From dinosaur combat (and dinos made out of Legos) to real-life mermaids to hot air balloons, this Memorial Day (May 25-27) is brimming with unique family-friendly fun.
Friday:
Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.”
Scottsdale’s Desert Stages Theatre showcases Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” all weekend long its new location in Scottsdale Fashion Square. Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” is based off of the Disney classic movie “Aladdin” and will be performed by talented youth actors in the Valley, ages 3 to 19. To purchase tickets, visit desertstages.org or call the box office at 480.483.1664. Check here for times.
Arizona Restaurant Week
Treat the family to dinner at a new-to-you restaurant during Arizona Restaurant Association's Arizona Restaurant Week. From May 18 to 27, local chefs show off creative culinary chops with three-course, prix-fixe menus for just $33 or $44 per person. Diners can also view a complete list of restaurants participating in Spring Restaurant Week at www.arizonarestaurantweek.com.
Summer Escapes
Looking the ultimate family staycation to soak up the holiday weekend? Check out Summer Escapes.
Saturday:
DEEP TIME: Imagining the Ancient Inland
DEEP TIME: Imagining the Ancient Inland Sea is an immersive, family-friendly experience running May 26 through Augist 24 at the Gallery @ The Library, Scottsdale Civic Center. DEEP TIME takes visitors on a journey to the prehistoric ocean that once covered the Sonoran Desert, as imagined through the eyes of Tucson-based artists Lex Gjurasic and Rachel Slick. This sculpted environment uses color, pattern, light, texture and experimental materials to create an ocean-bottom experience of being surrounded by fanciful sea life, including kelp towers, coral reefs, an underwater garden, a bioluminescent tunnel and a large sea beast.
Jurassic Fight Night
Pangaea Land of the Dinosaurs will host their first Jurassic Fight Night in the OdySea in the Desert courtyard at 6:30 p.m. May 26. Pangaea Land of the Dinosaurs’ Jurassic Fight Night will be a complete production featuring dinosaurs in the boxing ring, fighting to determine who is the fiercest creature of the prehistoric era. The family-friendly event will include concessions, photo ops with the dinosaurs, live entertainment between fights and more. Tickets for Jurassic Fight Night can be purchased at pangaealandofthedinosaurs.com/events/.
Cave Creek Balloon Festival
Cave Creek's biggest single-day event, the annual Cave Creek Balloon Festival at Rancho Mañana Golf Course, is a chance for locals to enjoy great live bands, massive glowing balloons, a fireworks show, face painting a kid’s zone and much more. The balloons start to inflate and glow around 7:30 p.m.
Mermaid Magic at OdySea Aquarium
The popular Mermaid Magic experience will return to OdySea Aquarium this summer from May 26 through May 28. Guests will enjoy special encounters with these mythical creatures, including Breakfast with Mermaids, Mermaid Magic Cove, mermaid-inspired hair braiding and face painting, endless photos ops and much more.
Sunday:
Bodies Revealed
The overwhelmingly popular Bodies Revealed exhibit has opensed at OdySea in the Desert and explores the human body in an intimate and informative way. The 12,000-sq.-ft. exhibition will remain on display until March 2019. “Bodies Revealed” gives an in-depth view of the complex and intricate network of internal organs and systems in a very up-close and personal way, with more than 200 whole and partial preserved human body specimens. There are nine self-guided galleries, including The Skeletal System and Muscles and the Nervous System, each one providing a detailed look into a specific part of the body, its functions and its importance to the rest of the body.
Sonoran Safari at i.d.e.a. Museum
Head to i.d.e.a. Museum in Mesa to explore the artistic landscape of the world’s 11th largest desert—the only place where the famous saguaro cactus grows in the wild—during the limited-time exhibit, Sonoran Safari. Through art and hands-on activities, guests learn about the desert’s native plants, animals, reptiles and birds. Time’s running out to see this exhibit; it’s on view through May 27.
Dino Explorer at Legoland Discovery Center
Through the end of 2018, Legoland Discovery Center at Arizona Mills in Tempe hosts a Jurassic-sized adventure, Dino Explorer, with a wide range of dino activities (like building Lego dinosaurs and snapping a pic with a Lego T-Rex!) and playful learning.
