Good morning, Scottsdale. Highs run 108 today, per the National Weather Service, so front-load anything outdoors.
- 🌵 Old Town's summer slump. The Progress reports the heat stretch has thinned visitor traffic through the Arts District.
- 🍽️ Square One Concepts adds two concepts. Bistecca & Bones and a second Ski Lodge.
- 🐕 Thompson Peak dog park is open. The city's newest off-leash park, in north Scottsdale.
- 🚧 Thomas Road sewer work starts. Underground replacement ahead of the full corridor reconstruction.
- 🌃 Old Town midweek. Ladies night at b Naked Chocolates, a movie dinner at Marcellino, three courses at Cala.
- 🎒 Chaparral parent night Tuesday. Curriculum night at 5:30 PM. Parking is limited.
- 🎟️ Around the Valley. Jason Bonham at Celebrity Theatre, ZAYN downtown, the Cubs at Chase Field.
Old Town's quietest stretch
The Scottsdale Progress reported Sunday that this summer's heat has cut into Old Town's visitor traffic, and the week ahead is not offering relief.
Key facts
- The story ran August 23 in the Progress under the headline "Sizzling summer melts Scottsdale Old Town tourism," and it centers on Old Town business owners and the Civic Center end of the district.
- The forecast: 108 today, per the National Weather Service.
- Old Town runs on a seasonal cycle. The visitor population builds back from October through April, and the marquee calendar (Barrett-Jackson, the Open, the Arabian show, Parada del Sol) does not start until January.
- The Thursday ArtWalk runs year-round through the galleries, heat included.
None of this is new to anyone who has parked on Stetson in August. What makes it worth watching is where the gap falls: the restaurant and gallery blocks between Indian School and Osborn carry roughly five months of thin traffic before the season turns, and the openings and closings that follow tend to show up in September and October. Old Town's midweek dining deals, several of which are running right now, are the visible version of that math.
Worth watching: which storefronts are still lit when the seasonal traffic returns in October. Read the Progress piece.
The week
- 📖 Bring Your Own Book Club, Tuesday. Open discussion of whatever anyone is reading, watching, or listening to, at the library branch on East Silverstone Drive. Details.
- 🌾 PastFinders at Mustang Library, Tuesday. The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy series looks at how 19th century upstream water diversions cut off the Akimel O'otham and Pee Posh in the Gila River Indian Community, and the four decades of famine that followed. Details.
- 🔫 Star Wars trivia at The Rack, Tuesday. Characters, planets, quotes. Free to play, prizes on the line, 3636 N Scottsdale Road. Details.
- 🧠 Trivia night at Arena Sports Grill, Thursday. The weekly team game on East Bell Road, up by the Airpark. Details.
- 🎸 Imagine Benatar, Friday. The tribute act plays the Showroom at Casino Arizona, which sits across Pima Road on Salt River land at the 101 and McKellips, not in Scottsdale. Doors are at 7:30 PM. Tickets.
Around Scottsdale
🍽️ Square One Concepts has two new concepts in the pipeline. The Scottsdale hospitality group is adding Bistecca & Bones and a second Ski Lodge. Details.
🐕 The Thompson Peak dog park is open. The city opened the new off-leash park in north Scottsdale this month. Details.
🚧 Sewer work has begun on Thomas Road. The city is replacing underground sewer infrastructure first, ahead of the larger reconstruction of the corridor. Anyone who uses Thomas as an east-west cut through south Scottsdale should expect the lane work to arrive before the road work does.
🏠 555 new listings came on the Scottsdale market last month.
🌃 Old Town & nightlife
What is actually on in Old Town this week, heat notwithstanding.
🍫 Ladies night at b Naked Chocolates, Tuesday. Desserts and market-fresh light bites on Stetson Drive, Suite 102. Casual, no ticket structure beyond showing up. Details.
🎬 Dinner and a movie at Marcellino Ristorante, Tuesday. A screening of "Nonnas" at the private dining room's table for 10. Bring a group or fill a seat with strangers. That second option is the more interesting one. Details.
🍷 Neighborhood Nights at Cala, Tuesday and Wednesday. A three-course dinner for $55 per person at 7501 East Camelback Road, running both nights every week. Details.
From the schools
🎒 Chaparral back to school curriculum night, Tuesday at 5:30 PM. Parents follow their student's schedule through the evening, so bring a copy of it. The school is warning that parking is limited and asking families to arrive early. Details.
🎪 Club rush at Saguaro, Friday at lunch. Student clubs set up in the auxiliary gym for sign-ups. First week of the year for most of them. Details.
Around the Valley
A few picks worth leaving Scottsdale for this week.
🥁 Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening, Tuesday at 7:30 PM. Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, the closest of this week's out-of-town rooms. The revolving stage means every seat eventually becomes a good one. Tickets.
🎤 ZAYN, tonight downtown. The Konnakol Tour stops at Mortgage Matchup Center, one night only. Tickets.
⚾ Diamondbacks and Cubs at Chase Field, tonight at 6:40. Cubs fans travel, so the upper deck will not be quiet. Indoors and air conditioned, which counts for something on a 108-degree afternoon. Tickets.