Across The Street

Prescott Empty Bowls has supported local food banks with a grassroots movement of artists who create handcrafted bowls for people to fill with soups from local restaurants — for 26 years. Empty Bowls returns to the courthouse plaza, 120 S. Cortez St., Prescott, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17.

A chain of events is a number of actions and their effects that are contiguous and linked together, resulting in a particular outcome. And in the case of Chain Events, a Prescott-based event company born out of a love of adrenaline inducing sports, the result is the third annual Watson Fest taking place this coming weekend, Sept. 8-10.

There’s an awful lot of talk about the end of movie stars considering Denzel Washington is right over here, walking around.

The box office results are in and Sony’s racing movie “Gran Turismo” won this past weekend over “Barbie.”

Internationally acclaimed 2022 Cliburn piano competition finalist, Clayton Stephenson brings his love for music and expressive onstage ease to Prescott. Stephenson is holding a piano recital with a playful mix of classical and jazz at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, at the Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center, located on the Yavapai College Campus, 1100 E. Sheldon St.

Sonic Expressions: Art + Music runs from Sept. 1 through 30, at the Yavapai College Prescott Art Gallery, 1100 E. Sheldon St., with a Public Reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22, featuring a cash bar and free snacks.

Prescott’s premier choral ensemble, the fifty-voice Prescott Chorale, will open its eighth season with the first of three stellar performances on Oct. 6 and 7, with others to follow in Dec., 2023 and April 2024. All concerts are presented at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 2000 Shepherds Ln., Prescott.

Many performers can distinguish themselves with a hit or two. A lucky few of those can string several songs into a career. But only the rarest of artists can use their voice to capture the flavor of an entire era in song.

Rachael Beck, aka Rachael Plays Guitar, does more than just play guitar. She also sings, writes songs, co-directs her own music videos and has produced her new album, “Bitter Songs That Sound Sweet.”

At the age of 16, Ximena Florez found herself in Brooklyn, New York, on an exchange program from Columbia. When the intended destination of Texas didn’t work out, she ended up spending the next 40 years in New York originally living with an aunt.

The Phippen Museum will offer free admission all day long for Writers of the Purple Sage, a presentation by historian and writer Jim Turner. Offered in cooperation with Arizona Humanities’ Speakers Bureau, AZ Speaks, Turner will discuss stories from Arizona novelists at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at the Phippen Museum, 4701 N. Highway 89, Prescott.

Briefs this week

Dancing for the Stars — the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Arizona’s major fundraiser of the year — features two nights of dancing, with a Premier Night and Main Event/VIP Reception on the following day.

After moving 24 times during her lifetime, Kat Kirby was enticed to Prescott through a position with Prescott College and its graduate program in the area of Expressive Arts Therapy.

The 4GENTS will lead you on a musical journey that features the hits of Jersey legends, The Four Seasons, to the sun and surf of California with the melodies of The Beach Boys and a few stops in between. Take this road trip with The 4GENTS as they travel across the map singing the hits. The 4GENTS are stopping in Prescott on their nationwide tour, Coast to Coast, for a performance at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20, at the Elks Theatre, 117 E. Gurley St.

The Jazz Summit is celebrating 22 years with three days of concerts and activities Aug. 25-27. The event presents musicians from around the United States, Arizona and the tri-city area.

Learn to play the Native American style flute from top instructors and experience the musical sounds of Indigenous people. The 10th annual Solstice Flute School is holding workshops and more from Aug. 21 to 25, at the Chapel Rock Camp and Conference Center, 1131 Country Club Drive, Prescott.

Prepare to be overcome with laughter from the freestyle improvisational humor of a stand-up comedy legend. Yavapai College (YC) presents the relentlessly funny Paula Poundstone at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, at the Jim & Linda Lee Performing Arts Center, 1100 E. Sheldon St.

“Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams, or wake up and chase them.” ~ Carmelo Anthony

Wander through a jewelry lover’s paradise and meet jewelry artists at the Granite Mountain Jewelry Show and Sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, in the ballroom of the historic St. Michael’s Hotel, 205 W. Gurley St., Prescott.

The Arizona Blues Hall of Fame (ABHOF) is hosting a blues event to celebrate its two newest inductees, the Windsock Cocktail Lounge and blues bassist Roger Smith from Flagstaff.

Arizona Philharmonic (AZ Phil) welcomes world-renown conductor Maestro Peter Bay back to the stage to begin its sixth season, which features six compelling performances.

Take a journey under the sea with Ariel, Eric and all your favorite characters from one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories and the classic animated film, Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Presented by One Stage Family Theater, The Little Mermaid opens at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, and runs through Saturday, Aug. 5, at the Elks Theatre, 117 E. Gurley St., Prescott.

In Yavapai County, there are currently more than 250 youth in the foster care program. Now, while that number may be shocking, or concerning, the number is far less than in recent years. In part, because of a program that was implemented a few years ago, the number of children in foster care has dropped from over 450.

Bill Nagel, who is known as Billy Reno, the energetic leader of The Billy Reno Band, is also an award-winning playwright and director. Recently, Nagel submitted two plays to Suze’s Prescott Center for the Arts (PCA) New Works Festival and both were selected for Reader’s Theater performances.