Phoenix Comicon 2016 Picks #phxcc

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Wading through the Phoenix Comicon schedule can be a bit daunting, so I wanted to highlight some panels and events I thought you lovely maker geeks might be interested in.

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I’ve asterisked the items that don’t require a Phoenix Comicon membership pass for anyone who can’t make it to the whole Con but still wants to be a part of the action.

For more recommendations on what to eat/drink/see around the Convention Center, check out our last post.

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Thursday, June 2

3pm Cosplay 101 – From Closet to Convention Floor – I love that this panel is about making your own costumes with what you already have!

*6:30pm Comi-PAWn Pet Parade – Probably the cutest event of the Con, pet lovers can bring their dogs in costume to the Herberger Theater patio to be part of a show and parade.

7:30pm The Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown (PUGS) – preliminary round of the annual, hilarious geek debate tournament

*8pm Star Wars vs Star Trek – The Music of Deep Space – The Phoenix Symphony will be playing music from Star Wars and Star Trek films, and the audience will vote for their favorite franchise! (Event tickets required.)

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Friday, June 3

1:30pm Making the Game: The Art, Design, and Imagination of Iconica – how to design your own tabletop game. (More info on Facebook.)

*4:30pm Geek Girl Brunch Phoenix: Comicon Meetup – cocktail hour with a group of geek girls who usually meet for brunch. (h/t friends Anne and Eileen)

7:30pm The Phoenix Ultimate Geek Smackdown (PUGS) – geek debate tournament finals

8pm Star Party with the Phoenix Astronomical Society – telescopes will be set up for star/planet-gazing

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Saturday, June 4

1:30pm Cosplay for All Sizes – modify costumes and patterns to work for your body

7:30pm Dancing for Everyone! – introductory-level English and Irish community set dances

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Sunday, June 5

10:30am Confessions of a Cosplay Boyfriend – trials and tribulations of being in a relationship with a female cosplayer

4:30pm Phoenix Comicon Fan Fest Preview – apparently, this year’s Fan Fest will be at a new venue and in October (instead of December). Hopefully, they’ll let us know what’s up. (And hopefully I’ll make it to Sunday afternoon.)

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While the car show will stay on Third Street (full schedule under Phoenix Comicon “outdoor events.”), there will be a lot happening on Adams Street, as well.

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Fri-Sun: Con on Adams

This year, Phoenix Comicon is taking over Adams Street, where there will be live music, a party pavilion, San Tan Brewery beer garden, and food trucks.

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Bands:

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Food truck line-up:

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What are you looking forward to?

PS Travelcraft Journal turns 3 today! I’ll probably raise a celebratory glass – or spoon – at Comicon. Cheers to all of you for being a part of this community!

Phoenix from the Convention Center

Updated last: February 23, 2021 (to reflect permanent closures and changes, not temporary measures due to COVID-19).

Originally published May 30, 2016.


Let’s say you’re in town for a thing at the Phoenix Convention Center. You have a spare hour here and there. Maybe a spare afternoon. And then you have a flight to catch. How can you get a little taste of Phoenix while you’re here?

Or maybe you’re a local, looking for somewhere new to eat or hang out while you’re downtown for an event like Phoenix Fan Fusion (formerly Phoenix  Comicon) or before you head to a symphony performance.

Phoenix convention center and symphony hall

Here are some tips for a Phoenix experience with the Convention Center at the epicenter. All these locations are easy to get to from there without a car.

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At the Convention Center

View: There are places to sit and experience the Arizona climate outside of all 3 of the Convention Center buildings (North, South, West). In the North Building, check out the view from the second- and third-floor (200 and 300 level) terraces on the south side of the building. Look for the mountains beyond the downtown. (Building maps)

Phenix convention center and food trucks

Food: While all the Phoenix Convention Center Food is managed by Aventura, a Phoenix-based division of Aramark, they do contract with local companies such as City Central Coffee in the Metro Marché food court in the North Building. Some events (like Phoenix Fan Fusion) may also have locally-owned food trucks outside.

 

Symphony during Phoenix Comicon

Music: The West Building of the Convention Center is actually connected to Phoenix Symphony Hall, where there is a variety of performances throughout the season. Check the Phoenix Symphony’s online schedule for concert and ticket information.

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Bike Share: There are bright green Grid Bikes you can rent by the minute from kiosks outside the Convention Center, in Heritage Square, and several other locations downtown. Sign up first online or via the Social Bicycles app – membership is required even for a single “Pay as You Go” ride.

Pizzeria Bianco

In the Neighborhood

There’s tons of stuff to see/do/eat within walking distance. Here are some recommendations, in order of their (rough) distance from Phoenix Convention Center.

Cartel

.2 mi Cartel Coffee (1 N 1st St)

Relax and sip some really good coffee. It’s very close to the Convention Center, but just far enough away to be much less hectic.

They share space with Kaleidoscope Juice, in case you also need a smoothie, salad, or breakfast sandwich.  Update: This Kaleidoscope location has closed. However, you can still find them in Scottsdale, Gilbert, and North Phoenix.

 

CityScape Phoenix

.3 Cityscape (1 E Washington St)

Two blocks of mixed-use space, including residences, offices, fitness centers, a hotel, salon, barbershop, drugstore, comedy club, shopping, and restaurants.

CityScape Phoenix

  • Patriots Park – Before the high rise buildings of CityScape, there was Patriots Park. The newer development includes a park-like central plaza with a grassy area, splash pad, and a solar-powered charging station.
  • Check the event schedule for music, comedy, and free outdoor movies.

CityScape Phoenix

  • The Arrogant Butcher offers a straight-up delicious variety of new American dishes, plus charcuterie and a raw bar.

AZ Center

.3 Arizona Center (455 North 3rd Street)

The best thing about Arizona Center is probably its Garden Grotto. Pathways wind through desert plants and past a pond. There’s a fair amount of shade and lots of benches. I feel like a little garden walk is a great remedy for convention hall chaos.

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There is also shopping and restaurants.

Heritage Square Phoenix

.4 Heritage Square (113 N 6th St)

Part of the original Phoenix townsite, the Square is now home to several museums, a couple restaurants, and cultural festivals throughout the year.

Pizzeria Bianco outside

Diamondbacks baseball field

.5 Sports Venues

 

Light rail Phoenix

Just stops away…

The Valley Metro light rail is a convenient way to get around Central Phoenix (some tips). There’s just one line and automatic ticket kiosks at each station.

You can catch westbound trains off Washington in front of the West Building / Symphony Hall. The eastbound stop is on Jefferson, just across from the South Building.

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Hop on the westbound train (it’ll curve north) to check out these places, listed by number of stops from the Convention Center.

Her secret is patience sculpture

2 stops: Civic Space Park area – Van Buren/Central Ave

Lola Coffee

3 stops: Roosevelt Row – Roosevelt/Central Ave

  • First Fridays – Roosevelt Row, the arts district of Roosevelt Street, comes alive for the monthly First Friday night artwalk, when the street is taken over by pedestrians and art galleries are open late. Boutiques and cafes have extended hours. There is live music, an outdoor arts market, free trolleys to transport you from place to place, and a party atmosphere.
  • Third Fridays are a newer addition with fewer crowds and more gallery openings.
  • MADE Art Boutique offers locally handcrafted items.

Desoto market

  • DeSoto Central Market – Food court of great local restaurants, bar, and coffee shop with lots of room to meet up with friends.
  • Pita Jungle is a vegetarian-friendly, Mediterranean-inspired restaurant with a nice, big patio and local art on the walls. They offer specials for happy hour and reverse happy hour (9pm to close).

Lola Coffee

  • Lola Coffee Bar is right next door to Pita Jungle. It’s a warm, welcoming place to hang out.
  • FilmBar – Cinema showcasing indie, local, cult, and classic films with a beer and wine bar.

Phoenix Art Museum

4 stops: Phoenix Art Museum – McDowell/Central Ave

Collections include American, Asian, European, Latin American, and Western American Art, fashion, photography, and contemporary installations, such as the interactive You Who are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies.

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The museum also hosts traveling exhibitions, like Hollywood Costume, Michelangelo, and Super Indian – Fritz Scholder’s bold, bright pop art.

Michelangelo

  • Extended hours/voluntary donations times on Wednesdays (3-9pm) and First Fridays (6-10pm), plus all afternoon on Second Sundays (12-5pm). During these times, no admission ticket is required for general entry. You have the option of making a donation via a cash box in the lobby.

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5 stops: Heard Museum – Encanto/Central Ave

Fantastic museum of the historic and contemporary culture of indigenous peoples of the Americas, especially the Southwest. Collections include work on canvas, jewelry, pottery, texiles, and video interviews.

Downtown Phoenix sunset

Craft Camp

Here are a few glimpses into this weekend’s Craft Camp!

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Morning Sessions

The day started out at TechShop with coffee and pastries from GRAZ Kitchen Fresh and a keynote from Derek Neighbors of Gangplank.

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The there were talks on selling your work via ecommerce and retail, product photography, and crafting for good (to benefit charity, etc.).

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Kelli, Kitty, and I did our panel on blogging for crafters, and I’ll be posting links and resources from that later this week soon.

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In between the morning and afternoon sessions, a bunch of us went over to ChopShop for lunch.

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Afternoon Session

The afternoon was open crafting and networking time at Gangplank with a supply swap and wine and cheese hummus reception.

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Eileen showed past CraftHack projects, Anne knitted, Lisa spun yarn on her portable spinning wheel (!), and Jennifer demonstrated how to use Japanese water brush for watercolor.

Everyone else just hung out and chatted, so it was a nice way to wrap up the day.

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Microblog Mondays: Write in your own space

Craft Camp is coming!

The awesomeness of our monthly CraftHack meetups could not be contained. One of the organizers, Anne Watson Barber, has planned an entire day for the same kind of learning, crafting, and connecting that happens there. And you’re definitely invited!

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Craft Camp is happening Saturday, August 8 at TechShop Chandler. The morning will be filled with talks and workshops to help artists, makers, and crafters learn how to turn their craft into a passion project or business.

I will be part of a blogging panel at 11:15, along with Kitty Carlisle of the Grammatical Activist and Kelli Donley of AfricanKelli. We’ll be sharing strategies and tools to help you get the word out about your craft blog and build your community.

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There will also be panels on photographing your creations, crafting for charity, and how to sell via ecommerce and retail.

The afternoon will be a time to craft and meet other crafters.

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Registration is $20. Proceeds go to Refugee Focus, an organization that helps refugees in Arizona. Several of our CraftHack-ers volunteer with them, teaching refugee women sewing and other job skills.

I think it’s going to be a really great day! Please tell your artsy-crafty friends and register via the CraftHack Facebook page.

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– More info –