Pupchella & Bike Week

Good morning, Scottsdale. You’re reading Scottsdale Scoop, your insider pass to what’s fun, fresh, and worth checking out around town. Every issue features hand-picked events, local business spotlights, and hidden gems that make our city great.

Hope everyone had a great Easter with their family! We have a lot going on this week with Bike Week, Pupchella, and a golf tournament for charity.

Also, I got great feedback last week. I did my best to round up non-alcoholic focused events as well!

The wine world is coming together for a great cause right here in the Valley. AZ Crush MS is hosting their second annual wine tasting event on April 11 at the Creighton University Health & Sciences Ballroom from 3:00-6:00 PM, and it's shaping up to be even bigger than last year.

Your ticket gets you five tastings from ten participating wineries plus one full pour, along with hors d'oeuvres throughout the afternoon. There's also a silent auction, wine pull with premium bottles, and a 50/50 raffle.

The coolest part? Olympic gold medalist Ashley Caldwell will be there with her medal from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. She won gold in Freestyle Aerials and will be sharing her story about setting big goals and pushing through adversity. If you've ever wanted to meet an Olympian, here's your shot! The new Central Phoenix location is fully ADA-compliant with complimentary valet, so it's super easy to get to.

Bikers, get ready. Arizona Bike Week is taking over WestWorld April 8-12 for its 29th year, and if you're anywhere near Scottsdale, you're going to hear it coming from miles away.

The Southwest's largest motorcycle rally brings 75,000 riders and enthusiasts for five days of custom bikes, live stunt shows, motorcycle drag racing, the insane Globe of Death, and music. Black Stone Cherry kicks things off Wednesday, followed by Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening Thursday, Cody Jinks Friday, and Ted Nugent closing it out Saturday.

New this year is the Arena Wars Fighting Series on Saturday, MMA-style cage fights right there in the middle of the rally. There's also a Used Bike Corral if you're thinking about upgrading your ride, tattoo competitions, and vendor rows packed with everything from parts to apparel.

Free entry to the PowerYard runs until 5 p.m. daily, and if you want the full experience, all-access passes start at $193. Parking's free for motorcycles and $10 for cars. RV and tent campsites are available too if you want to camp right on the grounds and soak it all in.

The Saguaros' 27th annual Olympiad is happening April 17 at Scottsdale Stadium, and this year they're going bigger than ever with up to 100 corporate teams competing in events like home run derby, dodgeball, cornhole, and obstacle courses.

It's basically a giant field day for adults, with companies battling it out to win the Saguaros Olympiad Cup while raising money for children's charities across Arizona. New this year: Phoenix Beer Co. is debuting a special Olympiad-branded beer, and one lucky winner takes home a Ford Bronco from Earnhardt Ford!

Want to watch the action? A $100 donation gets you into the beer garden with food, drinks, and a front-row seat to all the chaos.

Found a nice little event series the kiddos will love. Mark your calendars because free Saturday night concerts are back at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park starting April 25! The Tracks N Tunes series runs through May 30 from 7-8:30 PM, featuring a different local band each week.

The lineup kicks off with Candle In The Wind (Elton John tribute) on April 25, followed by Top 40's, Americana Soul, Yacht Rock, Country, and wrapping up with soul & R&B on the final night. Bring a blanket, grab dinner from the food trucks, and let the kids ride the train and carousel ($3 rides running until 8:30 PM). This was just named one of the best live music venues in Arizona by Best of American Towns, and honestly? Saturday nights at the Railroad Park are hard to beat.

I've gotten to know the team behind Lotus Evolutions Wellness personally, and they're genuinely good people doing something cool for our community. Their Holistic Happy Hour is back on Thursday, April 16th, and if you missed the first one, this is your chance.

The last gathering was a blast. They had educational sessions that taught me something new, connections to local vendors and prizes (who doesn’t like prizes). It's not your typical networking event where everyone's pushing business cards. The vibe is warm, relaxed, and intentional.

This month they're partnering with the Holistic Referral Network to bring even more practitioners, wellness tech, and curated experiences to explore. They’ll have botanical mocktails, curated product features, and conversations with people who are genuinely curious about holistic health. Stop by anytime between 5:00 and 8:00 PM at their Old Town Scottsdale location.

The event is complimentary, but space is limited. If you're wellness-curious and want to connect with like-minded neighbors in a calm, inspiring setting, this one's for you.

Reserve your spot here.

If you haven't tried Lior the Baker yet, you're missing out on some of the best bread in the Valley. Lior and his wife Tal brought their Jerusalem-style baking to Scottsdale after years of perfecting the craft in Israel, and the results speak for themselves.

Their challah is the real deal. We're talking hand-braided loaves made from scratch using recipes passed down through generations. The babka is equally impressive, with that perfect swirl of chocolate or cinnamon that'll make you wonder why you ever bought grocery store pastries.

What I love about this spot is the authenticity. Lior trained as a baker in Jerusalem before moving to the States, and you can taste that heritage in every bite. They also make incredible rugelach, burekas, and other traditional treats that are hard to find done right in Arizona.

I got to experience something really special last week and had to share it with you all.

Omakasito is a new intimate chef's table concept at Toro Scottsdale that blends Japanese omakase tradition with Peruvian warmth. It's only 12 seats, so grab your favorite couples and make it a group date night.

Chef Gage Smit guides you through a multi-course tasting journey with beverage pairings (both spirit-free and spirit-forward options). Every single detail felt intentional and thoughtful. I always respect the artistry that goes into an experience like this.

And if you’ve never been, the setting itself is amazing. It’s perfect for a date spot. A bit dark, it has that Tulum-style vibe that a few places here have but don’t quite nail like Toro. On Friday and Saturday nights they have fire dancers that add so much to the vibe.

Fair warning: availability is limited and demand is already strong. If you can snag a reservation, do it! It was one of the best experiences I’ve had in a long time.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They're just local businesses I wanted to highlight. I'll always let you know when something's sponsored.

Tuesday, April 7

🎭 THE NOTEBOOK | ASU Gammage | 7:30 PM (multiple days)

Wednesday, April 8

🏍️ Arizona Bike Week | WestWorld of Scottsdale | All Day (multiple days)

🎸 Black Stone Cherry | WestWorld of Scottsdale | 6:30 PM

Thursday, April 9

🎶 The Wailers: 50 Years of Positive Vibrations | Talking Stick Resort | 8:00 PM

🎸 Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening | WestWorld of Scottsdale | 6:30 PM

🐶 Pupchella | The Scottsdale Resort and Spa | 6:00 PM

Friday, April 10

🍷 Voyage Through the Vineyards: Far Niente Winery | Sanctuary Camelback Mountain | 3:00 PM

Saturday, April 11

🎺 Celebrate Latin Jazz | Musical Instrument Museum | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (multiple days)

🎉 The ARTrageous Gala | Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts | Evening

⛳ OCA Greater Phoenix 10th Annual Golf Charity Tournament | Arizona Biltmore Golf Club | 7:00 AM

🏊🏻 Sol Social Saturday Pool Series | Hotel Solaya | 12:00 PM

Sunday, April 12

🍰 Pastry Class: Spring Macarons | Classic Cooking Academy | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

🍻 Craft Beer and Food Trucks | Goldwater Brewing Co. | Time TBA

I’ve used ACP Painting for my house, and I'm not shy about recommending them. They're veteran-owned, they've been serving Scottsdale since 2005, and they genuinely care about the work they do.

Whether it's interior walls, exterior coatings built to handle the Arizona sun, or cabinet refinishing that looks factory-grade without the factory price, they handle it all with attention to detail. What I appreciate most is how straightforward they are. No surprises, solid craftsmanship, and they treat your home like it's their own.

They're offering Scottsdale Scoop subscribers an exclusive 15% discount on your project. They've got locations in both Scottsdale and Maricopa, so wherever you're at in The Valley, they can help.

Claim your 15% discount and get a free estimate.

Featuring the most expensive home sold in Scottsdale this week at $11.25M! I’m loving the peaceful view the backyard has.

Here’s the link if you want to check it out.

Scottsdale Scoop is 100% free and independently run (it's just me over here). Your support helps me keep bringing you the best local spots, events, and inside scoop on what's happening in Scottsdale every week. Your contribution will go towards keeping the Scoop going so we can have more fun in community events! really appreciate all the support all of you 🙂 - John

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