What’s big in Japan now has the potential to be big in the East Valley, thanks to Lulubell Toy Bodega in downtown Mesa.

Art, music and fun come together this week as Downtown Chandler hosts its monthly art walk 6 to 10 p.m. Friday.

Downtown Chandler’s nice most anytime, but it’ll be a particularly good spot to while away a few hours April 5-6.

It may not be as mainstream a form of expression these days as, say, Instagram, but poetry, that old-fashioned art of arranging language to create an emotional response through meaning, sound and rhythm, is alive and well.

Six months after fire destroyed Copperstar Repertory Company’s offices and scene and costume shops, the East Valley theater company is scheduled to host its first production of “Les Misérables School Edition.”

This weekend downtown Chandler will be piled high with more than 20,000 pounds of BBQ at the Great American Barbeque and Beer Festival. The roster of restaurants dishing up ribs, brisket, pulled pork and chicken includes old favorites Famous Dave’s, Honey Bear’s BBQ, Joe’s Real BBQ and Tom’s BBQ, along with some newcomers including Porkopolis.

It’s no surprise that Chelsea Bain has been attending NASCAR races since she was 5 years old. Her dad, Emmett “Buddy” Jobe, brought NASCAR to Phoenix International Raceway in 1987. Now, Bain is more involved in NASCAR than she ever has been, but not as a spectator — as a rockin’ country musician.

Enjoy a family day at Whole Foods where local farmers market favorites like Paletas Betty, Desert Roots Farm, Nutswhat, and Copper Creek Cheesecake fill the parking lot alongside food trucks, chalk artists, live music and kids activities.

As staff at the Mesa Arts Center began preparation for its second “Festival of Creativity,” MAC executive director Cindy Ornstein said the group was looking for something to pique their interests — a spark, of sorts.

A man has pleaded no contest to a murder charge in the beheading of a man in Arizona who police say had stolen drugs from a Mexican drug cartel.

If you’re looking to purchase some pieces of live-in art, or if you’re just in the mood for an entertaining evening out that supports a great cause, you may be interested in “Chairitable,” an art auction featuring hand-painted and embellished furniture by local artists.

Jeff Bryant and Joe Campbell admit they heard it more than once when they decided to open Desert Eagle Brewery in downtown Mesa last October.

A former board member and longtime volunteer, Jim Colletti returns to this year’s Sedona International Film Festival in an entirely new role: first-time filmmaker. Originally from New York, Colletti moved to the East Valley nearly 20 years ago – buying his first home in Chandler and opening a business in Gilbert before relocating to Mesa. He has been living in central Phoenix for about 2 years now, where he runs his graphic art/advertising agency Element Design along with his artist management/record label OEO Entertainment.

The first time I saw the work of Mesa artist William Barnhart, I was smitten. When I learned he is also the man behind one of the most interesting buildings in the city — the eye-catching cinder-block and steel Quonset hut on Center Street just north of University Drive — I was over the moon.

This time of year, we rack up chances to get outside as if we’re keeping score; we know we’ll be dying for such opportunities come summertime.

You may have noticed some unusual “construction” in downtown Chandler.