Good morning, Tempe. Highs climb from 109 today to 112 by Wednesday, and an extreme heat watch is in effect Wednesday and Thursday, so handle errands and outdoor plans early.
- 🚧 Final road work for the Downtown Tempe Refresh starts Monday. The last phase of the downtown streetscape project gets underway.
- 🏠 The Tempe housing market is loosening. 167 new listings last month, with the median sale price down about 11% from a year ago.
- 🎓 Drag & Draw at the arts center, plus Mullett Arena and a lit-up golf course. What's on around ASU and Mill Avenue.
- 📅 A library STEM show, LEGO engineering, and Tuesday trivia. The week's events around town.
- 🎟️ Bob Dylan, A$AP Rocky, and Killswitch Engage at the Marquee. The bigger shows worth a drive this week.
Downtown's streetscape project enters its final stretch
The Downtown Tempe Refresh reaches its last phase of road work starting Monday, the final visible step in the long-running effort to rework the streets through the Mill Avenue district.
Key facts:
- What: the final road-work phase of the Downtown Tempe Refresh, the city's downtown streetscape overhaul.
- When: work begins Monday, June 22.
- Where: downtown Tempe, in and around the Mill Avenue district.
The timing tracks with the season. With ASU between sessions and Mill Avenue foot traffic at its summer low, this is the window the city tends to use for the disruptive work. The Tempe Independent has the lane and closure specifics. Details.
What to watch: this is billed as the final road work, so the project should start wrapping once this phase clears.
The week
What's on the calendar around Tempe this week:
- 🃏 Pokemon Hour at Tempe Public Library. Kids ages 6 to 16 play the trading card game, decks provided if you need one. Monday, 5 to 6 PM.
- 🔬 Totally Tempe Tuesdays: Digging It. A hands-on STEM show for the whole family at Tempe Public Library. Tuesday, 2 PM.
- 🧱 Level Up LEGO at the library. LEGO engineering and computer science for teens. Tuesday, 4 PM.
- 🎻 Summer Reading Orchestra at Corona del Sol. The south-Tempe high school hosts a summer orchestra night. Tuesday, 7 PM.
- 🌮 Tacos, Tequila, Trivia Tuesday. Midweek trivia at 1929 E Rio Salado Parkway. Tuesday evening.
- 🎤 Powerful Voices Open Mic. Music, comedy, and poetry in one room. Thursday in Tempe.
Around Tempe
- 🏠 The housing market is loosening up. 167 new listings came on the Tempe market last month. The median sale price was $483,000, down about 11% from a year ago, with homes taking 54 days to sell.
- 🏫 Kyrene reports progress on student goals. Kyrene, the district covering south Tempe and parts of Chandler, says it is gaining ground on its early-literacy and learning targets. Details.
🎓 ASU & Mill Avenue
Campus events, Sun Devil happenings, and what's playing down on Mill.
🎨 Drag & Draw at Tempe Center for the Arts. An adults-only live-drawing night where local drag performers strike sculptural poses while the room sketches and sips. TCA sits on the south shore of Tempe Town Lake. A very Tempe way to spend an evening. Details.
🏒 Mullett Arena summer slate. The 5,000-seat ASU arena keeps a running calendar of summer events between hockey seasons. Details.
⛳ Grass Clippings. Arizona's first fully lit 18-hole golf course has a lineup of special events on the calendar. The lights are the point in a Tempe summer. Details.
Around the Valley
Some of the bigger shows playing the Valley this week, closest to home first.
🤘 Killswitch Engage, Machine Head, Iron Reagan, and Havok. A four-band metal bill at Marquee Theatre, right here in Tempe. Wednesday, 6:30 PM. Tickets.
🎸 Bob Dylan at Arizona Financial Theatre, downtown Phoenix. Tuesday, 7 PM. A legend in one of the smaller rooms he plays. Tickets.
🎤 A$AP Rocky at the Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix. Tuesday, 7:30 PM. Tickets.
🎹 Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks at Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix. Tuesday, 7:30 PM. The voice of Yes playing the round revolving room. Tickets.