Good morning, Tempe. Thursday will be sunny, with a high near 103 and lows around 82.
- 🏀 The Valley Suns are moving into Mullett Arena. Tempe gains a full season of NBA G League basketball from the Phoenix Suns affiliate.
- 🤟 A free beginner ASL workshop runs Saturday. Tempe Public Library covers basic signs, Deaf culture, visual communication, and accessibility.
- 🧱 LEGO engineering meets Friday afternoon. Children ages 6 to 11 can explore computer science and design through hands-on building.
- 🏠 Typical Tempe rent is about $1,656. Zillow’s citywide measure is roughly unchanged from a year ago.
- 🎻 Three Phoenix performances run tonight. The options include Queen, The Beatles, 1990s hip-hop on strings, and a one-night theater show.
Valley Suns make Mullett Arena home
The Valley Suns will play their upcoming season at Mullett Arena, giving Tempe a recurring professional basketball schedule tied directly to the Phoenix Suns.
Key facts:
- Team: Valley Suns, the Phoenix Suns’ NBA G League affiliate.
- Home court: Mullett Arena on the ASU Tempe campus.
- Arena size: About 5,000 seats.
- Season: The upcoming Valley Suns season. Individual game dates were not included in the announcement.
Mullett opened in 2022 and hosted the Arizona Coyotes from 2022 through 2025. It already serves ASU hockey, women’s volleyball, and wrestling, so the Valley Suns add another regular draw at the city-and-campus seam. For Tempe basketball fans, the move means NBA-affiliated games without leaving the city.
What to watch: The home schedule and individual game dates. Details.
The weekend
Thursday, September 3
🐕 Paws 2 Read starts at 3:30 PM. Children can read with registered therapy dogs Finn and Roxy at Tempe Public Library. Ten-minute slots are first come, first served, with sign-up beginning at 3:15 PM. A parent must remain present. Details.
Friday, September 4
✍️ Writers Connection meets at 2 PM. Tempe Public Library’s free critique group lets aspiring writers share work and receive feedback. The group meets every other Friday, and registration is not required. Details.
🧱 LEGO Lab begins at 4 PM. Children ages 6 to 11 use LEGO Education SPIKE materials to explore engineering, computer science, math, and literacy at Tempe Public Library. Details.
Saturday, September 5
🐦 Hummingbird Storytime begins at 11 AM. Tempe Public Library marks National Hummingbird Day with stories, songs, crafts, and nature activities for children through age eight. Details.
🤟 Introductory American Sign Language starts at 1 PM. The beginner-friendly library workshop covers foundational signs, Deaf culture, visual communication, and accessibility awareness. It is open to teens and adults. Details.
Around Tempe
🏠 Typical rent in Tempe is about $1,656 per month. Zillow’s citywide rent measure is roughly flat compared with the past year. Details.
Around the Valley
A few Thursday-night picks in Phoenix for Tempe residents willing to cross the I-10.
🎻 Queen and The Beatles by candlelight, 6:30 PM. Whiteman Hall at Phoenix Art Museum hosts a candlelit tribute built around two of rock’s biggest catalogs. Tickets.
👑 It’s Raining Queens, 7 PM. The one-night performance runs at Stage West inside the Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix. Tickets.
🎼 1990s hip-hop on strings, 8:30 PM. The later Candlelight program at Whiteman Hall recasts a decade of hip-hop for string instruments. Tickets.