Scottsdale Culinary Festival
The 37th annual Scottsdale Culinary Festival takes place this week at various locations throughout Scottsdale. The event is home to over 20 events, 100 restaurants, dozens of chefs, and thousands of guests. This six-day extravaganza has events such as the Burger Battle, Great Arizona Picnic, Southwest Festival of Beers, and more. Scottsdale League for the Arts hosts the event and donates all money raised at the event to arts organizations in Arizona. For a complete list of events and locations, visit scottsdalefest.org.
Scottsdale Culinary Festival, Various Locations, Scottsdale, April 7-12, $40+

Back to the Ballpark
Spring Training is officially over, but that means the regular season is officially upon us. The Diamondbacks open their season with back-to-back home series against the San Francisco Giants early in the week and Los Angeles Dodgers in the later part of the week. Head out to the ballpark to catch the start of the 2015 season or sample the abundance of new dishes that the park has to offer, such as the Churro Dog. The week is also filled with a limited number of giveaways and special nights, such as Hello Kitty baseball bobble heads and Dad and Daughter Day at the Ballpark.
Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, April 6-8; April 10-12, $19+

“Sleeping Beauty”
Magic, mischief, and true love’s kiss. What more could you ask for in a performance? Ballet Arizona performs the classic story of “Sleeping Beauty” in the Dorrance Theatre. The studio company will preform the abridged version of the fairytale complete with all the curses.
Ballet Arizona 2835 E. Washington St., Phoenix, April 11-12, $25

Laura’s Run
Runners, take your mark and get set in the Annual Laura’s Run. The event features a 5K, 1.5K walk, kids dash, and a doggie trot. There will be age bracket awards for the top finishers. Aside from running, there will also be live music, a silent auction, dog treats, refreshments, and a raffle. This annual event benefits patients currently undergoing lung transplantation at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.
Scottsdale Sports Complex, 8081 E. Princess Dr., Scottsdale, April 11, $35

Paddle Fest
Head out to Lake Pleasant’s Fireman’s Cove for the all day Paddle Fest. Starting early, participants can enter into the fishing derby. If you don’t own a paddleboat, there will be booths set up to try out canoes, kayaks, stand up paddleboards, and rafts. Other events include photography from a paddleboat and various scavenger hunts. Vendors will be on hand all day for festival attendees to check out all the different watercrafts. There will also be live music throughout the afternoon.
Lake Pleasant Regional Park, 41835 N. Castle Hot Springs Rd., Morristown, April 11, $6 per vehicle