Name: Cool Nihongo at Japanese Friendship Garden
Start: 2027-07-10
End: 2027-07-10

Butterfly Wonderland, featuring the largest butterfly conservatory in the country with thousands of fluttering butterflies, transports guests of all ages to the rainforest by immersing them in the world of butterflies and other rainforest animals. Live exhibits connect people to nature through a sensory experience that educates, entertains, and provides a refuge from the outside world. Learn about Monarch migration in a captivating 3D movie, observe live chrysalis as they emerge naturally into beautiful butterflies, spend ample time strolling through the conservatory with the butterflies, get up close to unique reptiles that inhabit rainforests across the world, and even indulge in edible insects!

Butterfly Wonderland

OdySea Aquarium, located in Scottsdale, Arizona, is one of America’s largest aquariums and has won numerous awards including Best Kids Indoor Entertainment and Best Family Entertainment. This state-of-the-art facility holds more than 2 million gallons of water and offers educational, interactive, and entertaining experiences for guests of all ages. From sharks, sea turtles, and penguins to otters and rays, it is home to more than 6,000 animals. Highlights include SeaTREK™ underwater ocean walking, a submerged escalator that descends into the deep ocean, one of the largest collections of sharks in the country, a Giant Pacific Octopus, and the world’s only Russian Sturgeon touch exhibit. OdySea is also home to Voyager, a stadium-seating style theater with 46 ft. viewing windows that takes guests on a journey through the ocean in the world’s only revolving aquarium. OdySea Aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and was also the first attraction – and aquarium – in Arizona to become a Certified Autism Center (CAC) by the International Board of Credentialing and Continued Education Standards (IBCCES). OdySea Aquarium is located at 9500 E. Via de Ventura in the Arizona Boardwalk Entertainment Destination.

OdySea Aquarium

Experience the impossible at Museum of Illusions Scottsdale! Enjoy over 60 eye-fooling exhibits designed to tease the senses and trick the mind. Experience optical illusions, installations, holograms, immersive rooms and more that will leave guests of all ages feeling curious and inspired. Walk on walls. Grow and shrink. Defy gravity. You'll experience it all at MOI Scottsdale! Our highly visual and educational exhibits are sure to challenge you and change your perspective. Learn why the eyes see things the brain cannot understand - all while enjoying lots of laughs along of the way! The museum staff is highly trained and can't wait to share their knowledge of illusions with you. They're also experts on snapping the perfect social-media worthy photo! MOI Scottsdale is conveniently located at the Arizona Boardwalk alongside the OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland. It's the perfect destination for a family outing, date night, or meet-up with friends. Come experience the world of illusions at Museum of Illusions Scottsdale!

Museum of Illusions Scottsdale

Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Company boasts 4 decades of experience offering hot-air balloon rides to over 500,000 passengers. Sunrise flights are available every morning at sunrise year-round, weather permitting. Or, enjoy Arizona's breathtaking sunsets during a balloon flight in the winter months. Take in views of the Sonoran Desert while floating in the sky and sending greetings to earthbound folks below. After landing, we celebrate the flight with champagne and mimosas and a traditional toast. Finally, we offer a light nosh while our pilots present their passengers with a Rainbow Ryders flight certificate to commemorate this unique adventure. Check off your bucket list and rise above the rest with Rainbow Ryders, Inc. ® Hot Air Balloon Company.

Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Ride Company

Wild Horse Pass is evolving into the ultimate, one-of-a-kind planning destination. In addition to the present functionality Gila River already offers, you can look forward to contemporary touches, warm wood tones, and sun-soaked foyer spaces within the new conference and event spaces. And, aside from endless functional space, the Wild Horse Pass expansion will deliver more rooms, more views, more experiences – more of everything you love about Gila River Resorts & Casinos and beyond.

Gila River Resorts & Casinos- Wild Horse Pass

Presenting films with Jewish themes from around the world to the Greater Phoenix Community. Mission To present films and provide meaningful programming with Jewish themes from around the world to audiences throughout the Greater Phoenix Community. Vision To nurture a cohesive and engaged Jewish community in the Valley of the Sun while cultivating broader awareness and appreciation of the richness and diversity of Jewish culture among all residents and visitors. Why We honor the importance of Jewish heritage and storytelling. We value the role our Festival plays in enriching the cultural life of the entire community. We believe Jewish film helps illuminate identity, foster understanding, and reflect the shared values of resilience, creativity, and humanity. How By curating films that explore the past, present, and future of Jewish life around the world. By welcoming participation from community organizations across the Valley. By sharing the power of Jewish storytelling—and the arts more broadly—with the wider community.

Greater Phoenix Jewish Film Festival

Named after a Sonoran Desert plant that explodes with brilliant yellow springtime blooms, Brittlebush Bar & Grill presents a modern gastro pub-style menu. Using locally sourced ingredients from respected local purveyors, the menu offers light appetizers and salads as well as more substantial fare such as a guest favorite, Shrimp Mac & Cheese. Brittlebush’s full bar includes a wide variety of Scotch, imported draft and domestic beers as well as a selection of micro-brewed beers. Located in the Kierland Golf Club with sweeping views of the golf course and nearby mountains, Brittlebush’s lodge-like setting with copper and wood-beamed accents and an expansive rock fireplace creates a relaxed atmosphere that is ideal for a casual lunch or early dinner.

Brittlebush Bar & Grill at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa’s impressive Scotch Library features more than 125 single malts and 25 blends imported from all six whisky regions of Scotland (Speyside, Highland, Islay, Islands, Lowland and Campbeltown) and representing nearly half of the distilleries in Scotland today. Vintages in the Scotch Library range from 10-year-old Scotch to Scotch that is more than 40 years old. Assisting guests with selections are Scotch Library Ambassadors, who are experts in the area of single malt and blend whiskies from Scotland. Not only are the Ambassadors passionate Scotch consumers themselves, but they have received extensive training to prepare them for their role as ambassadors.

The Scotch Library at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

Located at Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler, the world famous Radford Racing School offers exciting racecar driving programs for individual and group entertainment. Founded in 1968, the school is the largest purpose-built driver training facility of its kind in North America. At the heart of the 450-acre racing facility is our 1.6-mile, 15-turn track, along with 3 additional road courses and a NHRA drag strip. As the Official High Performance Driving School of Dodge//SRT, we maintain over 100 performance vehicles, sedans and SUVs. In addition to our fleet of performance-engineered Dodge//SRT vehicles, we also offer the thrill of open wheel racing in our state-of-the art Ligier JS Formula 4 single-seater. For those seeking open-air racing excitement on a smaller – but just as thrilling scale – indulge in our gas-powered karting program during your next private party or corporate event. Available for groups of 10+, our kart course delivers incredible and memorable experiences that will last a lifetime!

Radford Racing School

It's time to go beyond. Follow trails that reveal mighty mountaintops. Wander among iconic landscapes beneath picture-perfect skies. Let the Sonoran Desert be your guide to limitless adventure.

Visit Phoenix Sports & Events 

**Discover Japan through Language & Culture at Cool Nihongo!** Nihongo means “Japanese language” — pronounced *Knee-Hone-Goh* — and just like that, you’ve learned your first word!

Each month from September through June, our instructors introduce seasonal themes and cultural traditions, from fall festivals and New Year’s greetings to spring ceremonies and summer celebrations. Through interactive activities, cultural insights, and practical language practice, you’ll explore Japan in a fun and approachable way. Handouts are provided to support your learning, and there’s time to mingle and practice with fellow participants.

Your Cool Nihongo ticket also includes complimentary admission to the Japanese Friendship Garden — a chance to enjoy the serene beauty of the Garden before or after class.

Cool Nihongo at Japanese Friendship Garden

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