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Super Bowl
XLII Party Guide
A Look at Host
City Glendale, Phoenix and Events
Site of Super Bowl
XLII – University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ.
Build it and they will come. That was
the idea behind putting a football stadium for Phoenix way out in Glendale.
And come they have, with Super Bowl XLII in town in 2008 for its kickoff
on Feb. 3.
Make no mistake, Glendale is not in or really near Phoenix. It's a
45-minute drive from downtown on a good day. But it does have a nice,
new stadium and several bars and restaurants around it in a small, almost
ski resort type of village. And during Super Bowl week, the place will
be lively with fans from the New England Patriots and New York Giants,
media from all over the world and even curious and fun-seeking locals.
This is a complete Super Bowl Party Guide with information on key events,
the fun bars in Glendale and links to other articles, such as PubClub.com's
nightlife guide to Phoenix and the Phoenix Open, the loudest, craziest
tournament on the PGA Tour. These two events make the Phoenix area the
World's Top Party Spot for the week of Jan. 28 thru the Big Game.
Links:
•
Official
Super Bowl Site
•
Arizona
Super Bowl Committee & Events
•
PubClub's
Complete Guide to Phoenix and its Nightlife
•
The
Phoenix Open – Scottsdale's Biggest Super Bowl Party
Super Bowl Week Public Events & Parties
Locals love to party
and Super Bowl XLII is a big party.
This is an overview of public parties
and activities during Super Bowl week. There are, of course, dozens
of other corporate and private parties happening all over the area with
celebrities and legendary athletes; for the most part, they are either
closed events or carry costs of several hundred up to a couple of thousand
dollars. Events listed here are more for the general fan. A fan of the
Patriots, Giants or just a party fan, of course.
• Thru Super Bowl Sunday– NFL Experience. An
on-site training camp of sorts for fans. It features a passing drill
and field goal kicks, plus player autograph sessions and youth activities.
On Thursday the 31st, there's NFL After Dark, "an evening party
for adult fans" according to the NFL, from 9-midnight. Admission:
$17.50, kids 12-and-under, $12.50. Event parking is $10.
• Jan. 30 and Feb. 1 – Pepsi Smash Concert Series.
Thursday features six-time Grammy winner Mary J. Blige with RBD, Camila
and Belinda performing on Friday. Tickets: $40. Location: Jobing.com
Arena next to the football stadium.
• Jan. 30-Feb. 2 – Dan Majerle's Downtown End Zone
Block Party. Former Phoenix Suns player Dan Majerle is hosting an
event by his downtown Phoxix bar, Majerle's. It features live entertainment
with food and drink vendors. 4 p.m.-2 a.m. .Second street, between Washington
and Jefferson. $20, 10 with Suns' game ticket.
• Feb. 1-2 – Coors Light Block Party.. Fifteen
bands, food and drink. Bands include Boogie Nights (70s) and an Animal
House flashback, Otis Day and the Nights. Comes with entry into
Upper Deck Sports Grill, Acme Bar & Grill and Dos Gringo's. VIP includes
drink tickets and buffet. 6 p.m.-2 a.m. $40, $50 for VIP. Scottsdale's
Craftsman Court, between Third and Fifth avenues.
• Feb. 1-2 - Anheuser-Busch Bud Bowl Block Party. Snoop
Dog performs on Friday and Kid Rock on Saturday, plus games and other
activities. 8 p.m. Free, though ticktes must be obtained from Budweiser
promotions at area nightspots and radio station giveaways. Scottsdale's
Indian Plaza between Shoema Lane and Saddlebag Trail,
• Feb. 2 – Free Concert Featuring the Counting Crows.
The big "everyone is welcome" pre-event party is this open-to-the-public
bash in Tempe Town Lake put on by the Arizona Super Bowl Committee.
There will be food and drink and fireworks on the edge of Arizona State
University and famed Mill Ave. Gates open at 6 p.m. and close at 10
p.m. Fireworks are scheduled for 9:40 p.m. The entrance is at Salado
and Mill Avenue.
• Feb. 2, Super Bowl Sunday. Kickoff is 4:18 p.m., local
time.
Glendale and Game--Day Transportation
Getting to Glendale during Super Bowl
Week – and on the weekend in particular – will be difficult
(and expensive, with high parking fees). An alternative is public transportation
from Valley Metro. It will provide bus service on GUS (Glendale Urban
Shuttle) and DASH (Downtown Area Shuttle, Phoenix). The route goes to
University of Phoenix Stadium, Jobing.com Arena and Westgate City Center
along Route 70 on Glendale Avenue.
Valley Metro Schedule & Routes.
Glendale Nightlife – Bars and Restaurants, Super Bowl Party
Places
There are bars by
the stadium and a few miles north of it, as well.
Nightlife is not Glendale's strength,
but that all changes for Super Bowl week.
While this isn't exactly New
Orleans, there's ample bars and restaurants to keep fans
fed and entertained. The Westgate City Center has enough places to call
home for the entire weekend. There's a Fox Sports Grill (a good
place to be for the game), Yardhouse and Gordon Biersch.
For those who want to party with boat drinks in paradise, there's Margaritaville
Cafe. There has been a rumor that Jimmy Buffett will be having a
VIP show at Margaritaville and it IS closed on Friday for a private
function ($150 for something called the Big Game Bash). Radio Margaritaville
will be broadcasting live Saturday and Sunday.
ESPN will be on
the bridge at the Scottsdale Waterfront.
A few minutes north of the stadium are a good cluster of bars across
from the Peoria Sports Complex. This includes McDuffy's, which
many people may remember as the best sports bar in Tempe from the last
Super Bowl, now located here.
The best spot to party on any given weekend is the Phoenix suburb of
Scottsdale and while it's a haul from Glendale, it's still going to
be THE place to be during Super Bowl Week. ESPN will be broadcasting
live for 18 hours a day leading up to Super Sunday from a new bridge
at the Scottsdale Waterfront.
Old Town Scottsdale will be the happening place to be that weekend.
There are many established spots and a bunch of new bars in the area;
Pink Taco, Saddleback Ranch (photo incl.), Canal, Olive & Ivy, Fine's
Wine Bar and Cien Agaves.
Then there's THIS party event happening on the same weekend –
The Phoenix Open. One of the top social events of the year, the
PGA Tour event is legendary for the fun and rowdy 16th hole as well
as the Bird's Nest, where people go afterward to party into the night.
For more on the Phoenix Open, see our Photos
and Party Guide.
One More Article
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Does
College Football Need a Playoff?
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