When it comes to events, the Valley of the Sun is at its best once the sun goes down. Whether under a star-filled desert sky or inside a pulsating downtown club, groups meeting in Phoenix, Scottsdale or Sedona will find an array of event venues that work their optimum magic after dark.
Many of these venues offer extensive outdoor space, giving groups the chance to experience the desert sunsets at any time of year, according to Alleson Dunaway, destination services manager for Experience Scottsdale.
“Groups can enjoy being outdoors in the evening even during mid-summer because we have cooling misting systems that can drop temperatures by 10 degrees,” she said.
Party Places
What may come as a surprise is the amount of new nightlife options cropping up in places such as Phoenix’s Warehouse District and Scottsdale’s Entertainment District. Located just steps from meeting facilities and hotels, these high-energy spaces are enabling planners to put an exciting new spin on after-hours options.
“A lot of people don’t realize all the restaurants and clubs we have downtown—there’s a whole hip new element for Scottsdale that groups really enjoy,” Dunaway said.
Scottsdale’s Entertainment District, a U-shaped area close to such downtown properties as the W Scottsdale, Aloft, Hotel Valley Ho and Saguaro Scottsdale, is ideally situated for dine-arounds and block parties, according to Dunaway.
“We can close off the street and groups can go between the different venues and enjoy an open space in the street as well,” she said. “It’s also great for dine-arounds.”
Hi-Fi Kitchen & Cocktails is among the district’s most group-friendly venues, a self-described “music-centric, retro haunt” with design elements such as vintage speakers, records, black and white televisions and a 45-foot digital graffiti wall projecting 3-D images. Available for full or partial buyouts, the indoor/outdoor venue accommodates up to 300 guests and offers customized catering options focusing on American comfort food and a selection of liquor-infused milkshakes.
Two other nearby venues are Bottled Blonde, a pizzeria and beer garden that hosts private groups of up to 560, and Maya Day & Nightclub, a nightclub with an adjoining outdoor pool deck.
“Maya brings a Vegas-style element to Scottsdale, with its pool and high-end DJs, while Bottled Blonde is a very fun, casual atmosphere with a great patio, lounge furniture and games,” Dunaway said.
Not far from Scottsdale’s Entertainment District, the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa is a prime spot for evening events with a sophisticated twist, especially at The Scotch Library. The venue, which features a collection of over 175 single-malts and other prime whiskeys, offers tasting events where guests can sample some of the world’s rarest spirits.
Within walking distance of Phoenix’s Civic Plaza convention center, the burgeoning downtown Warehouse District continues to expand with new dining and event spaces for groups, said Douglas MacKenzie, director of media relations for Visit Phoenix.
“There are always new restaurants and bars opening up there, including Camp Social, where groups can play games and enjoy things like s’mores and drinks served in thermos bottles,” he said. “Another new place is Bitter & Twisted, located where the Prohibition Office was back in the 1920s. It’s won an award for being one of the 10 best new cocktail bars in America.”
A longtime group-friendly downtown nightspot is Alice Cooper’stown, a restaurant adorned with sports and music memorabilia from the rock icon’s personal collection that can host groups of up to 600. Equipped for live music and DJs, the venue offers spaces such as a large outdoor courtyard and a private dining area on the mezzanine with prime viewing for performances.
Transformed from an urban warehouse, The Croft Downtown is a versatile 10,000-square-foot event venue with wood-trellised ceilings and an adjoining landscaped patio that can host anything from small conferences to gala dinners and receptions. Another former warehouse is The Duce, a bar and restaurant available for private events that includes such quirky elements as a soda fountain from a 1915 Chicago drugstore, a boxing ring and areas for twirling hula hoops or playing ping pong, shuffleboard and foosball.
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Also in a converted warehouse, Culinary Dropout at Farmer Arts District in downtown Tempe serves gourmet pub fare and handcrafted cocktails, and offers darts, foosball and other games. The restaurant, which can host up to 1,000 people, is available for buyouts and also includes two private event spaces.
“It’s very interactive and casual, which is what groups really like these days,” said Lori James, owner of AZA Events, a local DMC. “It’s a fun place to hang out and the food is terrific.”
Star Views
Venues with dazzling sunset and evening views of the desert and city lights also abound in the Phoenix area. Among them is El Chorro, a restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining spaces, including an event lawn, at the base of Camelback Mountain between Scottsdale and Phoenix in Paradise Valley. Located in a converted 1930s boarding school, the restaurant serves Southwest-inspired cuisine and is filled with vintage charm and local history, according to James.
“We’ve done dinners for up to 200 there and it’s a really beautiful spot with an adobe fireplace and the original bar,” she said.
Another view spot with a “wow” factor, according to James, is Different Pointe of View, a restaurant at the Pointe Hilton at Tapatio Cliffs in Phoenix.
“It’s a Five Diamond restaurant with extraordinary food and astonishing views of downtown and the valley,” she said. “You can buy the whole place out for up to 400 people or do smaller groups in the dining rooms. It’s a homerun every time.”
Starlit skies and valley views can also be had at Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s former home and architecture school on the outskirts of Scottsdale. Along with night tours of the property, the site is available for elegant receptions and dinners that can include an astronomer to interpret the night skies.
“It’s elevated and far enough removed from the city that you can really enjoy the night skies and desert views,” Dunaway said. “You can arrange for a docent—sometimes even one who knew Wright personally—to give a private tour of the property. You can also bring in Native American hoop dancers and artisans.”
Just outside of Mesa, the 142-passenger Dolly Steamboat is a floating venue that can be chartered for dinner cruises on Canyon Lake with sunset views of the Superstition Mountains.
The cruises can include astronomer and radio host Steve Kates, also known as Dr. Sky, who interprets the constellations in the desert skies.
Stargazing evenings in combination with Hopi storytelling are part of the many events available at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, which recently added new outdoor spaces to its over 100,000 square feet of function space. The new spaces range from intimate gardens to an events lawn accommodating up to 1,000 people.
The glow of Sedona’s famous red-rock formations at sunset are among the attractions of the Agave of Sedona, a versatile event venue in the heart of town. Its Montage Ballroom, which accommodates up to 180 guests, offers floor-to-ceiling windows and an adjoining terrace overlooking Steamboat Rock, Wilson Mountain, Merry Go Round Rock and other natural landmarks.
Another prime red-rock view spot is 89Agave, a restaurant serving Mexican-style Sonoran cuisine and specialty margaritas in Uptown Sedona. Accommodating up to 172 people in a restaurant buyout, 89Agave also offers several private dining rooms and outdoor patios seating from 40 to 60 guests. Mixology classes, tequila tastings and tequila food pairings are among the customized options for groups.
Desert Delights
With the Sonoran Desert as a blank canvas, Desert Foothills and La Puesta del Sol, two large indoor/outdoor event sites located on the outskirts of Scottsdale, are perennial favorites for groups seeking a true Arizona experience, according to Dunaway.
“Both of these places are what visitors expect Scottsdale to look like—they evoke the Old West and offer so much versatility,” she said. “You can have a dressed-up event with a high-end rustic feel or a Western cookout with checked tablecloths and country line- dancing and cowboy games.”
