Tempe Conventions & Visitors Bureau

Tempe History Museum

I hope anyone who claims to hate history will try to keep an open mind long enough to visit the Tempe History Museum.  It just re-opened following a huge renovation.  Anyone who remembers the way the museum looked before its renovation will be very surprised by its new look and format.   

The dark green walls and chronological presentation have been replaced with bright, open spaces and exhibits that are arranged thematically. There are four themed areas that focus Tempe’s early years to the present, Tempe’s relationship to ASU, Tempe’s diversity and how humans interact with the desert.

The old passive exhibits have been replaced with terrific new interactive exhibits. For example, one exhibit enables you to become part of the exhibit by taking your picture and then digitally projecting it on a six by seven foot screen that hangs from the ceiling. Being camera shy and not wanting myself displayed in large format for all to see, I avoided that one and headed over to the interactive touch screen map of Tempe, which I found totally mesmerizing.  There’s also a really neat area for little kids where they can play with antique toys, plant artificial crops or listen to music or old time programs on vintage radios and climb on the old fire old fire truck.

If you haven’t been to the museum in a while, or if you’ve never been,  take some time to check it out.  It’s a fun new way of looking at Tempe’s past and present.

Visitors and tourists alike love to soak up the sunshine and balmy temperatures that signal spring in Tempe. This Thursday through Saturday, you’re invited to spend time outdoors at ASU Karsten Golf Course and see some great up and coming golfers. ASU Karsten is hosting the Thunderbird Invitational, aka the ASU Men’s Golf Invitational, April 1-3. The ASU men’s golf team will play against teams from U of A, Cal, UCLA, USC, Oregon, Stanford, BYU and many more.

The public is welcome to watch the tournament and support our home team, ASU. Practice rounds for all teams begin at 7:30 am on Thursday, April 1. The first and second rounds of play will begin on Friday, April 2 at 7:30 am with continuous play throughout the day. The final round will begin at 7 am on Saturday, April 3.

If you haven’t been to ASU Karsten, this is your chance to see one of the best golf courses in town. It is a classic Pete Dye, links-style course.  Top PGA and LPGA TOUR professionals such as Phil Mickelson, Billy Mayfair, Grace Park and Anna Nordqvist sharpened their skills at this premier facility during their time at Arizona State University.

For more info, go to www.asukarsten.com. Go Sun Devils!

Google is offering to install free high speed fiber in at least one community in America. Please, please, Google, let that community be Tempe, AZ. We need Google Fiber and we will not let it go to waste.

Tempe is home to Arizona State University, the largest university in the country. More than 60,000 future thought leaders, researchers and professors could help solve the world’s problems with lightning fast Internet connections.

Tempe is a destination for visitors and meeting attendees who want to find information about our city, and they want to find it fast. Google Fiber could help. And, our 4 million annual visitors can spread the word about Google’s impact on our city.

Tempe is a hub for the creatively inclined. Graphic designers, advertising agencies, Web site marekting firms and technology start ups are more than inspired in our city. Just imagine what ideas they can unleash with Google Fiber.

Tempe is, in a word, cool. We’re a city full of independent thinkers, entrepreneurs, artists, culture-aholics who want to stretch our imagination and engage our curiosity. We created a lake in what was once a dry river bed. We didn’t just build an arts center. We built a lakeside cultural destination. We don’t just have charity walks, we have an Ironman. We don’t quietly celebrate the New Year, we ring it in at one of the country’s best block parties.

We reach for the stars every day. Google, help us get there.

We don’t dye Tempe Town Lake green like the Chicago River, but one thing is for certain every March 17. Tempe is flowing with green beer, live music and more than a few revelers of Irish and wanna-be Irish descent.

So, wear your favorite green attire and dance to your favorite jig…here’s where to go for St. Patrick’s Day in Tempe. Erin go braugh! (Ireland forever!)

Flogging Molly – For the 5^th year, everyone’s favorite Irish band, Flogging Molly, will headline a show at Tempe Beach Park. Opening acts include Metric, The Bollox and the Keltic Cowboys.
Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway
http://www.x1039phoenix.com/concerts/Details.aspx?ID=114893

Rula Bula Irish Pub – St. Patrick’s Day Festival with food and drink specials all day, live music, giveaways and more.
Mill Avenue and Fourth Street
www.rulabula.com

The Big Bang – green beer, Guinness and Jameson with a raucous dueling piano show thrown in for good measure.
Mill Avenue and Fifth Street
www.thebigbangbar.com

Bison Witches – Guinness and Irish Car Bomb specials and corned beef sandwiches all day.
Mill Avenue and Sixth Street
www.bisonwitches.com

D’Arcy McGees – start the day off right with an Irish breakfast at 6 am and a live broadcast from John Holmberg’s Morning Sickness. At 2 p.m., there will be a tented event with live music, a buffet, beer stations and more.
Tempe Marketplace
www.darcymcgees.com 

The Library Bar & Grill – green beer, food and drink specials and a St. Patty’s Day hosted by DJ Sausage McMuffin. Really.
Mill Avenue and Fifth Street
www.thelibraryusa.com

Robbie Fox’s Irish House – The first St. Paddy’s Day Festival at Robbie Fox’s extends from Tuesday, March 16 through Saturday, March 20. Live broadcast from KMLE’s Tim & Willie starting at 6 am on March 17. Live music and Irish dancers will entertain the crowd.
http://www.robbiefoxs.com/rfhome.htm

It’s almost time. The weekend is just around the corner and Tempe is full of fun activities. I’m glad that I don’t have to pick just one.

Avenue Q is at ASU Gammage through Sunday. If you haven’t seen it yet, you must. The humor is a bit off color, but the songs and dialogue will definitely make you laugh.

The Arizona Aloha Festival is returning to Tempe Town Lake Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14. This fun, free family-friendly event features music, dance and food from Hawaii and the South Pacific.

This weekend is your last chance to see Childsplay’s “Peter and the Wolf.” Childsplay performances are so well done. Children will be captivated and their parents will be too. While you’re at Tempe Center for the Arts for this production, be sure to check out the Chuck Amuck: A Legacy of Laughter exhibit all about cartoonist Chuck Jones.

If you’re looking for a fun night on the town, don’t miss comedian and Fear Factor alum Joe Rogan, the headliner at the Tempe Improv this weekend.

And, if that’s not enough, be sure to get out and enjoy the sunshine. Take a hike up “A” Mountain, stroll around the lake or go the Desert Botanical Garden or the Phoenix Zoo. It’s going to be a beautiful weekend in Tempe!

I’ve been anticipating the arrival of Avenue Q from the moment ASU Gammage  first announced the 2009-10 season.  I could hardly wait for it to open and finally it’s here…all fuzzy, foam rubbery and hilarious.

Loosely-based on Sesame Street and its inhabitants, Avenue Q is one of the funniest Broadway shows ever. The stars are puppets operated by extremely coordinated adult actors who adeptly  manipulate the puppets, while making themselves almost invisible. Some of the puppets resemble certain Sesame Street characters and the songs have a Sesame Street ring to them.  However the residents of Avenue Q are young adults dealing with an adult themes and issues.

Avenue Q irreverently takes on  a number of subjects that can be controversial, such as bigotry, homosexuality, internet porn and graphic puppets sex. Some might find the show offensive.  I, however, about killed myself laughing from the moment the curtain went up.  

Avenue Q will be at ASU Gammage through March 14.  It’s great fun that will have you laughing a lot.

As if Angels spring training in Tempe wasn’t enough, this weekend Tempe is also home to the Great Arizona Beer Festival, March 6 & 7. Beer lovers rejoice!

This event will feature more than 200 specialty and micro-brewed beers, in addition to live local music, games (Corn Hole anyone?) and great food. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the gate for general admission, including up to 24 beer samples (3 oz each), or $80 in advance/$90 at the gate for VIP admission. The festival runs from 2-6 p.m. each day at Tempe Beach Park.

The best part? All of the proceeds raised benefit the local reading and information service for people who are blind or otherwise print-disabled, Sun Sounds of Arizona. For more info, go to www.azbeer.com.

March could possibly be the best time to visit Tempe. The sunshine is plentiful, there are fun special events throughout the month and of course, it’s time for Cactus League Spring Training.

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim call Tempe Diablo Stadium home from March 4 through April 1. The Cactus League season, which includes 15 teams, officially begins on March 3 and ends on April 3. There will more than 200 games played in Arizona during the season. The Angels will face opponents such as the Cubs, the Giants, the Dodgers, the Brewers and for the first time this year, the Cincinnati Reds.

Tickets at Tempe Diablo Stadium start at just $6. All of the information that you need to plan a day at the ballpark or a trip to Arizona for baseball fun can be found at www.stayintempe.com, including complete game schedules, ticket information, hotel specials and more.

In closing, I’d love to know…what’s your favorite thing about spring training?