting on the cacti. It was truly magical.”
Also popular with event planners is Fort McDowell Adventures, which is part of the Yavapai Nation reservation bordering Scottsdale that also includes the We-Ko-Pa Resort & Conference Center. Fort McDowell Adventures offers a variety of venues, including La Puesta Del Sol, located on top of a cactus-dotted mesa with 360-degree views and a frequent location for large events with barbecue cookouts, cowboy games and fireworks. A more intimate space is Rosa’s Ranch, which has fire pits and a wood-burning kiva oven, seating areas and a covered reception terrace.
“When clients want a fun and casual Arizona experience, I always recommend Fort McDowell,” Abbi says. “It has such great features built right into it, plus incredible sunsets and mountain views. We don’t have to bring in any decor. Guests feel as though they have been transported back to the 1800s.”
In Mesa, the Rockin’ R Ranch is a Western-style venue still owned by one of the original pioneer families who founded the town of Mesa back in the 19th century. Events with barbecue menus and Western-themed entertainment are a staple, along with more-formal affairs in garden areas or a two-story Victorian house adorned with chandeliers and handmade tiles.
For groups meeting in Sedona, Rancho Los Lagos, an estate once owned by baseball legend Reggie Jackson, is a lush venue set in a secluded environment of cottonwood and sycamore groves, grasslands and a lake. Geared for social events for up to 300 people, the space can be outfitted with open or closed tents, temporary stages and dance floors.
“It’s really spectacular for upscale events, including small dinners with overhead twinkle lights,” Hofford says.
Tucson offers a wealth of private ranch estates available for events, including Rancho de los Cerros, a 10-acre property that Abbi says lends itself to a range of events for corporate groups.
“It’s ideal for either a typical Western experience or something a bit more upscale,” she says. “It’s a beautiful private home where the grounds have a Western-style town, sprawling lawns and historic carriages. The owners are very welcoming and the food is top-notch.”
Water World
Those who think that Arizona is only about desert and mountains are often surprised to find that water features, both natural and man-made, is an important part of the environment as well.
In northwestern Arizona, Lake Havasu City fronts an enormous reservoir built in 1938 to harness water from the Colorado River. Among the area’s group-friendly venues is the Nautilus Beachfront Resort, which includes a variety of meeting and event spaces that showcase the lake and mountains just beyond. They include the Lakeside Pavilion, a climate-controlled indoor venue with an adjacent patio, and the Lakeside Terrace, which has 2,400 square feet of outdoor space with two staging areas and panoramic views of the lake.
Just outside Phoenix in Tempe, the Tempe Town Lake is another man-made wonder with plenty of recreational and event possibilities. With such features as the Tempe Beach Park and a 5,000-seat amphitheater, the lake is a popular site for outdoor concerts and festivals as well as boating and other sports.
“The Tempe Town Lake is especially great for cycling tours, people can ride around the lake and from there up into the Papago buttes,” Hofford says.
One of the lake’s major landmarks is the Tempe Center for the Arts, a stunning structure that has an adjoining 17-acre waterfront art park. The group-friendly venue also offers Lakeside, a 3,200-square-foot meeting room with views of the Papago and Camelback mountains, as well as two theaters.
In Yuma, a popular outdoor option for groups is provided by Yuma River Adventures, which operates the Colorado King, an authentic sternwheeler that accommodates up to 47 passengers. Groups can charter the vessel, which offers an open-air upper deck and enclosed lower deck, for catered excursions along the Colorado River.
Choices also include Yuma River Adventures’ jet boat tours, which are available for up to 41 people. The narrated trips travel through the Imperial Wildlife Range, with opportunities for bird watching and a stop for lunch at Norton’s Landing, a historic steamboat site that was once a thriving mining town.
