Joannalyn & Adam Jonathan
Fun in the Desert!
First Friday Roosevelt Row
Many of our dates consisted of First Fridays! First Friday festivities technically take place from 6 to 10 p.m. Depending on the time of year, you’ll likely see a handful of vendors setting up such as food trucks, art, dance and music. By 7pm the sidewalks start filling up, and by 8 the event is in full swing. Some venues and vendors stay open beyond 10 p.m.
Usery Mountain Regional Park
The city of Mesa has some seriously gorgeous scenery for visitors to enjoy, but there’s perhaps no more scenic venue in the town than the Usery Mountain Regional Park. Usery Mountain is a natural preserve featuring the unique plants and animals that call the Sonoran Desert home, including the iconic Saguaro Cactus, the black-tailed jackrabbit, and the shy Chuckwalla lizard.
Mesa Market Place Swap Meet
If you love shopping and live music, you’ll definitely want to swing by the Mesa Market Place Swap Meet. This outdoor market features 1400 shop spaces selling everything from jewelry to shoes. You can find all your souvenirs, unique finds, and quirky gifts at the Swap Meet.
Organ Stop Pizza
The pizza shop’s organ originally played music for the Denver Theater until the 1930s. Then, in 1975, the organ found a new home in Mesa’s Organ Stop Pizza, where it has since played music for restaurant guests as they dine on pizza and ice cream. Over time, the restaurant expanded the organ’s key ranks, eventually creating the Mighty Wurlitzer, aka the world’s largest Wurlitzer organ!
The Rose Garden At MCC
The rose garden at Mesa Community College is not your run-of-the-mill garden. It’s actually the largest rose garden in the Desert Southwest. The garden began in 1997 to celebrate the nation’s national flower and embody the rose’s symbols of “Love, Friendship, Beauty, and Peace.” Visitors can take a guided tour of the garden to learn about its plant life and history, or simply enjoy a self-guided stroll through its paths instead.