Good morning, Tempe. It's Memorial Day, ASU's spring semester is in the books, and the city's calendar is easing into summer.
🎓 Graduation season closes out across Tempe Union. The Class of 2026 walks the stage at all six of the district's high schools as the year ends. Details.
🎸 A look back at Tempe's music venues. Phoenix New Times collected then-and-now photos of the bars and clubs that built Mill Avenue's reputation. Details.
🥬 Farm Express comes to the Tempe library Tuesday. A mobile produce market that takes cash, card, and SNAP/EBT. Details.
🎟️ Two shows in downtown Phoenix tonight. Yungblud and Yot Club both play on Memorial Day. Details.
Graduation season wraps in Tempe
Tempe Union's Class of 2026 is closing out the school year, and the milestone is landing in living rooms across the city.
The Tempe Tribune has the story that captures it best this week: a long family run at McClintock High coming to a close with the Class of 2026. It's the kind of family thread that runs through plenty of Tempe households every May.
Tempe Union High School District (TUHSD) sends off graduates from all six of its campuses this time of year: Tempe High, Corona del Sol, Marcos de Niza, McClintock, Mountain Pointe, and Desert Vista. With ASU's spring commencement already done, the city's student calendar goes quiet until fall.
That shift is bigger here than in most East Valley cities. In a place where roughly 80,000 students set the rhythm, summer means lighter traffic on Mill Avenue and around campus, and a lease cycle that's about to turn over in a big way (more on that below). Read the Tribune's story.
The week ahead
A quieter calendar than usual, but a few things worth knowing:
- 📚 Raising a Reader, Tuesday at 10 AM. An eight-week early-literacy playgroup at the Tempe Public Library, with free children's books, music, and snacks. Registration required. Details.
- 🥬 Farm Express, Tuesday at 1:30 PM. A mobile produce market parks in front of the Tempe Public Library. Cash, card, and SNAP/EBT, with a buy-one-get-one on EBT up to $20. Details.
- 📖 Jen Hamilton at Changing Hands, Friday. The labor-and-delivery nurse and TikTok creator talks about her new book, "Birth Vibes," at the Tempe bookstore. Details.
Around Tempe
🎸 A look back at Tempe's music venues. Phoenix New Times put together a then-and-now photo tour of the rock bars, nightclubs, and concert rooms that built Mill Avenue's reputation. Take the tour. Mill Avenue has been the spine of the city's nightlife for decades, going back to the 1973 plan that kept downtown's old-town feel intact. A good scroll for anyone with a Mill Avenue show somewhere in their memory.
🏠 Lease season is in full swing. r/tempe is filling with summer sublease and apartment-hunting posts as the ASU lease cycle turns over toward August move-ins. Recent listings ran from a $779-a-month room at Yugo Tempe Terrace to $1,125 at District on Apache, alongside a steady stream of newcomers asking which neighborhoods near the light rail are worth a look.
🎉 Memorial Day plans. If the long weekend isn't over yet, Phoenix New Times rounded up the Memorial Day parties across Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe. The list.
ICYMI on r/tempe
🍣 The sashimi question. A post hunting for the best place in the valley to eat "a lot of fish" pulled nearly 50 replies. The thread doubles as a valley-wide sashimi list. See the recs.
🧭 New in town. Another newcomer asked the sub what to do and where to go, and got more than 30 answers. A decent starter list for anyone who just landed here. Read the thread.
🤝 The friend search. A couple of posts captured a familiar Tempe tension: people finishing at ASU and realizing their whole social circle lived inside the campus bubble. The replies had real suggestions. See the thread.
🔧 Looking for a good plumber. A long-time resident asked r/tempe for a plumber they can actually trust after their go-to shop closed up. The replies are worth bookmarking. See the thread.
Around the Valley
A few picks worth leaving Tempe for tonight.
Yungblud at Arizona Financial Theatre. The British rocker plays downtown Phoenix on Memorial Day. A loud, high-energy room for a holiday Monday. Tickets.
Yot Club at Crescent Ballroom. The bedroom-pop project takes the small Phoenix room tonight. An easier night out for anyone who'd rather skip a bigger crowd. Tickets.
Garden Bros Nuclear Circus in Glendale. The touring circus runs an afternoon show at Tanger Outlets today. A holiday option for families with restless kids. Tickets.
That's the brief. The Weekend edition lands Thursday.