On Saturday, May 31, Queen Creek residents are invited to the Queen Creek Fire Department Open House from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Station 411, located at 22407 S. Ellsworth Road. The free event will include fun activities for the whole family and offer an opportunity to meet the community’s firefighters.

“This event will invite residents into the fire station to check out the equipment we use to perform life-saving techniques,” said Queen Creek Fire Chief Ron Knight. “Everyone sees us driving around in the fire engines, but not too many people have had a chance to see all of our fire and medical gear up-close. We’re looking forward to this open house because we would rather residents view everything at their leisure, rather than having to experience it first-hand during an emergency.”

The event will include a vehicle extrication performed using the Jaws of Life among other tools, and residents will have the opportunity to learn hands-only CPR from staff. One of Air Evac’s air ambulances will be on-site, and an antique ladder truck and fire engine will also be on display during the event.

Children can have fun playing firefighter, spraying the fire hose and trying on real firefighter gear. There will also be a Kids Safety House to teach children how to get out of their bedroom in case of a fire.

Light refreshments will be served during the event.

For more information about the Queen Creek Fire Department, visit QueenCreek.org/Fire or follow us at Facebook.com/QCFire or Twitter.com/TOQC_official.

 

This is it! The last two days of the Peach Festival May 17th & 18th. The weather is expected to be over 100, so get there early, or go prepared with a lot of water, sunscreen and positive thoughts. The festival runs from 7:30 am to 4pm. They have hay rides out to the orchards, arts and crafts vendors, entertainment, the Peachy Pancake breakfast is served from 7:45 until 2pm, all the rides are open from 9am to 3pm ($3 each or unlimited ride wristband $12), Peachy Sampling pavilion and more. Free Admission … They will be finishing out the Earligrande orchards and probably opening the Springcrest orchard. Peach picking season should be over by next weekend. 

For more info visit: http://www.schnepffarms.com

East Valley drivers heading into work now have a new option to get to the Loop 202 San Tan Freeway.  The first mile of State Route 24, the Gateway Freeway, was opened to traffic late Sunday afternoon, according to the Department of Transportation.  The new freeway segment provides improved access to development surrounding Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, according to an ADOT press release.  State Route 24 will eventually connect with the proposed North-South transportation corridor in Pinal County. Construction of the $73 million project began in March 2012. ADOT says the City of Mesa accelerated the start of construction by several years through a transportation-bonding program.  A pre-opening ribbon cutting and celebration was held on the new stretch of roadway on April 15.  

Find home improvement inspiration at the Maricopa County Home & Landscape Show. More than 500 exhibitors, including local and national companies, will be a part of the show taking place May 2, 3, and 4th at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, located off 18h Ave. & McDowell Road. WHAT: Maricopa County Home and Garden Show Attendees will be inspired with fresh ideas for their summer yards, while they shop, compare and save, all at one location, for one weekend only. WHEN: May 2-4, 2014 Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE:Arizona State Fair Grounds-18th Ave. & McDowell Road, Phoenix COST: Admission is $5 daily for adults, kids ages 3-12 are $2. Children 2 and under are free. The highly anticipated Senior Morning will take place on Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and guests 60+ will receive $1 admission.

Saturday, April 26th 9:00am – 11:00am at Encanterra®

Save the Date! This is a great opportunity to give back to children with disabilities – a 1.25 mile family fun walk benefiting services for children with disabilities. To register for Walk with Me, or for more information please visit www.walkwithme.org/phoenix

 

OLIVE MILL

April 25^th – Live music by Suzy Steinman on the patio @ 5:30 pm

April 26^th – Cruise’n for Vets Car and Bike Show from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

April 26^th – Live music by Scott Helmer on the patio @ 5:30 pm

April 27^th – Johnny Tanner & His Aces @ 11:00 am

SCHNEPF FARMS

April 25^th through 27^th – Peach Blossom Celebration from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

EARTH DAY FAIR & FUN RUN

April 26^th – Queen Creek Branch Library from 9 am – 1 pm

Stop by to participate in fun activities for all ages. Events include the town’s first annual fun run, vendors, workshops and an assortment of environmentally related booths about all things Earth.

CHANDLER CRAFT SPIRITS FESTIVAL

Cocktail culture is celebrated at this inaugural festival, where you can sample spirits, beer and specialty craft cocktails and watch bartenders and mixologists will compete to pour their best libations. A DJ will play music, tasty eats will be for sale and giveaways will be included. General admission includes 15 tickets good for 1-ounce tastes; VIP passes include food, 15 tastes of higher-end liquors and a special lounge area. For age 21 or older.

Details: 5-10 p.m. p.m. Saturday, April 26. Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 3 S. Arizona Ave. $35; $75 VIP. 602-577-6888, chandlercraftspiritsfestival.com.

SCHNEPF FARMS EGG HUNT

Country Thunder returns to Florence, bringing any number of the genre’s biggest names to Arizona for four days of assorted revelry and song. This year, the bill is topped by Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert, who picked up male and female vocalist of the year — again — at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards. Also turning in headlining sets are last year’s ACM top vocal duo, Thompson Square, and this year’s ACM vocal group of the year, the Band Perry. Here’s a look at those artists and a handful of the other main attractions on the bill.

Details: 2:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, April 10-13.20585 E. Price Road, Florence. $220 for a four-day pass. 866-802-6418, countrythunder.com.

Thursday

Thompson Square

This husband-and-wife team won top vocal duo two years in a row at the ACM Awards, also winning vocal duo of the year at the 2012 Country Music Awards. Their biggest hit remains their double-platinum breakthrough single, “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not,” which topped the country charts in 2010. Their other hits include “I Got You” and “If I Didn’t Have You.” 9 p.m.

Will Hoge

This Grammy-nominated country singer co-wrote “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” a platinum smash the Eli Young Band took to No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart. The closest Hoge has come to matching that success with a recording of his own was hitting No. 42 with last year’s “Strong.” 7 p.m.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

These country-rockers hit the mainstream hard in 1970, going Top 10 on the Hot 100 with “Mr. Bojangles.” They may be best-known, though, for “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” a 1972 collaboration with some of the more respected names in bluegrass. 5:30 p.m.

Friday

The Band Perry

Singer Kimberly Perry and her brothers, Reid and Neil, went triple platinum, toppingBillboard’s country chart with “If I Die Young” (a second single on which, as the title suggests, the singer explains what she’d like you do if she dies young). Largely driven by that breakthrough hit, they took home top new artist at the ACM Awards and new artist of the year at the CMAs, where “If I Die Young” picked up song and single of the year. Two subsequent singles, “All Your Life” and “Better Dig Two,” also topped the country charts. 9 p.m.

Easton Corbin

Released in 2010, his self-titled debut sent two songs, “A Little More Country Than That” and “Roll With It,” to No. 1 on Billboard’scountry chart. Two singles from his second album, “Lovin’ You is Fun” and “All Over the Road” cracked the country Top 10. 7 p.m.

Sawyer Brown

These country-pop sensations got their first taste of fame via “Star Search,” winning vocal group in 1983. They dropped their first chart-topping country single, “Step By Step,” in 1985, returning to the top with “Some Girls Do” in 1992 and “Thank God For You” in 1993. 5:30 p.m.

Cassadee Pope

There aren’t a lot of Warped Tour veterans on your average Country Thunder lineup. But this singer fronted Hey Monday before a winning season on “The Voice” (with country superstar Blake Shelton as her mentor) set the stage for her transition into a chart-topping country star. 4 p.m.

Saturday

Miranda Lambert

The woman has the perfect voice for country, cracking in all the appropriate places to telegraph heartache and vulnerability with vast reserves of personality and grit for the feistier numbers that require her to throw a little attitude. And she’s amassed her share of classic country hits since riding “Nashville Star” to Nashville stardom, from ballads as tender as “The House That Built Me” and “Over You” to “Mama’s Broken Heart.” But it’s her innate likeability that gives Lambert the edge, as anyone who’s seen her live could tell you. 9 p.m.

Craig Morgan

His biggest hit, “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” spent four weeks at No. 1 onBillboard’s country chart and was named the biggest country song of 2005 in that same publication. Four other Morgan songs have cracked the country Top 10, “Redneck Yacht Club” climbing all the way to No. 2 in 2005. 7 p.m.

Mark Chesnutt

This Beaumont, Texas, singer has been at it since the ’80s, sending 30 singles up theBillboard country charts, with eight songs going all the way to No. 1, from 1990’s “Brother Jukebox” to 1998’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (yes, the Aerosmith song). 5:30 p.m.

Charlie Worsham

This Mississippi native toured with Taylor Swift in 2011 and released his debut single, “Could It Be,” in 2013. Released the same year, “Rubberband,” the singers debut album, hit the country charts at No. 12. 4 p.m.

LoCash Cowboys

A Baltimore duo composed of Chris Lucas and Preston Brust, they peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s country chart with “Keep in Mind.” Although that song remains their biggest single four years after its release, they also share a writing credit on “You Gonna Fly,” which topped the country charts. 2:30 p.m.

Sunday

Jason Aldean

Since breaking through with “Hicktown” in 2005, this Nashville star has topped the country singles charts with eight songs. Three of those songs, “Don’t You Wanna Stay” with Kelly Clarkson, “Big Green Tractor” and “She’s Country,” went double-platinum. But his biggest hit is 2011’s “Dirt Road Anthem,” a quadruple-platinum smash that also gave the country star his only Top 10 entry on the Billboard Hot 100. 9 p.m.

Colt Ford

This former professional golfer co-wrote Jason Aldean’s “Dirt Road Anthem” with Brantley Gilbert. And although he’s yet to go Top 40 on the country singles chart with one of his own records, Ford is popular enough to have debuted at No. 1 onBillboard’scountry chart with his latest album, “Declaration of Independence.” 7 p.m.

Tyler Farr

The title track to last year’s “Redneck Crazy” took him all the way to No. 2 onBillboard’s chart while going platinum. And he followed through with “Whiskey in my Water,” his second song to go Top 40 on the country charts. 5:30 p.m.

Joe Diffie

Known for his novelty hits, he’s topped the country charts with five songs — “Home,”,”If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets),” “Third Rock from the Sun,” “Pickup Man” and “Bigger Than the Beatles.” 4 p.m.

Gord Bamford

This Canadian country singer is a bigger deal in Canada, where last year’s “Country Junkie” hit No. 11 and earned a Juno nomination for country album of the year. A review in Country Standard Time said, “There are plenty of funny songs and party songs, but Bamford excels when he uses his voice to channel emotion into love ballads.” 2:30 p.m.