One of the categories for my New 60 Challenge (trying 60 new things for my 60th birthday) was EVENTS.
This became a category because we have been here in Arizona for 7 years, and there are still some shindigs we haven’t attended that are right up our alley.
Quote of the day: “Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.” Richard Branson
We are those types of people who Love going to musicals and performing arts events. And while we have been to a couple here in Arizona, we have NOT yet visited all of the fabulous theaters, both near and not so near to us.
But this category incorporated more than just theater events. There were a couple of other functions that I found and decided to add to the list.
If you missed the other categories from My New 60 Challenge, here’s the list:
–Restaurants
–Things
–Outfits
–Recipes
This is the one that started the whole idea of 60 New Things for my birthday. Both Rob and I are huge Princess Bride fans, and when I saw this advertised, I said we should go.
The show itself doesn’t fall into a “new” thing for my challenge since I’ve seen it many times and even read the book (it’s one of my favorite books, as reported in the past).
BUT we had never been out to the Mesa Arts Center, so that’s what made it “new” for us.
The evening was fun. Not my absolute favorite because we watched the movie and THEN Cary sat down and talked about some of the experiences (which are also recounted in the book, As You Wish). If we had heard him talk first, then we could have looked for those specific parts in the movie.
Insider tip: We listened to the audiobook of As You Wish, and if you’re a Princess Bride fan, I highly recommend it. Mainly because you learn SO much of the behind-the-scenes of the movie. But also because many of the voices are the actual actors from the movie.
Outfit Detail: I wore a “Princess” outfit that I figured was fitting for the event. Here is the video of it.
Can you believe we had never attended an Arizona ballet performance?
I chose Sleeping Beauty only because it’s a ballet we have never seen. Our usual is to go to the matinee so we don’t have to be out late, and seeing all of the youngsters all dressed up made it worth it.
Outfit Detail: Did you notice I wore 4 different tulle skirts layered to be a dress? I thought it was extremely appropriate for the occasion.
I’d never heard of Doktor Kaboom (and yes, he spells “Doktor” with a “K”), but I came across it while checking out the events playing at the Tempe Center for the Arts.
Doktor Kaboom is basically a scientist-comedian who makes science wildly fun by blowing things up, launching things into the air, and involving the audience in hilarious experiments.
Of course, the event was full of ankle biters, but it was also entertaining for us adults.
Our friend was here from Denver, and we dragged him along. The funniest part is that our friend is a rocket scientist, and Doktor Kaboom kept saying, “It’s not rocket science.”
Another venue we had never visited before: the Wickenburg theater. Since it’s an hour away, we made a mini-trip out of the event by staying at an Airbnb for the weekend that we attended.
The performance had a Cirque-style feel with acrobatics, visual storytelling, and performances that made me wonder how the human body is capable of doing any of it.
Especially the guy who was a contortionist…that was disturbing.
Outfit details: This is the set that was sent to me from StyleWe. I reviewed the brand and compared it to another similar brand. The Cirque Kalabante was African-based, so I thought my look gave off the same vibes.
This one was such a surprise in the best way. In fact, we have already decided to take the blog crew to this show this year. It was THAT good.
This lunch theater is housed in an art gallery, and while we had been there to browse, we had never taken advantage of the lunch theater gathering.
Rob was extremely impressed with the sound Clarity, and it was nice to see a packed crowd.
For this lunch theater, the West Valley Chorale singers were featured, and they were fabulous.
Outfit details: Both Rob and I wore some of my handknit sweaters since this was a Holiday function.
Originally, I was looking at the concert options at the MIM.
If you aren’t familiar with the MIM…it is the Musical Instrument Museum, which is a one-of-a-kind place here in Phoenix.
Insider tip: This place is massive, and there is NO way to look at everything in one go around. If you only have a day or half day to experience this museum, may I suggest one of their guided tours?
We’ve taken the Behind the Scenes Tour, and it was worth the Money.
Their concert hall is known for its world-class acoustics and hosts a diverse lineup of global artists. However, I wasn’t familiar with any of the ones playing in our timeframe, so when my friend asked if we wanted to join them at the Polynesian event instead, we immediately said “yes.”
The music, dancing, costumes, and storytelling made it feel immersive and educational all at once. I’ve always loved experiences that teach you something while entertaining you.
We’ve been to the Heard Museum countless times, yet had never taken the time to pencil in the Hoop Dancing affair that is held every February.
This is a prestigious World Championship Contest and is something you should experience if you have the opportunity.
While we attended the children’s portion of the ceremony, it was a fabulous lesson on how the older participants make it look so easy.
Insider tip: The event is also live-streamed on YouTube on the Heard Museum channel, which is how we saw the older competitors.
You can even look back and see what we saw.
When I first heard about this from a friend of a friend, I was SO excited. I remember attending these festivals when I was a kid living in Ohio.
And the food was incredible–back then.
This event? It was disappointing.
Not just the food and the lines to get the food.
But also, there was an exhibition showcasing some famous Hungarians and what they have brought to our world. It was lame. Not to be super negative, but it looked like it was put together by a middle-school student.
Needless to say, we don’t need to attend again. I should just make my grandma’s recipes if I want to taste Hungarian food and pastries.
Outfit Details: I wore an embroidered shirt. You can see the entire look on Sunday of this Daily Look post.
We still have 2 events on the books, but I didn’t want to wait longer to publish this article.
We have heard good things about this particular Broadway-style theater near us, yet we had never gone. We wanted to see a show that we hadn’t seen before, which is why I made reservations for Avenue Q. I know nothing about it, but Rob is wary about what it might be about.
Our river cruise is meant to be the big finale to my New 60 Challenge. Of course, I’ll be blogging all about the experience, including what I packed, what I wore, and the experience itself.
No surprise that I try to tie life lessons to everything that we do and experience.
And for these 10 new events, I love the fact that we explore new places. Sure, we could stay in our 10-mile radius and only do the things we’ve already done.
But what is the fun of that?
I believe that there is huge value in staying curious.
For us, the secret is to make reservations and put them on the calendar. Otherwise, it just doesn’t happen.
One of the things I’ve noticed is that as we get older, our world tends to shrink. Meaning we fall into ruts with the same restaurants, same routines, same Entertainment, and even same conversations.
So this challenge with my 10 new events made us stretch. This is not only good for our brains but also good for our Relationships.
So if you’ve been feeling stuck lately, maybe you don’t need a total life overhaul.
Maybe you just need a new experience on the calendar.
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Jodie Filogomo is a retired cosmetic dentist and fashion blogger behind Jodie’s Touch of Style, where she has been helping women over 50 experiment with style in fun, creative ways for over 12 years.
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