Mesa Public Library is celebrating its 120th anniversary with a limited-edition Jimmy Eat World library card. The design resembles a vintage concert ticket; it is a library card, not concert admission. Cards arrive at all branches October 10, and existing cardholders can exchange theirs for free. The Main Library at 64 E. First St. hosts an anniversary celebration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day. Check the library’s eligibility requirements before signing up.
Source: City of MesaDowntown Mesa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Ixnayonthetimmay · CC BY 3.0
Downtown Mesa hosts the free Mesa Music Festival October 15 to 17. Thursday brings keynote sessions at Mesa Arts Center; live music runs Friday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. The city lists Christopher Shayne on Friday and P.O.D. on Saturday, alongside emerging artists, food vendors and art activities. Check the official schedule before heading to the downtown festival area around 1 N. Macdonald.
Source: City of MesaRibbon cutting at the new Mesa hotel, photographed for the City of Mesa. City of Mesa
Mesa marked the opening of a 174-room Tempo by Hilton and Homewood Suites hotel at 5057 S. Power Road with a September 28 ribbon-cutting announcement. It is the Phoenix metro’s first Tempo. The property adds a pool, cabanas, meeting space and a separately branded chophouse and bar to the Gateway Area. The two hotel brands share the site, with 97 Tempo rooms and 77 extended-stay suites.
Source: City of MesaPublicity photograph for Scarizona; not a record of a specific visitor session. Image source: AZFamily
Scarizona Scaregrounds opens its Halloween season Friday, Oct. 2, on Alma School Road just north of the Loop 202, AZFamily reports. This year's three attractions are Mayhem in the Madness, Startled Darkness and Dr. Death's Haunted ICU. It runs Fridays through Sundays all month, four Thursdays, and nightly from Oct. 28 through Nov. 1. Admission starts at 6:45 p.m. Mayhem in the Madness is not recommended for kids under 10.
Source: AZFamilyThe existing space pictured in King Coffee's expansion coverage; not a completed new cafe. Image source: What Now Phoenix
Family-owned King Coffee is moving from Tempe to 1620 W. University Drive, Suite 3, in Mesa, What Now Phoenix reports, aiming to finish the move by the end of 2026. The new cafe adds a full kitchen, house-made pastries and breads, nitro cold brew and weekend brunch, with flavors from the owners' Filipino-American and Mexican heritage. The Tempe shop stays open during construction.
Source: What Now PhoenixMahana Fresh brand food photography; the proposed Mesa location is not pictured. Image source: What Now Phoenix
Mahana Fresh, a fast-casual spot built around customizable bowls, is opening its first Arizona restaurant at 943 S. Gilbert Road, Suite 101, beside The Shop Gym, according to What Now Phoenix. It is expected by the end of 2026; no exact date yet. The menu adds tacos, smoothies, desserts and vegan and gluten-free options.
Mesa Night Market is back Saturday, Oct. 10 from 4 to 9 p.m. in the parking lot at 1920 W. Broadway Road. Local vendors serve takoyaki, bao, cheesecake and Thai food, with anime and retail vendors too. Entry and parking are free. More dates follow on Nov. 7 and Dec. 5.
Source: Mesa Night Market (Eventbrite)Mesa Arts Center festival publicity photograph; not a record of this year's scheduled dates. Image source: Mesa Arts Center
Mesa Arts Center's Dia de los Muertos Festival runs Saturday, Oct. 24, noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 25, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Expect mariachi, folklorico and live music, community altars, food vendors and an artisan market, with a Sunday processional. A Relaxed Hour from 11 a.m. to noon both days offers a calmer, lower-sensory visit.
Source: Mesa Arts CenterDowntown Mesa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Ixnayonthetimmay · CC BY 3.0
Mesa's Skate Party @ The Plaza is Saturday, Sept. 26, 6 to 9 p.m., at The Plaza at Mesa City Center, 56 E. Main St. It is free. Bring your own skates, grab dinner from the food trucks, and stay for an outdoor screening of A Minecraft Movie, which the city lists as starting at 6 p.m.
Source: City of MesaDowntown Mesa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Ixnayonthetimmay · CC BY 3.0
The Downtown Mesa Sunset Market returns to Main and Macdonald on Friday, Oct. 9 from 5 to 9 p.m. It runs the second Friday of the month with local vendors selling fresh groceries, hot food and artisan goods, plus live music and demonstrations at every market. Cooler evenings make the October date the first genuinely comfortable one of the season.
Source: Downtown MesaPerformer photographs accompanying the festival announcement; not a festival scene. Image source: Arizona's Family
The first Fastball Comedy Festival takes over Sloan Park, the Cubs' spring training ballpark in Mesa, on Oct. 17 and 18. Bill Burr and Tom Segura share the center-field main stage on night one and Dave Chappelle closes night two, with a second stage behind right field and special guests both nights, the Cubs announced Aug. 24. The festival is phone-free and 18 and over. The park's own event page lists Andrew Santino and Rachel Feinstein among the added performers and two-day passes from $248.
Source: Arizona's FamilyDowntown Mesa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Ixnayonthetimmay · CC BY 3.0
Mesa's Haunted Hangar is the Halloween edition of Cockpit Close-Up, set for Saturday, Oct. 31 from 8 to 11 a.m. at the historic WWII hangar at Falcon Field Airport, 4626 E. Fighter Aces Dr. Kids in costume can trick-or-treat with city departments and airport businesses and get up close to private aircraft shown by WOFF, a volunteer pilot group based at the field. It is free, per the city's event listing.
Source: City of MesaFarm venue photograph; not documentation of the announced fall-festival dates. Image source: Vertuccio Farms
Mesa's farm at 4011 S. Power Road lists its 2026 Fall Festival as October 2 through October 31, and the headline addition is a new corn maze cut to celebrate 250 years of American freedom. Hours and ticket prices were not posted yet when we checked, so confirm on the farm's site before you load the car.
Source: Vertuccio FarmsDowntown Mesa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Ixnayonthetimmay · CC BY 3.0
Mesa Main Library at 64 E. 1st St. is displaying the Water - Use It Wisely Water Tower through September, a 16-foot structure built from 120 one-gallon jugs that makes everyday household water use something you can actually stand next to, the city says. Visitors can pick up a free copy of Landscape Watering by the Numbers: A Guide for the Arizona Desert, which is also available at the Dobson Ranch, Gateway and Red Mountain libraries, at city customer service on N. Center Street, and at participating nurseries including A&P, SummerWinds, Treeland and Moon Valley. On Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, the library's Saguaro Room hosts a free program, Take the Guesswork Out of Watering in the Desert, with no registration required; everyone who attends is entered to win a signed book by Arizona Plant Lady Noelle Johnson or a $50 nursery gift card.
Source: City of MesaDowntown Mesa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Ixnayonthetimmay · CC BY 3.0
Mesa City Council voted unanimously Sept. 15 to approve a development agreement with Vestar for Legacy Park and Gateway Crossing, about 200 acres east of Ellsworth Road between State Route 24 and Williams Field Road, just north of the Arizona Athletic Grounds, KTAR reports. Plans call for hotels, a public lake and park, shops, restaurants, offices and apartments. Construction is expected to begin in early 2028 with a first phase opening in October 2029. City officials project nearly $60 billion in economic output and more than 13,000 jobs over 30 years.
Source: KTAR NewsAdaptive 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 NowAngry Crab Shack brand food photography; not a photograph establishing opening-day service. Image source: What Now Phoenix
The Arizona-born seafood boil chain opens at 1927 N. Gilbert Road on Thursday, Sept. 24, its 19th Valley location, What Now Phoenix reports. Opening-day festivities include a spicy wing eating competition, a live DJ, a balloon artist for kids and a spin-to-win table with a TV as the grand prize. Expect shrimp, crab, lobster and crawfish with the house seasoning blends.
Source: What Now PhoenixMesa Feastival publicity photograph; not documentation of the announced date. Image source: Visit Mesa
Mesa Feastival's Saturday in the Park runs every second Saturday at Pioneer Park, 526 E. Main St., from 5:30 to 9 p.m. with free admission, gourmet food trucks, live music and boutique vendors. Visit Mesa's listing has the series running from September 2026 through September 2027, which puts the next one on Oct. 10.
Source: Visit MesaDowntown Mesa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Ixnayonthetimmay · CC BY 3.0
Phoenix Food Festivals brings its Mesa Night Market to the parking lot at 1920 W. Broadway Road on Saturday, Sept. 12. Admission and parking are free. The listing promises all Asian food vendors, snow skin mooncakes, boba and bao, a J-rock band at 6:30 p.m. and more than 20 artist booths with handmade crafts and anime-inspired goods. The listing shows 4 to 9 p.m. in its header and 6 to 9 p.m. in the details, so plan on the evening and confirm before you go.
Source: Eventbrite (Phoenix Food Festivals)Downtown Mesa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Ixnayonthetimmay · CC BY 3.0
Lucky Strike Mesa hosts its Lucky Launch Party Saturday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1754 W. Southern Ave. The listing promises "one free game of bowling and one $10 arcade card per guest," complimentary snacks while supplies last, photo ops, a giveaway entry and a full bar for adults. Bowling is first-come, first-served based on lane availability, so the early crowd gets the lanes.
Source: Eventbrite (Lucky Strike Mesa)Existing brand location photograph; the planned location in this story is not pictured. Image source: What Now Phoenix
Angie's is adding nine restaurants across Arizona, and two of them are Mesa's: one at Alma School Road and Guadalupe Road, the other at Crismon Road and Southern Avenue. The rest of the list covers three Phoenix sites, Queen Creek, Maricopa, Goodyear and Casa Grande. The company said it hopes to open the first three within six weeks and the remaining locations by the end of the year. No opening dates have been announced for the Mesa sites yet.
Source: What Now PhoenixDowntown Mesa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Ixnayonthetimmay · CC BY 3.0
Sprouts Farmers Market store #55 opens Sept. 18, 2026 at 5131 S. Ellsworth Rd. in Mesa, on the Eastmark side of town. The chain's own store directory lists it as the only Arizona location still marked coming soon.
Source: Sprouts Farmers MarketDowntown Mesa. Area context photograph; the business or event in this story is not pictured. Photo: Ixnayonthetimmay · CC BY 3.0
The 233 Suites, an Unscripted by Hyatt hotel with 76 rooms, opened Aug. 7 near Center and Main. The same building brought Crust Simply Italian, Bombolino's Cafe and a speakeasy called The Nightingale to downtown, plus 13,000 square feet of office space.
Source: KTAR NewsArizona Churn Culture product photography; the store interior is not pictured. Image source: What Now Phoenix
Arizona Churn Culture is preparing to open at 1235 S. Gilbert Road, Suite 12, in what its founders say will be Arizona's first dedicated butter shop. The shop sells handcrafted butter, and the founders spent seven months selling at farmers markets across the Valley before taking the space. It was expected to open in late August or early September.
