Good morning, Tempe. Friday is Juneteenth, which reshuffles the weekend a little and gives downtown a reason to celebrate.

  • 🎉 Juneteenth weekend in Tempe. The holiday lands Friday, the library closes, and Downtown Tempe throws a block party.
  • 📚 A full Sunday at the library. Ukulele therapy, book bedazzling, and a visit from ASU's Nature Space.
  • 🥕 Farm Express returns Tuesday. Affordable produce that takes SNAP/EBT, with buy-one-get-one up to $20.
  • 🎓 ASU and Mill Avenue. Yucca Tap Room, the Marquee, and 2nd Sundays on Mill.
  • 🏞️ Around Tempe. The city's first move on the Town Lake north shore, an ASU Hall of Fame redo, and where home values landed.
  • 🎟️ Around the Valley. D-backs and Twins, Shrek, The Moth, and a Monterrey crew at The Van Buren.

Juneteenth weekend in Tempe

Friday is Juneteenth, and Downtown Tempe is throwing a block party to mark it.

Key facts:

  • Friday, June 19. Juneteenth, the federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States in 1865.
  • The Tempe Public Library is closed Friday for the holiday.
  • Downtown Tempe hosts a Juneteenth Block Party. Time and lineup here.

Most of downtown's big gatherings center on Mill Avenue, the old town core that Tempe has worked to keep intact since the 1970s. A block party fits the street.

If you're going, confirm hours at the link first. The exact schedule isn't posted in the feed yet.

The weekend

Sunday, June 21 (all at Tempe Public Library):

  • 🎶 Uke Therapy. Beginner-friendly ukulele and mindfulness session. 1 PM. Details.
  • 📖 Book bedazzling. Decorate a book with beads and glue, supplies provided. 2 PM. Details.
  • 🦎 Sunday Funday with ASU's Nature Space. Legos, board games, and specimens from ASU plus the Tempe Park Rangers. 3 PM. Details.

Tuesday, June 23:

  • 🥕 Farm Express produce market. Fresh fruit and veggies, cash, card, and SNAP/EBT, with SNAP doubling up to $20. The bus parks in the library driveway, 1:30 PM. Details.
  • 🤖 Transformers trivia. Themed trivia night at Snakes & Lattes, 20 W 6th St. Details.

Around Tempe

  • 🛶 The city starts on the lake's north shore. Tempe is taking its first steps to update the north shore of Tempe Town Lake. Details.
  • 🏆 Sun Devil Hall of Fame makeover. ASU is overhauling its Sun Devil Hall of Fame. Details.
  • 🍽️ Devour Summer Chef Series. The 2026 dining series is on. Details.
  • 🏠 Home values. Tempe's typical home is worth about $468,327, down 1% over the past year. Details.

🎓 ASU & Mill Avenue

Campus events, Sun Devil sports, and what's playing down on Mill.

  • 🎸 Yucca Tap Room. Tempe's original live music venue, running for over 40 years in an intimate room. Check the monthly lineup before you go. Details.
  • 🎤 Marquee Theatre. The bigger touring stop, with over 150 performances a year. Details.
  • 🎨 2nd Sundays on Mill. The monthly arts and maker market along Mill Avenue. Details.

Around the Valley

A few picks worth leaving Tempe for this weekend.

  • ⚾ Diamondbacks vs. Twins. Chase Field, Phoenix. Friday, June 19, 6:40 PM. An interleague weekend series with the roof closed and the air cold. Tickets.
  • 🧅 Valley Youth Theatre: Shrek The Musical. Herberger Theater Center, Phoenix. Friday, 7 PM. A summer staging built for kids. Tickets.
  • 🎙️ The Moth: American Dream. Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix. Tonight, 8 PM. True stories told live, no notes. Tickets.
  • 🎶 3BallMTY. The Van Buren, Phoenix. Tonight, 8 PM. Monterrey's tribal guarachero crew, one night only. Tickets.

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