Anyone that reads this blog probably already knows that I like to watch for fun things to do along the light rail line. As far as fun is concerned, I am also a huge fan of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Yep, even when they are a few games behind in the standings.

A few weeks ago, I noticed a “tweet” about an upcoming “Singles Night at Chase Field” on Friday July 10th. While I am probably the most happily married man on the planet, the event screamed “fun” to me and to many of my single friends. Taking the light rail to a baseball game is a great time in itself, but throw in a night of hanging out in the Miller Lite Diamond Club where Cuervo Silver will host a complimentary tequila tasting at the beginning of the game, along with other sponsors of KISS FM, KNIX Mix 96.9 and FOX Sports Arizona, and you have the makings of a sports fan’s dream. If you are not familiar with the Diamond Club, don’t pass up this chance to buy your $15.00 ticket for singles night ( use promotion code: singles) where you will have some of the best seats in the house. The Miller Lite Diamond Club is an upscale club located in right field on the main concourse level at Chase Field featuring a pool table, 11 plasma televisions, a chef preparing food, and a full-service bar. Plenty of standing / mingling is possible in the Diamond Club with cool lounge style seating. I was thankful for the opportunity this past week to tour the Diamond Club with my new friend, Allison who was very gracious in providing information about this event.

For $15.00, you can hardly go wrong. And, with the extended hours of light rail beginning to kick in, there will be some great opportunities to go hang out with a bunch of new friends after the game. Said baseball fan Paul Martinez of AZ Hardball: “I think it is a good opportunity for people to check out the stadium and meet people of similar interest. Regardless of how the team is doing, it will be fun.”

Diamondback fans have been using light rail in huge numbers. I hope to see more fun stuff to do at the games. In fact, we are still waiting on word of their first “tweet-up” at Chase. You know, kind of like their neighbors did a while back. :-)

Photo by RailLife

The 2009 4th of July Fireworks shows in Phoenix and Tempe are almost here. Enclosed is more information on what to expect this weekend! If riding light rail to these events, make sure you are aware of the enclosed information to make your day/night even more enjoyable.

For immediate release:  METRO July 4 service plan

METRO will run all available trains to service event goers attending July 4th celebrations along the line.

System capacity will be maximized.  Passengers should expect crowds on board the trains, at METRO park-and-rides and potential delays.  METRO requests that passengers be patient and plan ahead.  Post-event, expect to wait in a queue line.

One line that can be completely avoided this holiday is the line at the fare vending machine with the advance purchase of the July 4th pass.  Purchase this special transit pass by visiting Central Station or the Tempe Transportation Center through July 3. 

Service schedule
July 3 weekend is the start of METRO’s service extension on Friday nights / Saturday mornings and Saturday nights / Sunday mornings.  July 3, 4 and ongoing on weekends, METRO will provide service until past 2 a.m. Although Saturday, July 4, is a holiday, METRO will run normal Saturday service.  Additional trains will be utilized to support event traffic.
A detailed service schedule can be viewed here":

Phoenix event goers: METRO is a convenient way to attend the Fabulous Phoenix 4th taking place at Steele Indian School Park.

For arrival, eastbound passengers coming from the North or West Valley should de-board at the Campbell/Central Ave. light rail station.  Westbound passengers coming from the South or East Valley should de-board at the Indian School/Central Ave. light rail station.  Both stations are even walks to the park’s Central Ave. entrance at Glenrosa.

For departure, return to the station from which you arrived.  If heading back eastbound, use the Indian School/Central Ave. station.  If heading westbound, use the Campbell/Central Ave. station.  Splitting passenger traffic between the two stations will keep shorter lines in each station’s queue. 

Tempe event goers: METRO is a convenient way to attend the July 4th Tempe Town Lake Festival at Tempe Beach Park.

All passengers should plan to arrive and depart from the Mill Ave./3rd St. light rail station. For departure, the queue line will be located on Mill Ave., north of 3rd St.  Staff will assist passengers to the east or westbound platform.

Parking: METRO park-and-ride lots are free to use on a first-come, first-serve basis:

Montebello/19th Ave.
19th Ave./Camelback
Central Ave./Camelback
38th St./Washington
Dorsey Ln./Apache Blvd.
McClintock Dr./Apache Blvd.
Price 101 Freeway/Apache Blvd.
Sycamore/Main St.

If any of the lots become full, please try the next closest park-and-ride.  For example, if the park-and-ride at Sycamore/Main St. reaches capacity, try the Price 101 Freeway/Apache Blvd. park-and-ride – it typically has greater availability.

METRO and its city partners have identified overflow parking opportunities along the line for this date only:

Park Central Mall – Earll Dr., west of Central Ave.; designated “retail only parking” spaces.

38th St./Washington – east of 38th St. and the METRO park-and-ride; Gateway Community College parking lot.

Dorsey Ln./Apache Blvd. – north of Apache Blvd., west of Dorsey Ln.; behind retail building.

Price 101 Freeway/Apache Blvd. – southeast corner of the METRO park-and-ride; accessible using the same entrance.

Safeway – north of Main St., west of Sycamore and the METRO park-and-ride.

East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) – south of Main St., east of Sycamore; use entrance off of Longmore.

Notes: Event goers should purchase an all-day pass for roundtrip service.  An all-day pass costs the same as two one-ride passes and only requires one visit to the fare vending machine.  Platinum Pass/U-Pass users, validate before each ride.

In case you didn’t know, June 29 – July 5th is Independents week. People all over are joining our friends at Local First Arizona in celebrating the fact that, by shopping locally owned businesses, our dollars can help build a sense of place, a higher quality of life and a stronger economy.

“ we're celebrating the 7th anniversary of National Independents Week! A week in which we encourage you to go local. Local businesses everywhere are linking arms to remind you that we are the backbone of our economy.”

Many celebrations are scheduled through out the week in honor of Indie Week. Two great examples are “Lunch Local” and the 3rd annual “Coffee Crawl” in downtown Phoenix.

Lunch Local will be held at Maizie’s Cafe which is located just South of the Central and Camelback light rail station.Join the celebration this Wednesday, July 1 from 11:30am – 12:30pm and have lunch with some of the great Local First crew and Mayor Gordon. A “Phoenix Philly” sandwich will be on special all week. 

The 3rd annual Coffee Crawl is Thursday, July 2 from 7:30am – 9:00am. Participants will travel between  Lola Coffee, Lux Coffee Bar, Copper Star Coffee, Pink Spot Coffee and Ice Cream and Fair Trade Cafe. According to Local First, “We'll be spending about 20 minutes at each stop and riding the Light Rail  between Lola and Lux, and again after Pink Spot to Fair Trade.

These two fun events are just a small sampling of the celebrations of the week. Many locally owned businesses all over the state are offering discounts during Indie Week. For a list of participating businesses, visit Local First to download your “Golden Coupon.”

The 2009 4th of July fireworks shows in Phoenix and Tempe promise to be some of the very best places to celebrate Independence Day. While some cities have been forced to cut back or cancel 4th of July fireworks, tens of thousands are expected to watch fireworks at Tempe Beach Park and at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix.

If heading to Tempe or to Phoenix to watch the 4th of July fireworks, light rail and or the bus will be great options for thousands of people. Here is some 4th of July parking and transit info for saving time (and money) on your ticket.

At Tempe Beach Park, there will be live entertainment, games and activities for kids, rock climbing walls and face painting prior to the fireworks show. Gates open at 4 p.m. on a first come first serve basis for lawn seating. VIP tickets are available if you prefer to be pampered. Discounted tickets are available at Fry’s ( $6.00 ) and at City of Tempe outlets ($5.00 ) and will be $8.00 at the gate or $15.00 for two. Blankets, portable chairs, personal cameras and personal umbrellas – up to 48” are permitted. Only manufacturer's sealed containers of water (1 gallon / per person) will be allowed inside the venue. No food or coolers allowed. Entry is free for anyone showing a current military ID.

Tempe Beach Park is located just a block North of the light rail station at 3rd Street and Mill Avenue. The City of Tempe is making access as easy as possible for the 4th of July.

At Steele Indian School Park, the FREE festivities are listed as being from  6-10 p.m. According to the City of Phoenix, “This premier family event will feature great local entertainment, a giant misting area to cool off, inflatable rides, three stages of entertainment, a Classic Car exhibit and one of the biggest fireworks displays in the state! Festival goers also can enjoy food and beverage vendors. The Phoenix Fire Department will be cooling people down in the water spray zone.”  For the Phoenix July 4th festivities you can bring blankets to enjoy the show and fireworks from the grass. Coolers are permitted, but no alcohol or glass containers. No pets. No skates or skateboards. People are encouraged to bring plenty of cold water but food and beverage vendors will be on site. For both Independence Day events, ( Tempe and Phoenix) you should expect large crowds.

To access Steele Indian School Park via light rail you will want to use the stations at Central and Indian School Roads with signage that says “Steel Indian School Park” OR there is a light rail stop at Central and Campbell just North of the park.

Enjoy your July 4th holiday and bypass all fare vending machine lines by purchasing your all-day pass in advance. Metro is offering a pre-validated pass for July 4, 2009 that will be valid for that date only. An all-day pass provides unlimited service for the day. Heck, you could easily “party-hop the two events! Pre-validated July 4th all-day passes can be purchased for $2.50 online at www.valleymetro.org until Saturday, June 27 and will soon be available at Central Station and at the Tempe Transportation Center. Online sales will be mailed to the recipient. Central Station at Central Avenue and Van Buren is open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tempe Transportation Center at Fifth Street and Forest Avenue is open Monday - Saturday 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. July 4th all-day passes sold on or after July 1 at transit centers will cost $3.50.

Remember, fireworks in Tempe and in Phoenix might not begin until approximately 9:30 pm. Thankfully, the light rail cars should be running until 2 a.m on Friday and Saturdays.

If you have never taken the light rail, don’t forget to check out our frequently asked questions page for more information. Remember, the park and ride lots are free to use. If coming from the East Valley, there is a park and ride lot at the 101 and Apache and at Sycamore and Main. From the North or West Valley, the most convenient park and ride lots will probably be 19th Avenue and Camelback or Montebello and 19th Avenue. You can also check out our light rail map to familiarize yourself with the areas.

*Update* If you decide to visit one of the other shows around town, take a look at the list of 4th of July Fireworks shows from our friend Jay. 

The music and arts scene along the light rail line is, without a doubt, growing by leaps and bounds. While Phoenix (Kimber Lanning and crew) is doing cool things via “The Train Tracks,” many people have also been enjoying live, local ( and FREE) Music on Mill for the past couple of months thanks to the folks at the DTC. (Mill Avenue District)

You will find the Music on Mill performers playing from approximately 5-9 pm on Thursday nights from (roughly) 4th to 7th streets, which is “really” close to the light rail station at Mill Avenue and Third Street. This Thursday marks the final week as the summer temperatures arrive, so make sure and check it out while you still can. I spoke with Kris Baxter at the City of Tempe this morning to confirm that the Music on Mill series will resume in the Fall.

After this week, if you still want another cool way to get your music fix, check out the MadCap Theater on Mill for more cool stuff.