Time is growing short to get tickets for one of Ahwatukee’s swankiest events – the Light Up Ahwatukee Beer and Wine Gala.
The gala, 6-10 p.m. April 4 at Foothills Golf Club, is marking its 28th anniversary in better-than-ever style with live music, casino gaming, special raffles and the popular wine pull, and unlimited beer and wine. Tickets are at lightupahwatukee.org.
The cocktail-attire event, open to adults over 21, also is offering a VIP option for a limited number of guests that entitles them to entry an hour earlier and double the casino cash.
The gala is one of the nonprofit’s two signature community events. The other is the pre-Thanksgiving holiday festival.
Unlike that family friendly event, the gala is tailored to adults with unlimited beer and wine varieties, tequila and whiskey tastings; music by two popular local bands and classic casino games, including black jack, craps, roulette and poker tables.
But like the festival, its proceeds go to a designated charity – which this year is HOPE for the Homeless, an nonprofit started by Ahwatukee resident Tim Berry in 2018 at Mountain Park Church.
Every month dozens of volunteers gather at the church to pack 1,500 to 2,000 HOPE bags with toiletries, snack packs, socks, survival blankets, first aid kits and more.
The bags are distributed to the homeless the following day, Sunday, at Andre House in downtown Phoenix, where HOPE volunteers lead a Recovery meeting that’s followed by attendees being served a hot homemade meal.
The remaining packed HOPE bags – emblazoned with their logo and major sponsors on the opposite side – are forwarded to ministry partners throughout metro Phoenix.
The nonprofit also raffles off a custom vehicle at the Ahwatukee Car Show the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year it is raffling a custom-built 1979 Chevrolet C10 “Square Body” pickup. Details are at hope4thehomelessaz.com.
While helping local nonprofits, LUA aims to have its two signature events provide fun and the gala promises plenty of that.
With a theme “Crystal Moon,” the gala will have unlimited pours courtesy of its primary beer sponsor, 12 West Brewing Co.
“Just as LUA’s mission states, we are committed to putting a spotlight on local businesses, both new and old in Ahwatukee,” said LUA President Maria Reyes Smith.
The award-winning brewery opened last December on the northwest corner of I-10 and Ray in Ahwatukee.
“They will be pouring their five core five beers: Blap!Blap! wheat ale, Cirrus Haze New England hazy IPA, Frontside IPA, Super Beaker IPA, and Zona Pils pilsner, and will also have an array of other cans and samples,” Reyes-Smith said.
Gala VIP ticket holders will get early entry at 5 p.m and have exclusive access to The Foothills Golf Club’s new Bunker Lounge – a new experience inside the club with two high-quality golf simulator bays, sports TVs and bar. They will also enjoy hors d’oeuvres, double the casino cash, and a special commemorative 2025 LUA wine glass.
Live music is always a big part of the event and this year’s gala lineup includes Elvis Before Noon as the main headliner.
Daylon Greer is the band’s primary vocalist and songwriter and from the beginning, the group has been writing and recording its own original songs. Their power pop numbers and early 90s/2000s vibe might be reminiscent of the twangy “desert sound” that made Tempe famous but they truly have their own sound.
They’ve shared stages with both Gin Blossoms and Roger Clyne.
Ahwatukee’s own Contents May Shift will play from from 6-7:30 p.m. The band comprises a few of the members from Lil’ Debbie Band. After playing together throughout the Valley for 24 years, they decided to mix up the music variety.
These staples in the community have volunteered their time and talent for nearly every Light Up Event/Festival in the past 20 years.
“The Foothills Golf Club continues to invest in the property and our community has shown amazing support with their popular Friday pop-up happy hours,” said Tony Hultz, LUA logistics chair.
“One of the highlights of last year was the addition to a slew of casino tables outside the venue while enjoying the live music. We also can’t wait to be the first event to unveil the Bunker Lounge, providing our VIP guests the exclusive opportunity to be the first to experience the newly added sports lounge.”
This comes on the heels of one of the organization’s most successful holiday festivals last November.
“Our board has not stopped their mission of continually to up the bar when it comes to our events, and bringing the community what they have asked for,” Maria Reyes-Smith said.
“We were able to donate $12,000 to our charity partner, Hope for the Homeless, after a wildly successful holiday festival,” she added.
“We continue to grow and expand and bring our community together as we have taken on a broader mission with our two signature events that help provide thousands of dollars in contributions to locally focused charities.”
VIP tickets are $150, and general admission tickets are $100 per person or $180 a couple, which includes unlimited beer and wine, cuisine from Foothills Golf Club, live music, a commemorative 2025 wine glass, and $100 casino cash.
LUA is still accepting applications for any local nonprofit business.
Its mission includes supporting a wide variety of community businesses and organizations while throwing two of Ahwatukee’s signature events that help provide thousands of dollars in contributions to locally focused charities.
Highlighted sponsors already on board for the 2025 Light Up Ahwatukee Beer and Wine Gala include: Spencer 4 Hire Roofing, Vero Pizza, Holiday Lights Phoenix, 12 West Brewing Co, Print Smart, and Ahwatukee Foothills News.
LUA is still currently seeking community volunteers, event sponsors, and raffle donations. While there is an ATM on-site at Foothills Golf Club, guests should bring extra cash to purchase your raffle tickets, wine pull, additional casino money, the Split-the-Pot 50/50 raffle, and more.
