10 New Venues in Phoenix/Scottsdale for Summer Entertaining and Events

In early June, Mesa’s indoor amusement park Amazing Jake’s completed a renovation that added 9,000 square feet of new event space to the 100,000-square-foot venue. The facility features more than 150 video games, a go-kart track, laser tag, a glow-in-the-dark bowling alley, a mini-roller coaster, a carousel, and other interactive fun for guests of all ages. The new area can accommodate as many as 1,000 guests cocktail style or 500 in rounds, while complete venue buyouts can fit as many as 3,500 guests. In-house catering is available.

Kierland Commons in Scottsdale is now home to Desert Mountain Fine Art. The new gallery, which opened in January, showcases work by both local and international artists in media ranging from photography to sculpture. The 4,000-square-foot space is available for private events for as many as 100 guests cocktail style. Design touches like 20-foot ceilings, wood floors, and a fireplace add a homey charm to the space, which is owned by Phillip and Gabi Payne, the team behind Sedona’s Mountain Trails Gallery.

Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row opened a new location in Gilbert in March. The 18,000-square-foot bar and restaurant can seat as many as 290 guests. Event planners can take advantage of on-site audiovisual technology like a 100-foot laser projector, large-screen TVs, an in-house sound system, and stage lighting. The menu includes modern American gastropub cuisine, as well as more than 50 beers on tap. Reclaimed wood, high ceilings, and natural sunlight give the space the feeling of a barn, tapping into Gilbert’s agricultural roots.

Correction: The original version of this story featured an incorrect photo.

The OdySea in the Desert entertainment complex introduced Polar Play Ice Bar, a new indoor attraction that brings the arctic to the desert, in May. The 2,000-square-foot venue is the first ice bar in Arizona. Guests are provided with a coat and gloves before they embark into the Polar Zone, a world made completely from ice, which is kept at a brisk 23 degrees. Inside, patrons can play games like shuffleboard, cornhole, checkers, and even have snowball fights. Planners typically book events that include one hour in the Polar Zone, after which guests can warm up by the fire in the Lodge. The Ice Bar accommodates as many as 100 guests at a time, and small private room can fit 20. A catering menu with items like two-pound baked potatoes, pickled cabbage brats, and frozen adult beverages is available on site.

Casa Anejo Tacos and Tequila opened in the 7th Street Dining District in May. The menu features modern twists on authentic Mexican cuisine, with dishes like green chili queso fondito with locally sourced chorizo, grilled octopus tacos, and quick-smoked tostadas. Measuring 6,000 square feet, the restaurant can accommodate a total of 250 guests in a mixed setup or 150 seated inside and 50 seated on the patio. The internationally inspired design incorporates vintage and modern elements, colorful neon lights, and southwestern style.

Octane Raceway has been a destination for kart-racing and entertainment since 2003, but the venue unveiled a brand new feature, Velocity VR, in May. This high-tech, interactive attraction presents a free-roam, multiplayer virtual-reality experience, the first of its kind in the western United States and only the seventh in the world. Velocity VR occupies 3,500 square feet of space in the 65,000-square-foot facility. For private events, six guests can play at a time, and games last 15 minutes. An adjacent meeting space, Velocity Lounge, can accommodate as many as 48 guests in rounds or 60 theater style. 

The Campus Room opened at the Yard Tempe in January. Located in a renovated warehouse, the 2,200-square-foot restaurant can seat as many as 54 guests or accommodate 70 for cocktail receptions. The industrial-chic venue offers catering from Culinary Dropout, which is known for its crowd-pleasing menu of sandwiches, salads, and hearty entrees.

iFLY, the indoor skydiving center with multiple locations across the country, opened a facility in Scottsdale in January. By featuring an exciting on-site activity, the venue lends itself to teambuilding. For meetings and events, iFLY Phoenix has a 500-square-foot board room and a 350-square-foot party room, which seat as many as 35 and 20 guests, respectively.

Scottsdale co-working center DeskHub relocated to a new waterfront location in May. In addition to work space, the venue includes meeting rooms which are available to event planners. The largest of these spaces opens to a patio and can accommodate as many as 35 guests for reception-style gatherings. Smaller meeting rooms are available for breakouts of between two and eight people. Meeting space rentals include high-speed WiFi access, whiteboards, hot coffee, snacks, and flat-screen TVs equipped with HDMI capabilities and Google Chrome. 

JetSet Hangar opened as a private event space in March. Housed in a 3,600-square-foot airplane hangar, the location also includes a 3,600-square-foot outdoor area. The venue can accommodate as many as 150 guests for sit-down dinners or 300 reception style. Offering the latest in state-of-the-art audiovisual technology, the hangar is equipped with everything from subwoofers to monitors to light-up bar tables. For catering, planners can work with Venues of North Scottsdale to craft a fashionable menu sourced from local purveyors and food producers.