Good morning, East Mesa. Father's Day lands Sunday, and this weekend leans that way: golf, brunch, and a pair of Saturday markets to shop first.

  • 🍳 Father's Day weekend across the east side. Golf at Augusta Ranch, brunch at Las Sendas, Sunday.
  • 🛒 Two Saturday markets. The Eastmark Farmers Market at the Great Park and the Berry Sweet Market at Vertuccio Farms.
  • 🏗️ Dev watch. A hotel near Recker and Longbow, an office at McDowell and Val Vista, a new Pho spot on Ellsworth.
  • 🎓 Mesa College Promise closes June 22. Two years of MCC tuition for eligible Mesa grads and residents 25 and older.
  • 🎆 July 4 drone show. Mesa's Celebration of Freedom adds a patriotic drone show and an expanded military display.
  • 🎟️ Around the Valley. Diamondbacks and Twins at Chase Field, Shrek the Musical at the Herberger.

Father's Day weekend, east side edition

Father's Day is Sunday, and the east side's weekend is built around it: a golf scramble, brunch with live music, and two Saturday markets to handle the shopping a day early.

Key facts:

Golf in the morning and a sit-down brunch is about as east-side as a Father's Day gets, and both the family neighborhoods and the 55+ corridor have a stake in this one. Augusta Ranch and Las Sendas both fill up for it, so a tee time or a table is worth locking in before the weekend.

The weekend

Friday

  • 🏀 Section 7 girls basketball tournament. Club teams at the Arizona Athletic Grounds fieldhouse, off Ellsworth. Details.

Saturday

  • 🛒 Mission Square Marketplace. Indoor market of local makers at the Mesa Social Club. Details.
  • 🪕 Didgeridoo Down Under at Red Mountain Library. A family music and movement show, 10 AM. Details.
  • 🎸 The Arizona Punk Festival. State punk bands stacked on one bill at the Nile Theater. Details.
  • 🧠 Saturday Trivia Night. All ages, hosted by Cultivate Young Adult Ministry at Living Word Bible Church. Details.

Red Mountain Library also runs its weekday regulars next week, including Toddlertime and an embroidery machine demo on Monday, plus a free University of Arizona nutrition class. The full slate is on the library calendar.

🏗️ Eastmark corridor and dev watch

What's moving through Mesa's review boards on the east side this month:

  • 🍜 A new Vietnamese spot on Ellsworth. Tastea Pho Banh Mi Café is coming to 3442 S Ellsworth Road, lunch and dinner. Its restaurant license went before council June 8. Details.
  • 🏨 A hotel near Recker and Longbow. A 3.3-acre site just west of Recker Road and Longbow Parkway is planned for a hotel, with commercial space to follow. It went to the Design Review Board on June 9. Details.
  • 🏢 An office building at McDowell and Val Vista. About 3,800 square feet on 1.3 acres at the southwest corner, also reviewed June 9. Details.

Around East Mesa

  • 🎓 Mesa College Promise applications close June 22. The program covers two years of tuition and fees at Mesa Community College for eligible 2026 Mesa high school graduates and Mesa residents 25 and older. Details.
  • 🎆 The July 4 Celebration of Freedom is getting bigger. Mesa is adding a patriotic drone show and an expanded military showcase to the Willmeng-sponsored event, part of the city's America250 programming. Details.
  • 🏠 Housing note. The typical Mesa home value is about $435,670, down 2% over the past year. Details.

Around the Valley

A few picks worth leaving the east side for this weekend.

  • ⚾ Diamondbacks vs. Twins. Chase Field, Friday night. Minnesota only swings through Phoenix once this year. Tickets.
  • 🧅 Shrek the Musical. Valley Youth Theatre at the Herberger's Center Stage, Friday. An easy one with kids in tow. Tickets.
  • 🎙️ The Moth: American Dream. Live, true storytelling at the Crescent Ballroom, tonight. Tickets.
  • 🎶 3BallMTY. The tribal guarachero act plays The Van Buren tonight. Tickets.

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