Tempe Conventions & Visitors Bureau

Searching for entertaining things to do? You need look no further because there’s always plenty to do in Tempe. Read on to see a sample of all there is to do this week, October 25-31.  For a complete listing of Tempe events, visit http://www.tempetourism.com/events/Calendar/ and www.tempescene.com or call 480-894-8158.  

October 27: David Adjaye: Architecture Lecture, Tempe Center for the Arts                                                            

October 28: Thursday Night Market, Tempe Urban Garden 

October 28: Shelby James: American Roots, D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Restaurant & Pub                           

October 28: Opening Reception: Return of the Corn Mothers, ASU Museum of Anthropology 

October 29: ASU Lyric Opera Theatre presents Music Under the Stars, Nelson Fine Art Center Plaza

October 29-30: Shawn Johnson & The Foundation; DJ Slade & DJ Skills, Rula Bula Irish Pub and Restaurant

October 29: Celtica, World Music Band; October 30: PWK, Alternative Band, Tempe Marketplace District Stage

October 29: Mellis Calvert Duo, Adult Contemporary Acoustic Duo; October 30:  Luke Niccoli, Adult Contemporary Guitarist, Tempe Marketplace Barns & Noble Fountain

October 30: Opening of TCA Biennial: Glass & Glass Blowing Demonstration, Tempe Center for the Arts

October 30: LakeShore Jazz Series: Karrin Allyson & the ASU Big Band, Tempe Center for the Arts

October 30: Dia de los Muertos Celebration, Desert Botanical Garden                                                                              

October 31: Aebi/Coulson Jazz Jam, John Henry’s Restaurant

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast returns to ASU Gammage this week!  And, that’s not all.  Read on to see what else there is to do to do in Tempe this week, October 18-24. This is just a sample. For a complete listing of Tempe events, visit http://www.tempetourism.com/events/Calendar/ and www.tempescene.com or call 480-894-8158.  

 October 18: Stan Sorenson, Guitar, Dave’s Electric Brew Pub

 October 19-24: Disney’s Beauty & the Beast, ASU Gammage

 October 21: Thursday Night Market, Tempe Urban Garden

 October 21: Shelby James: American Roots, D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Restaurant & Pub

 October 22: The Love Brokers, Rula Bula Irish Pub and Restaurant

 October 22: Peppermint James; October 23: Chicks with Picks, Tempe Marketplace District Stage

 October 22: Dulce VAS; October 23:  Jeordie, Tempe Marketplace Barns & Noble Fountain

 October 23: Dance Contest: your chance to win $5,000 and a spot on MTV!, Tempe Marketplace District Stage 

October 23: Harbhajan Mann; October 24: Apsara Dance Concert, Tempe Center for the Arts 

October 24  Aebi/Coulson Jazz Jam, John Henry’s Restaurant

It’s October, it’s gorgeous and wow, there’s a lot going on in Tempe this week.  With all the music, theatre, art exhibits and author events you’ll have plenty of choices.  It doesn’t get any better. And this is just a sample. For a complete listing of Tempe events, visit http://www.tempecvb.com/Events/Calendar and http://www.tempescene.com/

October 13:  Deepak Chopra: Muhammad: A Story of the Last Prophet, Changing Hands Bookstore

October 13: Walk-in Wednesday with Walt Richardson, Tempe Center for the Arts

October 14: Thursday Night Market, Tempe Urban Garden

October 14: Shelby James: D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Restaurant & Pub

October 14: The Spin, Rula Bula Irish Pub and Restaurant

October 15: Friday Conversations @ 11: John Spiak: Open for Business, ASU Art Museum

October 15: Hello Swindon; October 16: The Jeff Hunt Band, Tempe Marketplace District Stage

October 15: Just Jade; October 16: Jess Hawk Oakenstar, Tempe Marketplace Barns & Noble Fountain

October 16: Childsplay Presents: A Year with Frog and Toad, Tempe Center for the Arts

October 17:  Aebi/Coulson Jazz Jam, John Henry’s Restaurant  

October 17: Persian Classical and Folk Music Concert, Tempe Center for the Arts

Looking for something to do on Monday nights? If you like jazz and live music, then Dave’s Electric Brew Pub in Tempe is a must! Jam’n Jazz Productions  is presenting a new Jazz Series at Dave’s Electric Brewpub every Monday Night at 8 p.m. In addition to the great entertainment, you can also enjoy $5 glasses of wine and the tasty dishes served at this popular brew pub. Upcoming shows include:

AUG 9        STU SIEFER GROUP WITH SIMON AMES & SANTO MAGLIO
AUG 16      JEFF LIBMAN TRIO

For more information, please visit http://www.jamnjazzproductions.com/ or www.daveselectricbrewpub.com.

It’s no surprise to me that salsa is the #1 condiment in the U.S. If you want to celebrate your love for salsa, don’t miss the My Nana’s Best Tasting Salsa Challenge, happening tomorrow at Tempe Beach Park.

From 11 am to 6 pm on April 24, you can sample the best salsas from 75 amateur and professional chefs. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite — the winning chef gets bragging rights and a fabulous grand prize trip. There will also be a margarita mix-off where 20 bartenders will compete to make the best margarita. There’s a kid zone just for the little ones, a Macayo’s food court (yummo!) and live entertainment by fun local bands like the Chadwicks.

Tickets are just $10 and all proceeds benefit Arizona children affected by bleeding disorders via the Arizona Hemophilia Association. For more info, visit www.salsachallenge.com.

See you there!!

The Yucca Tap Room recently expanded! A friend and I were trying to find a good laid back place to enjoy some music on a week night and noticed as we pulled up to the Yucca Tap Room there was an additional connected bar next door. Inside the main entrance, a DJ was on stage playing music with an artist working to the right of him. It was really neat to see how they both worked together simultaneously on stage; it was almost as if the painter was following his strokes with the music.

The new bar next to it is fully furnished with pool tables, music, and great drinks for everyone to enjoy! They have the whole back wall covered with a huge variety of bottled beers from all around the world as well as over eight draft beers (some of them including beers from our local Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe) to choose from. They had some really good unique tasting beers for a decent price, but don’t forget to bring cash because they do not accept debit/credit cards (There is an ATM is available). This dive bar is a nice place to come to; as soon as I walked into the Yucca Tap Room there was a great sense of atmosphere. Everyone was friendly, enjoying themselves and really excited about the new addition. Come check out the Yucca Tap Room and enjoy great live music any night of the week!

The following link has a list of their calendar of events: http://www.yuccatap.com/live.html

I have come to the conclusion that University Drive in Tempe Arizona needs to be recognized for its great dining options.  I have always stopped in once in a while to a few places, but I never really put it into the context of great food on one street.  So here I go. I’ll eat my way through University Drive!  First up, Thai Elephant near Hardy and University in Tempe.  YUM!  I am a fan of Thai food (you’ll see that in the coming weeks) and I was expecting a little hole-in-the-wall place with a few items on the menu. I was happy to find a array of options, some that I have not seen before. I had a beef noodle dish with an amazing peanut sauce.  There was so much food that I was very happy to eat the left overs the next day for lunch! I don’t do spicy, but my partner does.  He got the medium.  Beware! The medium was still really spicy – you could see the chili pepper all over his dish.  Those that love their food to be on fire, then go for it!  The prices are very reasonable and the space is large and pleasant with friendly staff to boot!  If you are looking for a great Thai food restaurant in Arizona with reasonable prices, then check out Thai Elephant.  http://www.letterse7en.com/TE/tempe.html

The Stray Cat Bar and Grill has an “Open Mic” every Monday night from 8:00 pm until Midnight. Local musician George Hughes is the host and he will make sure to furnish all musicians with acoustic guitar, bass, and percussions if needed.

For great food, awesome drink specials, and a casual atmosphere, the Stray Cat is the place to be. The staff is extremely friendly and attentive as well.

So gather the friends, come on down and show off your musical talent. The Stray Cat Bar & Grill is located at 2433 East University Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281.

Is there anything finer than experiencing the first truly balmy October twilight that finally comes on the heels of so many sweltering summer nights? It happened to me last Thursday when a bunch of us met after work at the first Spiked event of the season at the Desert Botanical Garden.   The cool temps enjoyed in the gorgeous surroundings of the Desert Botanical Gardens would have been plenty for me.   But, my ticket to Spiked included delicious hors d’oeuvres and great live music, a blend of rock, jazz and funk.   The cash bar offered a nice variety of beverages including a tasty specialty cocktail inspired by the flavors of autumn.  I’m looking forward to more of these magical Thursday evenings, which will be repeated every Thursday through November 5.   

Have you checked out all the action on Thursday evenings in the Mill Avenue District?  First off, there’s Music on Mill every Thursday night from 5-9 p.m. with street musicians all along Mill Avenue.  Then there are all the MADCAP Theater events such as MAD Jazz Night and the Midnight Movie Mamacita selection of B movies that are pretty bad, but  good fun.  And starting on September 3, Mill Avenue will host “Market on Mill,” the first sustainable, carbon neutral farmer’s market in Arizona. It will be bring together an eclectic mix of local growers, area businesses, artisans, restaurants and chefs and local musicians.  The Market on Mill will take place every Thursday evening from 5-9 p.m. in the Plaza outside the MADCAP theaters.  There will also be sustainable living classes inside the theater.  Yep, Mill Avenue is all abuzz with activity on Thursday evenings.  It’s a great way to wind down the week and transition into the weekend.