Tempe: unexpected fun in the heart of Phoenix
Tempe, Ariz., a vibrant urban oasis in the heart of Metropolitan Phoenix, exudes its own personality, separate and apart from its neighboring cities. Refreshingly offbeat, this college town, home to Arizona State University (ASU), one of the largest universities in the country, welcomes couples, families, singles, and its beloved college crowd to enjoy the spirited lifestyle. Show up in jeans and a t-shirt, bike shorts or business attire, and you’ll feel like you fit right in.
Easily accessible via four freeways and Valley Metro Rail, Tempe is also just 10 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. When visitors arrive, they find unexpected fun—most of it in one concentrated area downtown and near the university: lively special events on weekends, Broadway shows and other arts and culture, water recreation, Sonoran Desert hikes and trails, affordable shopping, globally influenced dining experiences, an energetic nightlife, and sunshiny days—more than 330 of them each year.
Crowds line up for one of the longest-standing, juried arts festivals in the state, the Tempe Festival of the Arts. It happens both in the spring and fall, attracting people from all over the Southwest and beyond. Four Peaks Oktoberfest at Tempe Town Lake, Fantasy of Lights Holiday Boat Parade, and the Innings Festival are among the many other special events that draw a wide audience and present a taste of Tempe’s welcoming vibe and hospitable spirit. To sample more of the city’s lively special events, you can attend an ASU football game at Sun Devil Stadium or a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
Broadway shows offer the best example of Tempe’s cultural arts flair. They take place at one of the finest theaters in the state, ASU Gammage, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself. ASU also houses free museums and galleries, showcasing everything from contemporary art to science to historic collections. Equally special is the multi-use Tempe Center for the Arts. With its art gallery, theaters, gift shop and meeting space, this venue is a scenic destination that overlooks Tempe Town Lake.
In fact, only a progressive town like Tempe would think to build a lake in its city center. Surrounded by condos, business complexes, an artistic pedestrian bridge, a popular park, a light rail bridge and marina, Tempe Town Lake is the site of daily water recreation. Joggers run through the park. Families picnic in the grass. Couples play on stand-up paddle boards or share a boat ride at the location of many of the city’s outdoor events.
Downtown Tempe is even a great place for a hike up iconic “A” Mountain. Part of the Sonoran Desert right in Tempe’s backyard, this is a popular jaunt for ASU students who whitewash the “A” on the side of the mountain each year. Visitors may also enjoy biking through town on the city’s 217 miles of bike trails or to nearby Papago Park, home of The Phoenix Zoo, Desert Botanical Garden and AZ Heritage Center, where you can learn about the area’s original settlers, the Hohokam.
Affordable shopping, internationally inspired dining options and nightlife entertainment top off the list of unexpected attractions in Tempe. Within walking distance from downtown hotels, visitors might stroll pedestrian-friendly Downtown Tempe to explore more than 100 hip, inventive, even bohemian, shops, restaurants, taverns and nightclubs. Other major entertainment and shopping hubs within the city include Tempe Marketplace, known for great shopping at local and nationally-known retailers and live music on Friday and Saturday evenings. Arizona Mills features a mile of outlets, shops and entertainment venues, such as SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium and LEGOLAND Discovery Center. IKEA, the Swedish home furnishings warehouse, is a destination of its own.
Tempe is known for its breweries and locally-owned eateries. You can find award-winning craft beer, Irish pub grub, Ethiopian food you can eat with your hands, Mediterranean- and Southwestern-style cuisine, vegetarian spots and much more that help make Tempe refreshingly unique.
For more information, please contact the Tempe Tourism Office at 480-894-8158 for a free visitor’s guide, follow on social media @tempetourism or visit www.tempetourism.com.
The Tempe Tourism Office is a non-profit organization devoted to marketing Tempe, Arizona as a desirable visitor and group destination site. To learn more about Tempe, please call 480-894-8158 or visit us at www.tempetourism.com.
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