It’s time for the 2015 Arizona State Fair! Indulge in decadent fair food, from deep fried pickles to giant corn dogs and funnel cakes while you stroll around the fairgrounds taking in all the sights and sounds. Residents of Phoenix real estate who are competitive and have big appetites may participate in pie eating contests and chili cook offs.

Current exhibitions are as varied as the food offered. Those with a sweet tooth will enjoy Sweet: A Tasty Journey, featuring a huge rock candy mountain. This interactive exhibit tantalizes all the senses. Science buffs can immerse themselves in the collection of extraterrestrial and U.F.O. material gathered and displayed in Encounters: U.F.O. Experience. Livestock is a historic fair tradition and visitors to the Agriculture Center can learn about multiple farm animals.

Happy fair goers that live in Arizona can take advantage of multiple discount days including Senior Day, Taste of Fair Friday and $2.00 Rides on Saturdays before 2 p.m. Kids who call Phoenix real estate home who read three books and fill out a simple online form will receive tickets to ride three carnival rides for free.

When the stars come out so does the music, with an impressive lineup of concerts. Visit the state fair website to see the detailed events calendar. The Arizona State Fair runs October 16, 2015 to November 8, 2015, Friday to Sunday, 12 to 10 p.m.

Every year, Chandler property owners look forward to the Chandler Indian Art Market. This year’s event will be held at Chandler Park on Saturday, October 10th and Sunday, October 11th. Festivities will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. This is a great way to experience the artistry and fine detail work of traditional Native American handcrafts and artwork. Artists from all over the Southwest come to the festival. Meet jewelers and chat with Katsina carvers. This is a great chance to pick up decorative items for a Chandler home. Browse delicate pottery, fine photography, paintings, and other exceptional works of art.

Live entertainment and demonstrations go on all day, as this ordinary public Chandler property is transformed to showcase the traditions and values of the Southwest’s Native American peoples. Be sure to catch the dances, storytelling, and music.

The Miss Indian Arizona Scholarship Program is also held on Saturday the 10th, at the Chandler Center for the Arts, which is located at 250 North Arizona Avenue. This program is produced by the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona. The Scholarship Program awards young women with funds to follow their education dreams.

Visit the Indian Art Market page on the Chandler city website to get more details.

So far, 2015 has been a great year for the Phoenix and Scottsdale real estate market. The summer market was a bit slower than the spring, which is common. Most people would prefer to tour Scottsdale or Phoenix real estate in March or April rather than the heat of the summer. While there was a drop in home sales in comparison to July 2015, new listings and prices were up from August 2014 for both Scottsdale and Phoenix.

The Scottsdale real estate market is smaller than the Phoenix area’s. There were 743 new listings in Scottsdale, which is a 5.4% increase from this time last year, though a 5.1% decrease from last month. Median home price in Scottsdale was $382,500 for August 2015. In July, the median home price was $399,900. This is a 6.3% rise from August 2014, from $359,900. Houses were on the market for an average of 111 days, a slight rise over July’s 107, but a decrease from August 2014’s 114.

Phoenix saw 2,071 new listings in August. Last year, there were 2,024 new listings, while last month had 2,179. The median price of a Phoenix home was $184,900 in August 2014. This is 5.6% lower from August 2015, when the median home price was $195,250. In July 2015, Phoenix homes had a median price of $201,000. Phoenix homes were only on the market for an average of 63 days in August. This is lower than July’s 69 days and August 2014’s 76 days.

Though there has been a measurable dip in the real estate market for both Scottsdale and Phoenix over the summer, prices and inventory are reasonably stable.

With a seemingly limitless number of instruments on display, the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) is a unique find for music enthusiasts in the Grayhawk real estate area. The museum holds over 6,000 instruments within its walls from over 150 countries worldwide. Patrons from Grayhawk real estate could compare the different musical histories of geographic regions for hours. Organized into regional sections, MIM’s second floor takes museum goers through Africa and the Middle East, Asia and Oceania, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the United States and Canada. The oldest instrument on display is the paigu or hourglass drum from China’s Neolithic period dating back to around 5,000 and 4,000 BCE.

Very technically advanced, MIM provides each guest with a state of the art Guideport headset system designed to act as a tour guide as they explore the museum. When entering different zones the headset’s technology is activated automatically playing soundtracks and relaying information pertinent to each area. There is also an Experience Gallery where budding musicians living in Grayhawk homes can go hands on trying out a variety of instruments. MIM is open Sunday through Saturday and on most holidays. Admission prices vary from $10 to $20 depending on the age of the visitor, with children 3 and under admitted for free. To plan your visit to this extraordinary museum of music go to Musical Instrument Museum.

There is so much natural beauty to explore right outside of your Arizona home. What better way to do it than through a company with seasoned guides and top notch equipment. Arizona Outback Adventures has a long list of outings available from day trips to multiple night backpacking trips. Arizona home owners can choose to explore via stand up paddle board, raft, kayak, mountain bike, road bike, hiking, and even the air.

Arizona Outback Adventures also has bike rentals available as well as self-guided tours and corporate team building activities. The staff is very caring, professional, and knowledgeable about the terrain. All participants will feel safe, cared for, and empowered during their adventure. Explore areas such as the Grand Canyon, Colorado River, Havasupai, the Hermit Trail, neighborhoods around the Scottsdale area, and many more.

Leave the details to the professionals and leave your Arizona real estate for one day or several to appreciate all of the beauty that this state has to offer. It is sure to be a great time and a wonderful way to make lasting memories with friends, family members, or coworkers. Visit Arizona Outback Adventures for more information and a full listing of the adventures available.

It’s fitting that the Hall of Flame Fire Museum should be located in Phoenix, a city named for a mythological creature that rises from the ashes to be made new. If you live in Phoenix, you know the bird is a symbol of eternity, resurrection and the courageous man. The Hall of Flame displays the tools of thousands of courageous men in an acre of firefighting exhibits from the last 300 years of American firefighting history. It also showcases fire-fighting instruments, gear, machinery and vehicles from Europe and Asia.

The Hall of Flame features many exhibits on display, including a collection of antique firefighting trucks and coaches, cases filled with vintage firefighting helmets, an extensive gallery on wilderness firefighting and the National Firefighting Hall of Heroes, dedicated to firefighters who fell in the line of duty.

The museum is every child's dream come true. Many children who live in Phoenix visit with their schools at a discounted group rate of $4 per student, and children 5 and under are only $2 each. Other discounts are available, too.

The museum is located at 6101 East Van Buren St. near prime Phoenix property and is open every day of the week. Parking is free. For more information on visiting and membership, visit the Hall of Flame.

People who live in Fountain Hills have a variety of options for summertime adventures, but there’s nothing quite like the experience at the River of Time Museum that shares space with the Library at the Fountain Hills Town Center Complex. This one-of-a-kind museum’s goal is to take their visitors through educational and creative exhibits that share the fascinating past of the Lower Verde River Valley. The displays focus on the necessity of water in the Sonoran Desert and they reveal how water has directed the course of history through the ages. People who take the time to walk through the museum’s captivating tour come away with a much deeper understanding of the history of the area.

Starting at the Orientation Room, which greets guests when they first begin exploring the River of Time, to the River Bank Store where they can find work by local artisans, visitors learn about how the people who called Fountain Hills home have lived through the years. From the Yavapai who resided in the region, to the explorers, trappers, and the US Army Post of Fort McDowell, visitors are given a wealth of knowledge to share with the world. Families who live in Fountain Hills can take advantage of the Time Travelers program the museum provides for 4th and 5th graders every year, where they have the opportunity to work closely with one of the Museum’s docents and gain mastery over the information about one of the exhibits. It is often a life changing experience for the children as well as the people they impact with their new-found knowledge.

The River of Time is open during the summer on Fridays from 1:00pm until 4:00pm, and on Saturdays from 10:00am until 4:00pm. In the winter they’re open on Tuesday through Friday from 1:00pm until 4:00pm with the same Saturday schedule. To learn more about all they offer, or to see their online store, visit their website at The River of Time Museum.

A delicious meal awaits all Arcadia home owners at Chelsea’s Kitchen. Fresh, never frozen food is on parade for the taste buds of all patrons. Enjoy a burger made from 100% Strauss grass fed beef from American family farms, tackle a taco platter, or treat yourself with a filet mignon or salmon dish. A wide variety of wine, cocktails, and beer are also available. Arcadia home owners are invited to stop by for lunch, dinner, or just drinks with friends. Brunch is also available on the weekends. Business hours are 11 am to 10 pm Monday through Saturday and 9:30 am to 9 pm on Sundays.

Children are invited to eat for free from 3 pm until 6 pm every day. Happy hour pricing is also available from 3-6 pm each day and offers $5.00 featured red and white wine as well as half price beer and liquor. Arcadia real estate owners and all other guests as well can enjoy endless mimosas for only $12.00 per person during the Saturday and Sunday brunch. Great food made from quality ingredients that guests can feel good about are available every day at Chelsea’s Kitchen. Visit Chelsea's Kitchen for more information and the full menu.

Spend a memorable afternoon at Olive & Ivy Restaurant + Marketplace, winner of North Valley Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Restaurant Award for “Best Patio Dining” and the Wine Spectator Award. Folks who live in Scottsdale can enjoy the comforts and cuisine of Southern France without going too far from their Scottsdale home.

For brunch, try Funghi Trifolati Flatbread and a Kale Salad. For lunch, pair Strawberry & Apple Bruschetta with Bacon Wrap Dates and top it off with a Whisky Sour Smash Cocktail. For dinner, share Antipasto before feasting on Veal & Spinach Ravioli. Last but not least, treat yourself to any of their seven delicious desserts – toasted marshmallow Chocolate Cake, Lemon Tres Leches Cake with blueberry compote, Tart Frozen Yogurt Bar made from roasted peaches and candied almonds, Toasted Coconut Cakes with blood orange sorbet, brown butter Cheesecake, Vanilla Tart with blackberry preserves and honeycomb candy, and fresh Sorbet/Gelato made daily.

Olive & Ivy is located at 7135 E. Camelback Rd. #195 in Scottsdale. The restaurant is open seven days a week and also hosts a great Happy Hour. Host a small group event in the elegant Gold Room or cozy Stamp Room rather than in your Scottsdale home.  Visit Olive & Ivy for all the details and to see the menu. Bon apetit!