746 dated briefs from across the Phoenix Valley. Older stories preserve what was reported at the time; opening details can change.
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The historic Arizona Bank building in Peoria. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Tony the Marine (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
The city's Somos Peoria celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month runs Sept. 15 through Oct. 17 with free admission at every event. First up: the Taco Fest and Guitarras Latinas concert, Sunday, Sept. 20, 3 to 6 p.m. at Paloma Park, 29799 N. Lake Pleasant Parkway, where local vendors compete for Peoria's Best Taco and you vote in the People's Choice. Food and drinks are for sale and there is a beer and margarita garden. Still to come: Soulitify at Sweetwater Park Sept. 27, a Latin comedy showcase Sept. 30, Powerdrive Band at Osuna Park Oct. 4, a Somos edition of Second Saturdays Oct. 10 and the Bombs Without Boundaries car show finale Oct. 17.
Chelsea's Kitchen holds its 10th annual Hatch Green Chile Festival on Saturday, Sept. 26, starting at 10 a.m. at 5040 N. 40th St. in Arcadia, just north of Camelback Road, the Arizona Digital Free Press reports. Young Guns Produce of Hatch, New Mexico, roasts chiles on site, sold by the bag or pre-ordered. The special menu runs from green chile queso and French dip sliders to gluten-free green chile cornbread, crispy mulitas and the restaurant's signature green chile stew, with prickly pear sorbet from Grateful Spoon, mezcal margaritas, Spanish guitar and face painting for kids.
Source: Arizona Digital Free PressScottsdale Quarter concert publicity photograph; performers vary by date. Image source: Scottsdale.com
Scottsdale Quarter's fall concert series kicks off Saturday, Sept. 26, and runs every Saturday through Nov. 7, 5 to 7 p.m., with local bands playing under the palms in The Quad, Scottsdale.com reports. It is free; bring blankets and chairs and claim a spot on the lawn. Marketing director Christina Calhoun says the series gives people another reason to linger on a Saturday evening once the weather cools.
Source: Scottsdale.comSurprise Lake. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: RandomMainstream · CC0
Developer SimonCRE announced Sept. 15 that The Cheesecake Factory will open at Village at Prasada near Loop 303 and Waddell Road, with an expected opening in late 2027, ABC15 reports. The restaurant takes about 7,500 square feet in an expansion that also adds a splash pad, new restaurant row signage and another 21,100 square feet of shop and restaurant space at Prasada Parkway and Alexandria Way. Economic Development Director Jeanine Jerkovic called it a sweet win: residents have named The Cheesecake Factory the restaurant they want most in city surveys for the past five years.
Source: ABC15 ArizonaDowntown Tempe location photograph; not a photograph of the announced market. Image source: Tempe Independent
The Tempe City Hall Farmers Market launches Sunday, Oct. 11, the Tempe Independent reports, with small-business vendors selling produce, baked goods, ready-to-eat food and handmade items. It runs 8 a.m. to noon from October through April and 7 to 11 a.m. from May through September. The market is organized by Jon Przybyl of Proof Bread and Meg Kabotie Adakai, founder of the Flagstaff Mountain Town Market, in partnership with the city. Mayor Corey Woods called it a place to shop, spend time together and enjoy downtown Tempe.
Source: Tempe IndependentCacti in White Tank Mountain Regional Park near Waddell. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Venske · CC BY-SA 3.0
Maricopa County Parks closed the Trailhead Staging Area at White Tank Mountain Regional Park from April 13 through Sept. 30 for a construction project that expands the parking footprint, partially paves it, adds a restroom with flush toilets and moves the entrance to line up with Waterfall Canyon Road. Trails that start there stay open but are not reachable from that lot during the work; the park's closure map shows the exact points, and the Nature Center takes questions at 602-506-2930 ext. 5.
Source: Maricopa County Parks and RecreationConstruction photograph accompanying the trail report; not evidence that the announced trail is complete. Image source: Apache Junction Independent
A path is being designed along the east side of the Central Arizona Project canal in Apache Junction as part of a 336-mile nonmotorized, multiuse trail corridor, the Apache Junction Independent reports. Parks Superintendent Dave Butler told the parks and recreation commission Sept. 2 that the city's portion runs 6 to 7 miles and, unlike most straight-shot segments, includes a loop of just over a mile, with a trailhead off Baseline that gets a ramada, parking and a hitching post for horses. The earliest construction might be 2028.
Source: Apache Junction IndependentVerrado in Buckeye. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Adam Zaklikowski · CC BY 3.0
Buckeye is planning a new library and community center in the Festival area of north Buckeye and is asking residents to shape it. A community open house runs Thursday, Sept. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Festival Foothills Elementary, 26252 W. Desert Vista Blvd., where you can drop in, see preliminary concepts and talk with city staff. The online survey at surveymonkey.com/r/buckeyelibrary stays open through Friday, Sept. 25, and the city says results feed directly into planning, design and programming.
Source: City of BuckeyePortrait accompanying the Copper Country Music Fest report; not a festival scene. Image source: PinalCentral
Pinal 40 is expanding its Copper Country Music Fest at Ed Hooper Rodeo Park in Casa Grande from four bands last year to 15 or 16 acts across the weekend of Oct. 16 to 18, PinalCentral reports. New this year: tent, small-RV and glamping options at the rodeo grounds (the large RV spaces already sold out), a Friday acoustic series with the Kruse Brothers, Taylor Hunnicutt and Lacey Rashea, a Friday after-party at Coyote Den Saloon with a shuttle, and a Sunday brunch at Poor Therapy downtown. General admission is $35 and VIP packages are $160; proceeds fund Pinal 40's youth scholarships and grants.
Source: PinalCentralDesert hills around Cave Creek. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Kennito454 · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce is celebrating the grand opening of Freeborn Marketplace, its newest member, with a ribbon cutting Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 5 to 6 p.m. at 6268 E. Cave Creek Road, Suite 4. The chamber invites the public to meet the owners, tour the space and enjoy refreshments. Nearby on the chamber calendar: the Carefree Farmers Market Friday, Sept. 18 from 8 to 11 a.m., and the Foothills Food Bank's Glass Pumpkin Patch at Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion starting Oct. 1.
Source: Carefree Cave Creek Chamber of CommerceAn aerial view of Chandler. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Chris J · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Arizona Moon Festival 2026 runs Saturday, Sept. 26 from 5 to 11 p.m. at Saigon Center Plaza, 2051 N. Arizona Ave., with free admission and free parking, per the organizer's Eventbrite listing. Phoenix Food Festivals promises lion dance, martial arts demonstrations, an international cultural parade, Asian street food, a health fair, and bounce houses, train rides, face painting, a petting zoo and free lanterns for kids while supplies last.
Source: Phoenix Food Festivals via EventbriteThe Brickyard venue photograph; not documentation of the scheduled Oktoberfest event. Image source: The Brickyard Florence
The Brickyard, the Windmill Winery's tasting room and event space at 1140 W. Butte Ave. in Florence, runs Oktoberfest from Oct. 1 to 11 with German-inspired food, festive drinks and live music from 5:30 p.m., per the venue's events page. Oct. 3 adds a 3 p.m. beer charcuterie board class with two beers to taste, and Sunday, Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. is the Grape Stomp: stomp grapes, snap the purple-feet photo, browse local vendors. The venue lists most events as free entry with optional VIP upgrades.
Source: The Brickyard FlorenceThe Gilbert Heritage District. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Tony the Marine ( talk ) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Gilbert Parks and Recreation is hiding three harmonicas around town starting Sept. 15, the town's newsroom says. Each hiding spot is filmed and posted to @gilbertparksrec with a brief glimpse of the surroundings as the only clue. Bring a harmonica to the Parks and Rec office and the prize basket includes a Walkman, a Blues Traveler CD, festival apparel and four tickets to Sound Bites Music & Food Festival, Oct. 9 at Gilbert Regional Park with Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors and Wyves. The hunt runs until all three are found.
Source: Town of GilbertArtist performance photograph accompanying the tour announcement; not the announced Glendale concert. Image source: Peoria Independent
Harry Styles will launch the 2027 leg of his Together, Together world tour with back-to-back shows April 2 and 3 at State Farm Stadium, the Peoria Independent reported Sept. 14. The Glendale dates are his first U.S. and Canadian stadium shows, with Tinashe as the special guest both nights. After Glendale the run goes to Dallas, Los Angeles, Toronto, Atlanta and Chicago before Europe and three closing nights at Wembley.
Source: Peoria IndependentGoodyear City Hall. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: RandomMainstream · CC BY-SA 4.0
Goodyear Public Works is repaving Estrella Parkway between McDowell Road and Van Buren Street from Sept. 14 through Nov. 4, the city announced Sept. 10. Crews mill off the top two inches of worn pavement and lay new asphalt overnight, 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., so two lanes stay open each direction during morning and afternoon peaks; some daytime lane reductions may happen outside those hours. Details and other repaving projects are at goodyearaz.gov/PavementPreservation.
Source: City of GoodyearA view of Maricopa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Chris J · CC BY-SA 2.0
InMaricopa published the first renderings and branding Sept. 9 for MADCAPS, a two-story indoor-outdoor family entertainment center planned on 7.2 acres just west of Copper Sky Regional Park at John Wayne Parkway and Martin Luther King Boulevard. Developer Scott Bartle, a former Maricopa resident who bought the land in November 2025, is pitching duckpin bowling, miniature golf, go-karts, arcade games, a mixed-reality arena and dining. The project is in planning and design; no opening date has been announced.
Source: InMaricopaAdaptive runway publicity photograph; not documentation of the scheduled event date. Image source: Mesa Now
The annual Adaptive Fashion Show returns Saturday, Sept. 19 at Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., with sixty models in Old Hollywood-inspired looks, Mesa Now reported Sept. 14. A runway reception with raffle and silent auction starts at 11 a.m., doors open at 12:30 and the show is at 1 p.m. It is put on by the Mesa and Chandler adaptive recreation programs, with proceeds supporting adaptive recreation in both cities; tickets are at arizonadisabledsports.com/fashion-show.
Source: Mesa NowThe historic Arizona Bank building in Peoria. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Tony the Marine (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Amkor Technology announced a second phase of its semiconductor packaging and test campus at Peoria's Innovation Core, adding nearly 650,000 square feet and lifting the total investment to $12 billion, the Peoria Independent reported Sept. 9. The company says the expansion is driven by strong customer commitments and will bring the site to roughly 1 million square feet of cleanroom space. Phase 1 was a $7 billion project, and Amkor has a $1.5 billion multiyear agreement with Nvidia.
Source: Peoria IndependentAn existing Mr. Meats location; the planned Phoenix market is not pictured. Image source: What Now Phoenix
Mr. Meats Carniceria & Tacos has posted coming-soon banners for a location near 43rd Avenue and Roosevelt Street, What Now Phoenix reported Sept. 11. Owner Edgar Guerrero runs the existing Mr. Meats Carniceria & Market at 1933 E. University Drive in Mesa, where the prepared-food counter turns out tacos, burritos and carnitas. No exact address or opening date has been released, and the shop has not said whether the Phoenix store will carry the Mesa location's groceries and bakery.
Source: What Now PhoenixQueen Creek Town Hall. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Tony the Marine · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce hosts its 8th annual Creek Bash Rodeo on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 18 and 19, at Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Centre, 20464 E. Riggs Road. The chamber bills it as two days of rodeo action and western spirit; tickets are sold through the chamber's Creek Bash page. It lands the same weekend as Founders' Day on Saturday at Frontier Family Park.
Source: Queen Creek Chamber of CommerceSUSHISAMBA brand food photography; the proposed Scottsdale restaurant is not pictured. Image source: What Now Phoenix
SUSHISAMBA, the Japanese-Brazilian-Peruvian restaurant with U.S. locations in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, will open at The Lakefront at Scottsdale, 7501 E. McCormick Parkway, What Now Phoenix reported Sept. 11. Diversified Partners' roughly 100,000-square-foot McCormick Ranch redevelopment breaks ground Sept. 24. Expect sushi, raw bar, charcoal-grilled dishes and tasting menus; no opening date has been announced.
Source: What Now PhoenixWest Valley Symphony publicity photograph; not a record of the upcoming concert. Image source: Surprise Independent
The West Valley Symphony's 2026-27 season opens Oct. 18 with The Music of Star Wars, an interactive John Williams program with live musical trivia, the Surprise Independent reported Sept. 14. Six programs follow through March 21, including Beethoven's Eighth in November, Holiday Pops Dec. 6, Handel's Messiah Part I on Dec. 8, Mahler's Titan Jan. 10 and a Judy Garland tribute to close. For the first time the orchestra splits venues: two programs stay at its longtime home, the Vista Center for the Arts at 15660 N. Parkview Place in Surprise, and four go to the new 750-seat Hilltop Theatre in Litchfield Park, opening Oct. 1. Tickets are advance-only at wvsaz.org.
Source: Surprise IndependentThe Tempe skyline. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Siphonophora · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tempe's free Movies in the Park is back on the north soccer fields at Kiwanis Park, Baseline Road and Ash Avenue, at dusk (about 6:30 p.m.) on Oct. 2 (GOAT), Oct. 9 (Hoppers) and Oct. 16 (The Goonies), the city's parks newsletter says. Oct. 23 adds the free Family BOO Bash from 6 to 10 p.m.: costume parade and contest at 6:30, train rides, face painting, a dance party, then Toy Story 5 at 7:30. Come early for the Tempe Play Mobile, live music from Casey Ryan and snow cones.
Source: City of Tempe Parks & RecreationCacti in White Tank Mountain Regional Park near Waddell. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Venske · CC BY-SA 3.0
White Tank Mountain Regional Park's ranger calendar for late September, per Maricopa County Parks: a Scorpion Hike with Ranger Derik on Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. in search of nocturnal creatures (registration required, limit 30), Saguaros in Sunset with Ranger Jacque on Sept. 21 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. (limit 20), a Morning Cactus Hike Sept. 22 at 7 a.m., a bird walk with volunteer Tom Locascio Sept. 26 at 6 a.m. (limit 12) and Reading with a Ranger for little ones at the nature center Sept. 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Programs are free with park entry; call (602) 506-2930 ext. 5 to register.
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