Scottsdale Western Week & More

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.

This week we have so many events that I couldn’t cover them all in longer format on account of Gmail clipping the rest of the newsletter. We have Scottsdale Western Week, Scottsdale Book Fair, Barrett-Jackson which I covered last week and more that you can find in the event list below!

We also had our first Scottsdale Scoop Social Mixer of the year last Thursday and it was a ton of fun! Thank you everyone for coming out, showing support and having great vibes. Special shoutout to Westin Kierland and their team for letting us use their space and providing great hospitality.

The next social mixer will be in March, I’ll keep you updated. Here’s a pic with a few of the folks who stayed a bit later.

More drama brewing in Old Town. Residents of a nearby condominium complex have filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a 6-year-old agreement that could derail the $300 million Museum Square development near Second Street and Goldwater Boulevard.

The project was approved unanimously by the Scottsdale City Council back in 2019 and includes plans for a hotel, condo buildings and apartments. At the time, no members of the public spoke in opposition.

Saddle up, because Western Week is back in Scottsdale from January 24 through February 1 with a full lineup celebrating our city's Western heritage and Native American cultures. This year's theme is "A Diamond in the Desert: Celebrating 75 Years of Scottsdale" and there's something for everyone.

The week kicks off with workshops (including a frybread-making class at the Scottsdale Waterfront), historical programming, and Western-themed exhibitions during the Gold Palette ArtWalk in the Scottsdale Arts District. Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West will be showing classic Western films and offering free-admission days.

The big finale happens Saturday, January 31 with the 72nd annual Parada del Sol Historic Parade featuring about 150 entries including floats, mounted riders, marching bands and horse-drawn carriages. A Western-style festival follows in Historic Old Town with live entertainment, food vendors and family activities. The Arizona Indian Festival also runs January 31 through February 1 at the Scottsdale Civic Center with representatives from Arizona's 22 tribal nations.

In a surprise move on January 14th, Scottsdale Police and City Manager Greg Caton escorted Mayor Lisa Borowsky's Chief of Staff R. Lamar Whitmer out of City Hall during a Planning and Zoning meeting.

Whitmer, who had only been in the role for three months after starting in October at a $135,000 salary, was placed on paid administrative leave while the city investigates possible policy violations.

No details about the investigation have been released, wish I had the scoop there. Whitmer told the Progress he has "no idea what this is about" and believes the public escort was orchestrated as a setup. Police confirmed Whitmer was not arrested and is not under investigation by Scottsdale PD.

The brothers behind Boondocks Patio & Grill are opening a new spot and I'm pumped about this one. Pistoleros Parrilla is a wood-fired Mexican steakhouse coming to 4333 N. Civic Center Plaza, just down the street from Boondocks Scottsdale.

I was walking around in Old Town over the weekend and they were hosting a private event! The doorman let me know they’re opening this Wednesday and reservations are open on the page I checked here. If you don’t see any open reservations change the time/day because I imagine they’ll fill up fast.

Luke and Jake Kory are transforming a former office building into a 5,000-square-foot restaurant with a second-story patio. The menu will focus on wood-fired steaks and charcoal-grilled meats. Given how solid Boondocks has been for the community, I have high hopes for this one.

If you live in the Valley, there's a good chance you or someone you know has a Shasta pool. Shasta Pools has been designing and building custom pools in Arizona for over 60 years, and they're still family-owned, which is rare in this industry. What sets them apart is their in-house approach: design, construction, renovation, and ongoing service all stay under one roof, so you avoid the headache of juggling multiple vendors.

Right now, they're offering Scottsdale Scoop readers a free upgrade from a standard interior finish to a Pebble Essence interior (that's the gorgeous one with glass beads that catches the Arizona sunlight just right) with any new pool build or interior remodel. We're talking roughly a $4,000 value. If you've been dreaming about turning your backyard into a resort-style retreat, this is the time!

Learn more at ShastaPools.com

If you've ever walked through Old Town and wondered about the stories behind those Western storefronts, Rydables has you covered in the most fun way possible.

They've partnered directly with the Scottsdale Historical Society to create tours that go way beyond your typical "and on your left..." experience. We're talking accurate, interesting historical facts and hidden stories you'd never discover on your own.

My personal favorite is their Old Town Public Art & AZ Wine Tour. You get to learn about 12+ pieces of public art from a Certified Sommelier while hitting up two local Arizona wineries along the way. History lesson meets wine tasting? Sign me up.

Check out their tours here!

If you haven't been to Toro yet, it's time to change that. Tucked away at the TPC Scottsdale clubhouse with views over the 18th hole, this spot flies under the radar for most locals but delivers one of the more memorable date nights in the area.

Chef Richard Sandoval built his reputation on contemporary Latin cuisine, and the menu here reflects that. Think fire-grilled meats, fresh ceviches, and flavors that pull from across Latin America. The weekend brunch is solid too if you're looking for something different on a Saturday or Sunday.

What I really like is the weekday happy hour from 3-6pm. $2 oysters and $8 beers make it easy to stop by without planning a whole production. On Friday and Saturday nights they bring out fire dancers, which sounds over the top but actually works with the vibe. It's fun without being cheesy.

The location feels like a hidden gem since it's not at the main resort. You drive up to TPC, park, and you're somewhere that feels miles away from the usual Scottsdale scene.

Wednesday, January 21

🍷 The Tipsy Chef: Cooking Class & Wine Tasting | The Wine Collective of Scottsdale | 6:00 PM

🏎️ Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction | WestWorld of Scottsdale | 9:00 AM (multiple days)

Thursday, January 22

🌅 Sunsets & Sips | Taliesin West | 5:00 PM

🧘 Glow Up @SMoCA: Gentle Yoga | Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art | 7:00 PM

🎵 Dee Dee Bridgewater with Bill Charlap | Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts | 7:30 PM

Friday, January 23

🎶 Doobie Doubles - Tribute to The Doobie Brothers | Casino Arizona | 7:30 PM (multiple days)

Saturday, January 24

🎺 Step Afrika! | ASU Gammage | 7:30 PM

📚 Scottsdale Book Festival | Scottsdale Civic Center | 10:00 AM

🤠 Western Week | Old Town Scottsdale | 11:00 AM (multiple days)

🚗 Cars & Coffee: Midday Edition | Club Scottsdale | 10:00 AM

💪 Winter Reset: Fitness and Wellness Event | Scottsdale Quarter in The Quad area | 8:30 AM

🎤 Phoenix Chorale presents TRANSCENDENCE | Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts | 7:30 PM

🍞 Frybread Making Class | Marshall Way Bridge | 2:00 PM

🍷 Meet The Maker: Deep Sky Vineyard | The Wine Collective of Scottsdale | 6:00 PM

Featuring the most expensive home sold in Scottsdale this week at $6.5M! Gorgeous views and almost 5 acres of land.

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

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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

You've been asking for it, so here it is — the third Scottsdale Scoop Dinner Club is happening and we're kicking things off on 1/28.

It's time to gather around the table, meet some neighbors, and discover new food spots while having a ridiculously good time.

Here's how it works:

The Logistics: The booking fee is $16 per seat, you pay for your own meal at the end of dinner, and I'll handle everything from the quiz to the matching to the reservations and reminders. All you gotta do is show up, meet some cool people, and have fun.

Here’s a link if you want to sign up. It’ll be a blast!