Chivalry, Cinema, and Local Flavors: Your Phoenix 'What’s On' Guide for Saturday

Fairhaven Calls: Chivalry and Champions at the Renaissance Festival

Step back in time today as the Arizona Renaissance Festival celebrates its Chivalry and Champions theme weekend. Located just east of Gold Canyon, this 50-acre Tudor-style village offers a medieval escape from the modern bustle. Visitors can witness full-contact jousting, browse an artisan marketplace with hundreds of vendors, and enjoy 16 stages of live entertainment including music, comedy, and acrobatics. The festival is open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, providing a full day of immersive historical fun for all ages.

Morning Goods at the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market

Start your morning at the Arizona Center for the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market. Now operating out of its new location at 455 N. 3rd Street, the market is the premier spot to find locally grown produce, handmade crafts, and unique culinary treats. Whether you are looking for organic greens, artisanal bread, or local honey, the market provides a vibrant community atmosphere and a chance to support small businesses. The market is open rain or shine from 8:00 AM until 1:00 PM.

Captivating Performances: Broadway and Beyond

Phoenix’s theater scene is in full swing this Saturday with several notable productions catering to different tastes:

• Come From Away: The Phoenix Theatre Company presents the heartwarming true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Performances are held at the Stephenson Theatre.
• Dirty Dancing in Concert: Experience the classic film like never before at the Arizona Financial Theatre. This unique event features the movie projected on a large screen while a live band and singers perform the iconic soundtrack in sync with the film.
• Jitney: August Wilson’s powerful play continues its run at the Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center, exploring the lives and struggles of Pittsburgh cab drivers in the 1970s.

Artistic Reflections and Immersive Science

For those seeking cultural enrichment, the Phoenix Art Museum is currently hosting the captivating exhibition Muscle Memory: Lens on the Body. This collection features over 80 works by legendary photographers such as Diane Arbus and Richard Avedon, examining the human form through athletic portraits and intimate reflections on aging and vulnerability. Nearby, the Arizona Science Center continues Pompeii: The Exhibition, which features authentic artifacts and immersive displays that bring the history of the Roman city to life.

Family Adventures and Dinosaur Encounters

Families have plenty of options for exploration today, most notably Jurassic Quest at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. This massive event features life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, interactive fossil digs, and themed activities for budding paleontologists. Meanwhile, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix is hosting special activities for Black History Month, alongside their regular Saturday workshop, Thing-a-ma-jigs, where children can create art using recycled materials and their own imagination.