One of the Southwest’s most iconic hotels, the Arizona Biltmore offers travelers an oasis eight miles north of downtown Phoenix. This elegant resort—a favorite among presidents and boldface names of every generation since its 1929 debut—underwent a $170 million reinvention in 2020. Here’s how to make the most of summer at the state capital’s “Jewel of the Desert” as it turns 95 this year.

Beautiful pools, a thrilling waterslide, and nighttime movie magic

After soaking up rays in the Valley of the Sun, cool down in one of the resort’s seven swim spots. Guests 21+ can slip into the adults-only Saguaro Pool and then unwind with refreshing frosé or craft cocktails infused with desert flavors like agave, lime, and habanero chiles.

Families can splash in the Paradise Pool, featuring air-conditioned cabanas and complimentary Dive-in Movies every Friday night in summer. Kid-friendly films screen as the audience watches from loungers, floaties, or the swim-up bar. However, younger guests usually gravitate to the 65-foot Twist triple waterslide, which also hosts daily rubber duck races. The winners receive house-crafted gelato from Cup & Cone in flavors including burnt honey strawberry and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Prefer a more tranquil experience? Turn to Marilyn Monroe’s favorite place to sunbathe, the Catalina Pool. The Wrigley family (of chewing-gum fame) built this serene space with its art deco mosaics, shining with royal blue and canary yellow tiles beneath the shimmering surface. It’s the perfect place to relax…unless you catch one of the morning on-the-water workouts—like high-intensity interval training—on floating mats.

Bike to a waterfall or relax in the Arizona Biltmore’s spa

The Arizona Biltmore offers plenty of other ways to exercise, including golf, tennis, and pickleball. Take a guided Murf e-bike ride along the Arizona Canal to get a different perspective of Phoenix.

However you work your muscles, soothe them afterward with a trip to the resort’s 22,000-square-foot Tierra Luna Spa. It pairs indoor treatment areas with the Sol Garden, complete with contrast bathing in the hot tub and cold plunge pool, a high-tech halotherapy salt room, and the Sol Café. Try the Lucid Awakening Massage, which begins with agave dry-brushing, or other treatments featuring local botanicals such as the Sage & Desert Salt Body Scrub.

Dine al fresco with views at top Arizona restaurants

Savor craft cocktails come sundown at Spire Bar, considered the city’s best outdoor watering hole, with views of the ancient crags of Piestewa Peak, the second-highest point in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve. Stay past dusk for the light show illuminating the 30-foot-tall sculpture honoring architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s enduring legacy in the Valley of the Sun.

Finally, food fans shouldn’t miss dinner at Renata’s Hearth, named after the legendary popularizer of the Arizona chiltepín, a Sonoran staple often called the “mother of all chiles.” Try the Summer Prix-Fixe Menu for a flavorful three-course meal ($60 per person). Chefs curate every element, creating a delightful and memorable culinary experience during the summer months.

Summer holidays at the Arizona Biltmore

Celebrate the season’s start with Red, White & Biltmore, commemorating Independence Day from July 4–7, 2024. Festivities include parties in chilled pools, a build-your-own seltzer bar, a hula-hoop competition, and more. Flag down the roaming gelato cart or enjoy pop ups at the pools from the likes of Red Bull, Código 1530 premium tequila, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka with Fever-Tree mixers. Best of all, the Arizona Biltmore celebration offers an eco-friendly alternative to traditional fireworks. On July 6, 2024, a dazzling drone light show will sparkle over the Spire Lawn, backed by synchronized music designed to coexist without disturbing the desert serenity and wildlife.

Labor Day weekend turns up the heat again with DJs, neon-lit bubble parties, and a Bloody Mary and Mimosa bar. It also includes resort “classics” like the Twist waterslide night and a Dive-In Movie (Goonies).

Summer may officially end, but the warm-weather fun in style never does at the Arizona Biltmore.

A Mexican man was found guilty of a number of people-smuggling offenses in Arizona and sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Jesus Ernesto Dessens-Romero, 28, of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, was given the sentence by United States District Judge John Hinderaker, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was found guilty by a jury of multiple offenses, including conspiracy to transport and the transportation of illegal aliens for profit and bringing illegal aliens to the United States for profit.

The jury also found that Dessens-Romero put lives at risk during his smuggling offenses, and that he played a critical role in a criminal operation that illegally smuggled migrants into the U.S. from Mexico.

The Mexican smuggler helped undocumented non-citizens reach the U.S. by using WhatsApp to arrange pick-ups and drop-offs. He helped guide five Mexican nationals on foot to cross into the U.S. on February 13, 2021.

Dessens-Romero led the group with limited supplies on a dangerous route through harsh weather conditions into the remote Huachuca Mountains near Fort Huachuca in Southern Arizona where there was less law enforcement patrolling the area.

The group included three sisters – aged 23, 20 and 17 – and their family friend, 16. Two days later, the 23-year-old sister was experiencing significant physical distress and she was unable to eat or walk.

Dessens-Romero claimed they were close to a busy road and could leave the sick woman there to be found. However, he didn’t call emergency services and instead contacted his associates at a transnational criminal smuggling organization.

Dessens-Romero then led the rest of the group to Sierra Vista, Arizona, where they were picked up by unidentified co-conspirators and transported further into the U.S.

The family of the woman left behind contacted authorities on February 16, 2021, to report a missing person. Law enforcement officials were unable to locate the missing woman after searching.

Dessens-Romero contacted the surviving sisters on behalf of the smuggling organization to try to convince them to remove a “missing person” social media post.

On November 20, 2021, the 23-year-old’s remains were located in an isolated area of the Huachuca Mountains. Dental records confirmed that the remains belonged to the missing sister.

Dessens-Romero was arrested after being caught transporting two individuals in Tennessee on June 30, 2021, by Highway Patrol.

“Human smugglers profit from the exploitation of migrants and routinely expose them to violence, injury, and death,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in the statement. “Today’s sentence shows the Justice Department will continue to hold accountable these smugglers and the criminal networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants.”

“Alien smugglers care only about the money to be made and not about the human beings whose lives they endanger,” U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said in the statement. “Unfortunately, one young woman’s desire for a better life in the United States cost her her life due to the greed and recklessness of Dessens-Romero. This case should serve as a warning to other smugglers and the transnational smuggling organizations they work for: my office and our law enforcement partners will be undaunted in our efforts to bring you to justice.”

The issue of illegal immigration is a hot topic on voters’ minds as the U.S. heads toward the November presidential election.

Commenting on the wider issues to Newsweek, Representative Mark Green, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said: “The American people have faced the devastating impacts of President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas’ efforts to roll back the Trump administration’s effective border security measures and replace them with catch-and-release and mass parole for inadmissible aliens.”

The Tennessee Republican said: “Homeland Republicans crafted and passed through the House legislation to address this crisis. From increasing the number of dedicated Border Patrol agents and investing in critical technology for detection and interdiction to ending these reckless catch-and-release policies and seeking to renegotiate Remain in Mexico, the Secure the Border Act is the necessary step to stop this influx––and it’s sitting on Senator Schumer’s desk.”

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PHOENIX – The Arizona State Fair revealed three acts for its 2024 Coliseum Concert Series on Monday.

The All-American Rejects will take the Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum stage on Oct. 12, followed by the I Love the 90s Tour on Oct. 18 and Big Time Rush on Oct. 25.

Tickets for each show go on sale July 12 at 10 a.m. Prices start at $25 and include fair admission, a $15 value. Seating at the arena is fully reserved for all Coliseum Concert Series shows.

Who are the 2024 Arizona State Fair Coliseum Concert Series performers?

The All-American Rejects are one of the top alternative rock bands to emerge from the early 2000s, when they reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Gives You Hell,” “It Ends Tonight” and “Dirty Little Secret.”

The I Love the 90s Tour features three artists who created some of that decade’s biggest hits: Vanilla Ice (“Ice Ice Baby”), Rob Base (“It Takes Two”) and Montell Jordan (“This Is How We Do It”).

Big Time Rush formed as a fictional boy band for a Nickelodeon show of the same name that ran from 2009 to 2013. The group was popular enough to remain successful long after the show went off the air.

Arizona State Fair officials are working to book more performers for this year’s lineup. Last year’s Coliseum Concert Series, the first after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had six shows: Walker Hayes, Becky G, Ne-Yo, Brothers Osborne, Violent Femmes and Carly Pearce.

When does the 2024 Arizona State Fair start?

The 140th Arizona State Fair runs Thursdays-Sundays from Sept. 20 until Oct. 27 at the fairgrounds at 19th Avenue and McDowell Road in Phoenix.

Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, the original home of the Phoenix Suns, is the largest venue at the site.

Additional concerts, which are included with admission, are scheduled for other stages at the fairgrounds. Most of the shows feature tribute bands, with renditions of Fleetwood Mac, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Green Day and other beloved artists.

And of course, this year’s fair features the usual thrill rides, midway games, fried food galore and other attractions.

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