Happy Halloween 🎃

It seems like just yesterday it was August and temps were 115*. Now Halloween is upon us, and we’ll be hearing Christmas music in the stores.

Happy Halloween to you and your family, its ok to dip into the candy stash now and & again, I give you permission. 😎

In this week’s Scoop:

• Food banks may be busy due to looming end of SNAP benefits 🥪

• New book planned for 50th Anniversary of Sun City West 📘

• Home of the Week, a beauty in Corte Bella 🏠

• Last chance to enjoy the many Halloween events

• And so much more!

COMMUNITY NEWS

~ Arizona food banks are preparing for a surge in demand as federal SNAP benefits are set to be paused beginning in November. More than 887,000 Arizonans rely on SNAP each month, and organizations like St. Mary’s Food Bank say they’re already seeing record numbers of people seeking help. The pause could mean longer wait times and greater strain on local resources. Residents in Sun City, Sun City West, and The Grand who are affected are encouraged to plan ahead, while neighbors who can are urged to donate or volunteer to support local food banks during this challenging time.

If you are able, please consider a donation to local food banks. (link & link)

~ SCHOA 2025 Lifestyle Senior Expo, Wednesday, October 29th, from 8am-12pm at the Sundial recreation center (link)

Sun City residents can meet and learn about vetted businesses that are part of SCHOA’s vetted Business Partner Referral Program, as well as meet supportive community partners. Businesses will also be offering health screenings – and we will have a table of Arizona Public Service (APS) representatives who can review your electric account for any savings or programs that can benefit your budget!

Door prizes will be raffled throughout the morning! Our EXPOs are an excellent way to get to know the community, meet new vetted businesses, and learn about community services that will be present. It is a good time for all Sun City residents. We look forward to seeing you there! This is an EXPO you don’t want to miss!

~ The Sun City Lions Club will provide free health screenings during the Sun City Health and Wellness Expo put on by the Sun City Homeowner’s Association Wednesday, Oct. 29.

The screenings will include checking blood oxygen levels, blood pressure, body mass index, Diabetes screening and hearing tests.

There will also be students from the Midwestern University Dental Program providing oral cancer screenings, the university’s College of Optometry and Therapy School and the school’s Body Donation Program. Each of the Midwestern representatives will be able to provide information about their program. (link & link)

~ 📘 New Book to Celebrate Sun City West’s 50th Anniversary. The Sun Cities Area Historical Society has begun work on a new “Images of America: Sun City West” book in partnership with Arcadia Publishing, timed for the community’s 50th anniversary in 2028. Scheduled for release in early 2027, the book will mirror the popular Images of America: Sun City edition published in 2011, featuring vintage photos and stories highlighting five decades of Sun City West’s growth — from recreation centers and local clubs to the Sundome and community landmarks. All proceeds will benefit the Del Webb Sun Cities Museum, with museum volunteers compiling materials from the museum’s archives and Independent Newsmedia. Marketing Chair Bret McKeand, who helped create the original Sun City book, will again lead the project. (link)

ARIZONA TRIVIA

Last week’s trivia question was ‘What was the original name of the Hoover Dam?’

The answer was: Boulder Dam

When construction began in the early 1930s, the project was commonly called Boulder Canyon Dam, after the proposed site in Boulder Canyon on the Colorado River. Even though the final location was moved downstream to Black Canyon, the name Boulder Dam stuck.

It wasn’t officially named Hoover Dam until 1930, when it was dedicated by then–Secretary of the Interior Ray Lyman Wilbur in honor of President Herbert Hoover, who had played a key role in organizing the Colorado River Compact.

However, after Hoover left office, the Roosevelt administration reverted the name back to Boulder Dam in 1933. It wasn’t until 1947 that Congress officially restored the name Hoover Dam, which remains today.

EVENTS

This Week

[Sun City West] The Sun City West Friday Farmers Market is BACK!!! The market is every Friday from 10am-2pm at the Lord of Life Lutherans Church. (link)

[Sun City] This week’s movie is ‘THE CURSE OF BRIDGE HOLLOW, The true story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Showtimes are Wednesday 10/28 at 2pm & 7pm at the Marinette Rec Center & Saturday 11/1 at 2pm & 7pm at the MOUNTAIN VIEW CENTER (New location).

[Sun City West] Movie Night at the Stardust Theatre is back! Join them for a showing of HOCUS POCUS on Tuesday, OCTOBER 28TH at 6pm. (link)

[Sun City West] Show off your creativity this Halloween with the SCW Rec Centers' pumpkin carving contest! Members are invited to carve a pumpkin during their free time over the next week and enter it into this upcoming contest where voting by other community members will decide 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. If you're interested in participating, pumpkins for this contest need to be dropped off at the lobby of the R.H. Johnson Pool and Fitness Center prior to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Voting by the public will occur after the submission deadline, with winners being announced on Halloween at 3 p.m.

[Sun City] SCHOA 2025 Lifestyle Senior Expo, Wednesday, October 29th, from 8am-12pm at the Sundial recreation center (link)

Sun City residents can meet and learn about vetted businesses that are part of SCHOA’s vetted Business Partner Referral Program, as well as meet supportive community partners. Businesses will also be offering health screenings – and we will have a table of Arizona Public Service (APS) representatives who can review your electric account for any savings or programs that can benefit your budget!

Door prizes will be raffled throughout the morning! Our EXPOs are an excellent way to get to know the community, meet new vetted businesses, and learn about community services that will be present. It is a good time for all Sun City residents. We look forward to seeing you there! This is an EXPO you don’t want to miss!

[Sun City West] Talent Spotlight returns to the Kuentz Courtyard this month!

Join the Rec Centers at the Kuentz Courtyard for a one-hour FREE concert by various SCW artists each week and enjoy the talent they bring to the stage! Performances are every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to noon through October. HEATWAVE will be performing on Wednesday, October 29th. (link)

[Sun City West] The Thaddeus Rose Band returns to Beardsley Park on Thursday, Oct. 30 for Halloween in the Park, a fun and spooky night that will be filled with great music, food and creative costumes from the residents that call Sun City West home. Get your spookiest costumes together and celebrate Halloween this year with Sun City West favorite Thaddeus Rose!

Gates for the event open at 5 p.m. with Thaddeus Rose taking the stage at 7 p.m. (link)

[Sun City] Sun Bowl Fall Concert Series 2025. X-Static will be performing on Sunday, November 2nd. Food trucks will arrive about 60-90 minutes prior to the beginning of the show. This concert series is free for RCSC members & their escorted guests.

Upcoming Events 

[Sun City] New to Sun City? Or, want to learn more about our unique community? Join us for a New Residents Orientation and get to know the Sun City Home Owners Association (SCHOA) and other Sun City organizations that make our community special. This event will empower you to enjoy your ideal quality of life. (link)

Sun City Resident Orientation Friday, November 7, 2025. Doors open: 8:30am Meeting starts: 9:00amLocation: Sundial Recreation Center, 14801 W. 103rd Ave, Sun City.

[Sun City West] Help the Recreation Centers of Sun City West celebrate the brave men and women who have served the country in the military with a free concert presented by the Surprise Pops on Tuesday, November 11th in the Palm Ridge Recreation Center.

The concert kicks off at 11am with doors opening at 1030. Tickets (two per rec card) are required and are available for purchase at the R.H. Johnson Box Office or online at suncitywest.com/tickets.

Weekly Events 

~ Fall is here and that means it is Pumpkin Patch season! There are many great events happening in & around Phoenix, as well as parts of Arizona. See all the details on the best local events here.

[Sun City] The Sun City Farmers Market is back at the Bell Center, on 99th Ave just south of Bell Road. The market will be held every Thursday from 9am-1pm. (link)

[Sun City] Desert Glow Farmers Markets is hosting their market, from 8am-12pm on Thursdays, at Desert Episcopal Church. (link & map)

[Surprise] Surprise Farmer’s Market, every Sunday from 3-7pm. A weekly market featuring fresh local ingredients, homemade goods, and artisanal crafts from nearby farms and ranches. (link & map)

Have an event you want listed here? Please reach out!

I had someone suggest to me recently that the lovebird images from the newsletter would make a good puzzle. That is certainly an interesting idea. What do you think?

CLUBS

🌳 Workshop: The Importance of Trees in the Low Desert. All Sun City West Rec Card Holders Welcome! Join the Sun City West Desert Garden Club for an exciting and informative workshop on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, from 10:00 to 11:30am at Palm Ridge Summit Hall A.

Discover why trees are true treasures in our desert landscape! Learn how they provide natural cooling, reduce energy costs, prevent erosion, capture rainwater, and help conserve our most precious resource — water. Our guest speaker, Jonathan Manning, an ISA Certified Arborist and Nursery Manager at Elgin Nursery and Tree Farm, brings decades of hands-on experience growing plants in the Sonoran Desert. You’ll leave inspired and full of practical knowledge for your own yard and community! 🌿 Don’t forget your Rec Card, it’s required for entry. Come learn, connect, and grow with us

Want to have your club featured in the Sun City Scoop?

Please reply to this email or send details on your club to [email protected]

REAL ESTATE

HOME OF THE WEEK: Beautiful upgraded Figueroa model, with 2 bedrooms + den & 2.5 bathrooms, located on the 17th hole of Corte Bella country Club.

Now offered at $795,000, this home features fresh exterior paint! Experience breathtaking mountain and golf course views from this extended covered back patio, perfectly positioned above the 17th fairway in the prestigious Corte Bella Country Club. Transferable Home Warranty included! This thoughtfully maintained home by the original owners, offers the perfect setting for taking in awe-inspiring sunrises and sunsets. The 2,784 sq. ft. Figueroa model showcases 2 bedrooms + den, 2.5 baths, and an expansive 12,653 sq. ft. lot, creating the ideal setting for refined desert living. Step into a tranquil backyard retreat, where low maintenance, desert landscaping frames unobstructed views.

Corte Bella features two restaurants, a fitness center, heated pool & spa, tennis, pickleball, and an award-winning golf course. This home is just a short walk to all that Corte Bella has to offer!

See all the details & pics here.

Listing brought to you by Corey & Kirk Fields with West USA Realty

SURVEY

The Sun City Scoop Newsletter is growing fast, and in an effort to make sure I’m providing the content you want to see, please do me a favor and complete this survey. Thank you 🙏

Thank you to everyone who has completed the survey! 🙏

Thank you for being here 🙏 

📢 We’d love to hear what you want to see in the Sun City Scoop. Please send us an email with your ideas, or if you have a scoop on a story or event you think others in the community should know about.

If you know someone who would benefit from the Sun City Scoop, please forward this email to them. 🙌 

If you want to learn more about who is publishing this newsletter, click here.

Thank you for reading, Happy Halloween!!