Hey people, I’m back! It’s T.J. Triolo, your favorite guide to downtown Phoenix. I’ve got some random stuff for you to do this week, including events to celebrate the summer solstice. It’s going to be the longest day of the year, which means the sun is going to come up early. I can only hope my blackout shade on my room can keep me asleep. Anyway, here are your things to do!
Greater Phoenix Chamber’s Annual Luncheon
Thursday June 20
11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Phoenix
122 N. Second St.
Want to know how to build a business in a productive way? Bobby Dulle, the general manager of Phoenix Rising (the soccer team you probably see stickers for on cars all over the place), is the keynote speaker here, and he has advice on how to do build a successful business. I think he knows what he’s talking about; Phoenix Rising has blown up in popularity, and it’s only existed for a few years! Not to mention food is involved here as well. Tickets cost $85.
Solstice 2019 Annual Fundraiser
Thursday June 20
Starts at 5:30 p.m.
monOrchid
214 E. Roosevelt St.
Enjoy food, drinks and art in an effort to raise money for the Roosevelt Row Academy program, which aims to make art more accessible to the community. It involves artists teaching people about different art forms, which is something I’d probably get after about 500 tries if I did it. If that. I tried to do serious drawings that weren’t just copies of something in a book, and they didn’t turn out well. Tickets range from $50 to $90.
Annual Summer Solstice Celebration
Friday June 21
11:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Burton Barr Central Library
1221 N. Central Ave.
Music and a presentation on the solstice are involved in this event, complete with technology revealing the exact moment of solstice, when the amount of time the sun stays up changes. After this day, sunlight during the day is only gonna get shorter from here until December. The world will be consumed by darkness and evil … or I’m just being dramatic. You can also print a solstice-themed keepsake on a printing press that dates to the 1890s! This event is free.
Science with a Twist: 80s Night
Friday June 21
6–10 p.m.
Arizona Science Center
600 E. Washington St.
Oh man, my parents are going to be all over this one. They practically worship the 1980s as though it was the best time ever to exist. Of course there’s going to be 80s music, cocktails themed after the 80s, 80s-themed Pictionary … Basically, if you graduated high school at some point in the 1980s, here’s your chance to have fun and go back to the future. Or past, in this case. Now I have to admit, I’m curious to see the history of gaming they mention is part of this. I’ve actually owned a lot of old consoles and games myself, complete with an original Nintendo Entertainment System when I was 12. Tickets cost $12.
Pop Punk Nite
Saturday June 22
Starts at 7 p.m.
The Van Buren
401 W. Van Buren St.
Ah, one of my favorite types of music: pop punk. I can think one of my old street racing games for getting me into it. These are local bands I haven’t heard of before, but honestly that’s kind of the point of pop punk: not to be mainstream. This concert features bands A Change of Pace, Sundressed, It’s Like Love, and Palm Springs Eternal. They’re performing both original songs and covers, so I wonder if that includes any of my favorite hits. “Ocean Avenue” or “Savior” anyone? Tickets cost $15–$20.
Contact the reporter at tjtriolo@asu.edu.
Downtown Devil's community section editor. I also write the Downtown Digest, a weekly column with things to do, with experience writing news articles and creating news videos as well. Graduating from ASU in May 2020.
