If you’re staying in town this weekend and are looking for an activity that requires less cash than your July power bill, head to Tempe Marketplace where you can take your pick of restaurants, pubs and sweet shops, enjoy free live music while the kids cool off in the splash pad, paint a gnome or catch a movie.
Los Guys with Mark Zubia rocks the District Stage (near Dave and Busters) Friday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., but if you arrive early you’ll have time to grab a bite at Thirsty Lion Pub and Grill, San Felipes Cantina, Smash Burger, Kabuki Japanese Restaurant or one of the other 16 eateries on site. Those looking for lighter, sweeter and more caffeine-laden fare will find plenty of options at Mojo Yogurt, Cold Stone Creamery, Tea Infusion or Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
If you decide to stroll the shops or take the kids to play in the water at the Barnes and Noble fountain and splash pad, you’ll hear Tony Putrino of the Arizona Accordion Club entertaining fans with a blend of jazz, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and romantic European music Friday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday it’s all about the girls with live music from Chicks with Picks (7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the District Stage) and Arizona country music from the Mary Hoffman Duo (7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the fountain).
Afterwards, you’ll still have time to catch a late movie at Harkins Theatre (“The Amazing Spider Man” anyone?) or paint a Traveling Gnome at As You Wish, which is open Fridays and Saturdays until 10 p.m. If you snap a picture of the gnome on your family vacation and post it to their Facebook page, you’ll win an As You Wish Family Fun Pass, redeemable for another artistic outing.
DETAILS >> Live music from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; movie times and store and restaurant hours vary. Tempe Marketplace, 2000 E. Rio Salado Pkwy. Free. (480) 966-9338 or www.tempemarketplace.com.
Contact writer: (480) 898-5629 or sperrault@evtrib.com
Suelee posted at 12:45 pm on Fri, Jul 6, 2012.
This is not a news item, it is a commercial. Not a fan of this mishmashed monstrosity. The parking lot is is poorly laid out with crazy traffic flows, blaring loudspeakers in the parking lot with ads for the stores, glaring neon signs that distract drivers on the 202 freeway, and many of the stores are crippled versions of what you would find in the same store elsewhere (such as the JC Pennys).
Even though we are Tempe residents, my family usually shops at Riverview rather than endure Tempe Marketplace.