Festival of Lights (FOL) committee members are inviting the adults of Ahwatukee Foothills to come party this weekend at the 18th Annual Festival of Lights Wine and Beer Tasting.
Hundreds of people attend the event each year. This year’s festivities will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. tomorrow, June 1, at the Foothills Golf Club, 2201 E. Clubhouse Drive. The Festival of Lights Charity Golf Tournament will be earlier in the day on Saturday at the Foothills Golf Club. The shotgun scramble tees off at 7:30 a.m. The cost is $100 for individuals with discounts for a foursome. That price includes a round of golf, a cart, a buffet lunch, range balls, a goody bag and entrance into multiple drawings. Golfers can register at Safeway or through the Festival of Lights website, www.folaz.org.
Money raised from both events will benefit the community’s Festival of Lights, Ahwatukee Kiwanis and the YMCA’s Outreach Program for Ahwatukee Seniors (YOPAS).
Tickets for the wine tasting can be purchased for $40 in advance at www.folaz.org, or for $50 at the door on Saturday night. There are also additional discounts for large groups who purchase tickets in advance.
Guests will have a chance to sample more than 50 varieties of wine and beer along with food from local restaurants. Dr. Ron and the Painkillers will provide live music throughout the night.
The silent auction this year is excellent, said Linda Jochim, a FOL committee member. There will be more than 120 items up for auction including several different spa packages, vacation getaways, tickets to sporting events and even a three-day Harley rental. Of course, the silent auction will also include gift cards to local restaurants and lots of sports memorabilia. Jochim said donors to the silent auction have been more than generous this year and it should make for some great bargains for those who bid.
Every year from Thanksgiving to New Years night thousands of strands of lights span Chandler Boulevard. The tradition has continued through the support of the Ahwatukee Foothills community. Each year the kick-off party is filled with events and activities for kids and families to enjoy while the wine and beer tasting in the summer is a celebration for the adults.
To sign up, or to find out more information, visit www.folaz.org.


The search for a family-pleasing staycation just got a little easier, thanks to one of Chandler’s lushest resorts.

Two dining areas were set up in the spacious home, where tables were decorated in a black and white damask design, contrasted by red roses.

Interest in the annual Festival of Lights Golf Tournament has dwindled in recent years and when the co-chairs of the event moved to Gilbert it was unclear who would take over, but Ahwatukee Kiwanis stepped up and is hoping to make the tournament more successful than ever.

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce offers many opportunities to build stronger business relationships at our signature events, luncheons and networking mixers. The chamber recognizes the importance of our role in supporting our local community and other surrounding areas. Our events and activities promote employment and economic growth due to the incredible amount of networks that are formed between residents and nearby businesses.

It’s the holiday season and time for the obligatory “pep talk” to get you through without a lot of weight gain. But I just can’t bring myself to bore you with another “holiday tips and tricks” article. Frankly, we all know pie is a lot of calories, getting drunk usually leads to regret, and no one “deserves” cheese balls on tooth picks.

I always get excited for the holiday season, it’s my favorite time of year. It inspires me to refresh my home with holiday sparkle. This magical transformation can be done easily, quickly and inexpensively.

Golfers will encounter some furry four-footed companions when they tee off at Rescue A Golden of Arizona’s “Links of Gold” Golf Tournament at Troon North Golf Club in Scottsdale on Sept. 15.

Last month I highlighted Jacqueline Winspear’s “Maise Dobbs” series and this month is dedicated to Canadian author Louise Penny and the wonderful world she has created in the fictional setting of Three Pines, a rural Canadian village south of Montreal, just kilometers from the Vermont border.

If you — or your kid — are blanching at the thought of yet another year of day-after-day brown bagged PB&J, perhaps this is the year to mix up the lunch box offerings a bit.

If you — or your kid — are blanching at the thought of yet another year of day-after-day brown bagged PB&J, perhaps this is the year to mix up the lunch box offerings a bit.

Q: What are your suggestions for alternatives to cable and satellite television services? — Peter

It’s entirely likely I spend too much time thinking about the lunches I pack for my 7-year-old son. After all, he probably spends all of 5 minutes inhaling my hard work.

It’s entirely likely I spend too much time thinking about the lunches I pack for my 7-year-old son. After all, he probably spends all of 5 minutes inhaling my hard work.

Whether you prefer your tacos hard and crunchy or lean more to the softer side, this grilled shrimp filling perfect for a summer barbecue will leave you satisfied.

Two major fundraisers for the Festival of Lights have been split up this weekend.

Two major fundraisers for the Festival of Lights have been split up this weekend.

We’ll never know what Ronald Reagan would have done with WhiteHouse.gov, the official website of the White House. But I know my father wouldn’t be abusing it the way Barack Obama is.

We’ll never know what Ronald Reagan would have done with WhiteHouse.gov, the official website of the White House. But I know my father wouldn’t be abusing it the way Barack Obama is.

May 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ahwatukee Country Club, 12432 S. 48th St.

The non-partisan, Congressional Budget Office just released a report that seriously contradicts the message conservatives have been trying to sell the voting public, that America needs to cut its corporate tax rate to be competitive.

Whenever I think of Super Bowl Sunday, I think of chili, guacamole and chips. And Ro-Tel cheese dip. And Frito pie.

Whenever I think of Super Bowl Sunday, I think of chili, guacamole and chips. And Ro-Tel cheese dip. And Frito pie.

As hard as it is to watch their team right now - and both dark sunglasses and squinting are highly recommended in that exercise - Suns fans can take solace in something that always brings brightness to a gloomy day:

As hard as it is to watch their team right now - and both dark sunglasses and squinting are highly recommended in that exercise - Suns fans can take solace in something that always brings brightness to a gloomy day: