Whether you just moved here or are a Valley native, new bars and restaurants are yours to discover. Metro Phoenix is home to 21 James Beard Award winners, finalists or nominees. According to the Spirited Awards this year, downtown Phoenix has the best cocktail bar in the United States. While recognition in the past few years has certainly increased, Arizona always has had excellent eateries and chefs serving up unforgettable dishes. This week on Valley 101, a podcast about metro Phoenix and beyond, we sit down with two of The Arizona Republic's dining and nightlife experts, Felicia Campbe ..read more

In 1971, a new art form officially premiered in Arizona. The first performance from the Tucson Opera Company was Gioachino Rossini's classic "The Barber of Seville." By 1976, the opera company had become the Arizona Opera and was performing full seasons of shows in both Tucson and Phoenix. Now housed in downtown Phoenix, the Arizona Opera is going strong almost 50 years later. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we share Arizona's history with opera and why it's flourishing today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone ..read more

You've heard of horse racing and dog racing, but what about burro racing? Each year in the town of Superior, Arizona, an adorable race filled with fuzzy donkeys takes place. Now don't expect to see jockeys riding the donkeys. Instead, the little equines are lead by their owners by a lead through Main Street and into Tonoto National Forest and back. In this episode, we find out how the race got started and why donkeys are so lovable, according to their owners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices ..read more

While the rest of the nation is clocking an extra hour of sleep and making sure their oven clock matches their phone, Arizonans will continue their day like normal. Most people in Arizona, at least. In a bonus episode of our podcast, Valley 101, we explore how Daylight Saving came to be, why most of Arizona doesn't participate, and who in the state does.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices ..read more

Tucked into Tucson's Barrio Viejo is an unassuming broken-down adobe wall adorned with flowers, candles and little pieces of paper containing people's deepest wishes. The shrine to El Tiradito serves not only as a landmark to a vicious and titillating murder that happened in the late 1800s but as a symbol in this predominantly Mexican-American neighborhood. In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we share the true-crime story behind what could be the only shrine to a sinner and its role in Mexican-American folklore. Learn more about your ..read more

One of Halloween's most notorious ghosts is the Headless Horseman. The iconic figure on a black horse with a jack-o-lantern in place of a face can be found in books, movies, decor and more. But there is another headless ghost that haunts the western regions of our nation. And her tragic tale has been passed down by the tribe that lives near where she died. Then we'll hear a different tale. One of stuffed heads collected inside a professor's home and a question posed. How far would you go for success? It's week three of spooky season on Valley 101. Pluck up your courage and dive into these next ..read more

A certain word has become standard in the past few years when discussing Arizona politics. At some point, maybe "recount" made people think of doublechecking that everyone in their group was accounted for, or the thing to do when they second-guessed the number of Easter eggs they were hiding. But politicos in Arizona, especially in Maricopa County, now associate the word “recount” with the word “ballots.” In 1916, maybe it felt the same way. That year, the election for Arizona governor was won by 30 votes, recounted and then overturned. The process left two people sharing a single term for hea ..read more

Summers in Arizona mean heat, triple-digit temperatures, and desperately trying to stay cool. But summers in Arizona also mean monsoons - big, bright thunderstorms returning rain to the desert.  During the summer monsoon season, Phoenix receives one-third of its annual rainfall, a necessary relief to help combat the drought that 83% of the state is experiencing, according to the National Weather Service.  While monsoons bring reprieve from the extreme heat and aid in the drought, they are sometimes responsible for power outa ..read more

Anyone who knows pizza or even knows Arizona cuisine knows Chris Bianco. Bianco skyrocketed to fame when his pizza became world-renowned, making Phoenix an unexpected go-to destination for foodies worldwide. Back in 2003, he was the first pizza maker ever to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest. Bianco is often referred to as the father of the modern pizza movement. Twenty years later, he’s still winning awards. As recently as last year, Bianco collected a James Beard Award for Best Restaurateur. But what makes his pizzas so good?  For this week's episode of Valley 101, a pod ..read more

In the winter of 2022 and early spring of 2023, Arizona got a lot of rain. We had the rainiest January and March in years. In addition, 2022-23 brought record snowfall for Flagstaff. As the days heat up and that snow melts, the runoff is making its way into the state's reservoirs. Did all of this rain and snow make a difference, or was it just a drop in the bucket for the state’s 29-year-long drought? In this week's episode of Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we talk with weather experts about the state’s rainfall, where that precipitation goes and how it w ..read more