After the end of year holidays are over, it is normal to feel a little blue. The decorations are put away, the anticipation has been realized, and for most of us, the diets have begun, but we at I Love Scottsdale know the secret to getting through the blues is to start planning your next vacation! 2025 is still a mystery to all of us as we write these words, but this preview to Scottsdale in the new year will give you a sneak peek into a vacation that will bring you joy, excitement, and comfort, especially when you choose I Love Scottsdale for your Arizona vacation destination. Here’s a quick guide of a 2025 Preview to Scottsdale.
2025 Events in the Desert
The new year brings with it a long list of special events, starting with the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction that starts January 18th, which may be a little too close to start planning a Scottsdale vacation. If you have already made plans to be here during that week and you are interested, Barrett Jackson is a big deal around here every year. Held at West World, 16601 N Pima Road, guests can rub shoulders with celebrities, check out the newest vehicles, and marvel over the cars being auctioned off. Most recently, the fall auction featured Sammy Hagar’s 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari, selling for a record breaking $4.6 million, and although we don’t know what cars are set to appear in the 2025 auction, we know they will be impressive. Below, we have listed a few more upcoming events that are worth planning a Scottsdale vacation around.
WM Phoenix Open, February 3-9, TPC Scottsdale
The PGA comes to town in February, offering perhaps the most famous hole on the tour, the 16th hole. The hole that Tiger Woods famously hit a hole-in-one on in 1997 has since become famous for being the rowdiest hole on the tour, and there have been wild parties, streakers, and something else. Hmm, what could that be? Oh yes, some really good golf taking place on that hole and all 17 others for the in the WM Phoenix Open. The Bird’s Nest, a 48,000-square-foot tent under which guests will find food, drinks, and live music after the day’s games have concluded.
Parada Del Sol Rodeo, March 6-9, Westworld of Scottsdale
The Parada del Sol Rodeo, returning to town for the 71st year, offers one of our favorite parties, starting with the Trail’s End party that begins at the end of the parade. Featuring live music, yummy food, and a Kids’ Zone with games, pony rides, and of course, more food and drinks. The rodeo, nicknamed the best in the west, offers all the expected rodeo events including, bull riding, saddle bronc, and a variety of roping events.
Home to the Cactus League
March is a really big month here in Scottsdale as the Cactus League Spring Training dominates the scene with 16 big name baseball teams playing at a variety of stadiums throughout the valley. Scottsdale Stadium, located at 7408 E Osborn Road, is the Spring Training home to the San Francisco Giants, but there are 10 different stadiums in the area that surely have your favorite team playing. The Chicago Cubs are based here in the spring, playing at Sloan Park, a smaller version of Wrigley Field in their hometown. The boys of summer bring a magic to the area, along with hot dogs, beer, and because the weather is especially nice here in March, sunburned noses.
A Walk on the Wild Side
Although Scottsdale and the surrounding cities offer sophisticated experiences, there is an underlying wild side that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, many of which we have listed in the paragraphs below. Walking on the wild side has never been so fun and the beautiful Scottsdale weather will make your adventures even more memorable.
OdySea Aquarium, 9500 Via de Ventura Boulevard Suite A100 in Scottsdale
OdySea Aquarium usually brings a bit of a shock to those who visit, because seriously, who expects to find an aquarium in the desert? This largest aquarium in the Southwest offers over 2,000,000 gallons of water and a revolutionary rotating aquarium that brings all the different fish to viewers who sit in seats that stay in one place. You’ll find touch pools, shark tanks, and an art gallery that is unlike anything you have ever seen before. The Ocean Art Gallery is quite literally a gallery of individual aquariums, some floating in the air and all filled with colorful fish, seahorses, and translucent jellyfish floating within.
Phoenix Zoo, 455 N Galvin Parkway in Phoenix
The Phoenix Zoo is the largest nonprofit zoo charitable organization in the world, featuring over 125 acres of desert landscape and animal habitats. Once famous for Ruby, the painting elephant, today’s animal celeb is Fernando the Famous Sloth, whose cute face and funny antics have made people from all over the world fall in love. There are four trails that take zoo goers through drastically different sections, including the Africa Trail, where tigers, baboons, and river hogs roam in habitats that are designed to resemble their homes. The Arizona Trail is home to desert wildlife, including the Sonoran Desert Tortoise and the Tropics Trail inhabited by Toucans, rhinos, and Komodo dragons. And the final trail, the Children’s Trail offers domestic farm animals and the sweetest petting zoo allowing the kiddos to get up close and personal with the animals that reside within.
Out of Africa Wildlife Park, 3505 AZ-260 in Camp Verde
A road trip is involved with a visit to Out of Africa Wildlife Park, as Camp Verde is located about 100 miles north of Scottsdale. Offering a more intimate experience than the Phoenix Zoo, its animal encounters never fail to excite the imagination, especially their Predator Feed experience. During this tour, you follow the keepers as they toss slabs raw meat to the predators on the premises, including lions, bears, and hyenas. The African Bush Safari will make you feel as if you left the deserts of Arizona and stepped on to the savannas of Africa, riding through the habitats of giraffes, zebras, and even the critically endangered addax. There may be a chance to steal a kiss from a giraffe as you feed and learn the stories of the animals who live in the Serengeti/Camp Verde desert.
Shouldn’t Miss Scottsdale Experiences
As you spend your days exploring all the Scottsdale area has to offer, there are certain experiences that you should not miss, experiences that best reflect the vibe and personality of your Arizona vacation, and we’ve mentioned a few of our favorite shouldn’t miss activities below.
Scottsdale Fashion Square, E Camelback Road in Scottsdale
As malls are facing the competition of online shopping and losing in popularity, the success of Scottsdale Fashion Square may seem confusing, but when you step inside the mall for the first time, it will all become clear. This mall, successful and thriving offers the luxury brands that you may only have read about in fashion magazines, including the incomparable Louboutin brand. Also offering fine dining options, yoga studios, theaters, spas, and so much more, exploring all of Scottsdale Fashion Square will take some time, so be sure to plan for it.
Exploring Old Town Scottsdale
Our town is loosely divided into four separate areas, north, south, and central, and the Old Town area, with Old Town being the part you will really want to spend time exploring. Offering shops, galleries, and some of the best restaurants in town, the Sugar Bowl, an ice cream parlor that has stood the test of time, will sweeten all your adventures. The Rusty Spur Saloon, located at 7245 E Main Street, has been a local western bar experience since 1951, serving as a home away from home for cowboys, entertainers, and many of the celebrities that find themselves in Scottsdale on a Saturday night, looking for something to do. The biggest names in country music have performed on the stage and the biggest names in Hollywood have bellied up to the bar and ordered cold ones at the Rusty Spur. And finally, the Old Town Scottsdale wine & ail trails leads travelers on a tasting journey of some of the state’s best wines and beers.
MacDonald’s Ranch, 26540 N Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale
Scottsdale is billed as the “West’s Most Western Town,” and for a true to life Western visit you will need to visit MacDonalds Ranch to make your vacation dreams come true. Offering seasonal events that include a pumpkin patch in the fall, guests can enjoy horseback rides, carriage rides, and a fun western town on the same land where the horse ranch once did business. Their cowboy cookouts are available from November through April when the temperatures rise and a campfire cookout loses its appeal. Also offering a petting zoo and games for the kids, this family friendly experience promises to be the 2025 adventure you will never forget.
A Taste of Scottsdale
The best vacations include the best meals and the restaurants we have listed below will become an integral part of your vacation memories, offering a taste of Scottsdale that will haunt your dreams for years to come.
Arcadia Farms Café, 7025 E 1st Avenue in Scottsdale
Known for its brunch and lunch served every day, Arcadia Farms Café also serves dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings and has been an integral part of the Scottsdale dining experience for over 30 years. Its French inspired menu is created with locally sourced ingredients, making guests feel good about the foods they try and for a sweet start to your day, we highly recommend their Peach French Toast Casserole made with praline pecan caramel sauce topped with whipped cream. If that sweet is a little too much, you might want to go for their Mexican inspired breakfast, their short rib beef hash. Made with short ribs, roasted poblanos, and topped with home made salsa, this dish will give you the energy you need to survive a day of adventures.
Salt Cellar Restaurant, 550 Hayden Road in Scottsdale
The Salt Cellar is another desert surprise, focusing on seafood in an underground building that manages to stay cool, even during the hottest days of summer. Offering a taste of the world, one bite of delicious seafood at a time, this wonderful restaurant has been a local tradition for over 50 years. The bartenders at the Salt Cellar bar work magic with cocktails and the wines are smooth and silky with their after dinner drinks bringing joy. The dessert menu is one dreams are made of and change on a regular basis.
Spotted Donkey Cantina, 34505 N Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale
You can’t consider it a successful Scottsdale getaway without exploring the spicy delights of at least one authentic Mexican restaurant and for today’s purposes, it is the Spotted Donkey Cantina we are suggesting. Offering a whimsical donkey décor (Saying that is definitely a first for us!) a menu filled with deliciousness, and because what’s a Mexican meal without a margarita or four, over 40 varieties of tequila, each destined to make you forget about the good times you have enjoyed in Arizona! Any time is the best time to test your will power with chips and salsa, discover your limits with tequila, and enjoy an authentic Mexican meal, bursting with flavor. We love everything on the menu, but the Cantina Fajitas are a personal favorite, coming in four yummy varieties (chicken, vegetable, shrimp, and steak and sausage.
Excited for 2025
We hope you enjoyed our Scottsdale 2025 preview. We love the promise of a new year, and when you choose I Love Scottsdale for your vacation accommodations, we promise that the new year will shine brighter for you. Offering comfort, luxury, and more entertainment options including pools, hot tubs, game rooms, and more, your 2025 vacation in our Scottsdale sanctuaries will be the one you compare all others against. Reserve your favorite Arizona escape today!
