Get the Party Started: Nightlife in Scottsdale

Old Town Scottsdale has a reputation as a hot spot for evening activities. You can hop from bar to bar, nightclub to nightclub, and soak in the art scene. All in one place. So perhaps you start the night with a glass of BYO wine or BYOB and gather a few friends at the Art of Merlot. Create your own masterpiece and memories while laughing and painting along as an instructor guides you through the creation process. Dress up for a night on the town and throw on that ‘ol smock caked in paint. I know there’s a dirty, sexy artist in you. **Depending on the painting, prices vary between $35-$45 for about a three-hour class.

Tis the season to be jolly! If you’re feeling festive around the holidays or perhaps you want to keep Christmas going all year long, then a visit to the Coach House should be on your holiday wish list. When the holiday season approaches, Scottsdale locals make a trip to their favorite local watering hole to experience a festive spirit unlike anywhere else. Staffers shut down the joint for a few days in order to deck the bar from head to toe with wrapping paper, tinsel, ornaments and twinkle lights that overtake you with Christmas cheer. The bartenders and staff are laid back, friendly and really love what they do. Note: This place can get packed during the holiday season on a late Friday or Saturday night. And, the lights stay up all year!

Rusty Spur Saloon was a bank in the 1920s but today it’s one of the best places for dancing with live country music 364 days of the year (they’re closed on Christmas). Tiny and historic, it’s a come-as-you-are bar where everyone from John Wayne to Vince Vaughn has knocked back a few.

A local favorite, Handlebar J Restaurant and Saloon has been owned and operated by the Herndon family since 1975. There’s live music every night of the week—including The Herndon Brothers Band every Wednesday through Saturday—and free country-dancing lessons Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. Still, one of the coolest things about the Handlebar is the collection of hats that hang from the rafters, placed there by all the cowboys who have moseyed through since the 1960s.

Geisha A Go Go caters to Scottsdale’s trendy, club-hopping crowd with DJ-spun Top 40, fruity-infused sakes and a list of cocktails like the strawberry-infused Hello Kitty. (There’s a full bar, too.) Even if the club scene isn’t your scene, Geisha A Go Go is worth a visit if you’re the least bit into karaoke. Their private rooms come with you-pick music and personal drink service. For a more casual scene, The Grapevine Restaurant & Bar hosts karaoke every night of the week. It’s a good mix of casual drinks and wannabe singers who choose a wide selection of music – the classics, R&B, country…I’ve heard it all at The Grapevine. Just hope you don’t get the all-Metallica, all-the-time guy that’s known to frequent this spot. And be sure to tip the “karaoke DJ” for guaranteed airtime.

Apparently, you don’t need a rockin’ house or an haute hotel to throw a massive pool party. The only thing missing from the poolside shindigs at these downtown Scottsdale bars are the floaties. First, there’s Spanish Fly Mexican Beach Club with its private cabanas and day beds. Then just down the street is Maya Day and Nightclub, which not only has private plunge pools but also a taco bar, LED video screen and floating stage that hosts DJs and live music. Rounding out the trio is El Santo, a cantina and patio bar with a 15,000-square-foot Mexican resort-style pool.

Grammy-nominated country crooner Dierks Bentley brought a new country vibe to his home state when he opened Whiskey Row, a 1920s-style saloon that hosts live local and national acts. There’s a menu of Southern comfort food made from local ingredients along with self-serve beer and liquor on tap.

Business travelers might help keep it quiet enough during the week, but when the weekend rolls around, the W Scottsdale earns its rep as a party hotel. By day, a young, trendy, and sometimes noisy crowd hangs at Wet, the rooftop pool, keeping well oiled with sunscreen and bar drinks. By night, the scene remains trendy, and noisy, at the lobby’s Living Room Lounge, or at Shade Lounge upstairs by the pool, often to a background of live music or a DJ, until the revelers are off to bed, or off to some of the many bars and clubs within walking distance. Rooms have all the tech gadgets, and the use of color and frosted glass makes them feel light and playful without going overboard.