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Roosevelt Row

First Fridays Art Walk

Once filled with boarded-up storefronts and bungalows, “RoRo” is now the epicenter of downtown’s burgeoning arts scene and is especially lively on weekend nights.

SEE

• Galleries, studios and pop-up art spaces showcase works by emerging Arizona artists. Keep your eyes peeled for colorful murals adorning the sides of buildings.

DO

• Phoenix First Fridays and Third Fridays art walks bring out the crowds for exhibit openings, live music and street vendors.

• Check the calendar at Margaret T. Hance Park for outdoor events hosted at the park, such as the popular McDowell Mountain Music Festival, beer festivals, food fests and more.

MEET

• MonOrchid, a hybrid gallery, studio and workspace housed in a 1937 warehouse, is also available for private events.

• The Phoenix Pride LGBT Center has rooms for small groups in its mid-century, garden-office setting.

LISTEN

• Local and national jazz acts hit the right notes at the intimate venue The Nash.

• At The Lost Leaf, it’s beer and bands inside a 1920s bungalow.

SHOP

• Browse vintage vinyl, tapes and CDs at Revolver Records.

• Inside Made Art Boutique, look for handmade ceramics, jewelry and art, and hard-to-find books and magazines.

EAT

• Short Leash Hotdogs, a popular food truck, also has a restaurant called Sit... Stay, where you can get a bratwurst-stuffed pretzel or hot dogs topped with peanut butter, bacon and Cracker Jack.

• Carly's Bistro features sandwiches—such as the pear sandwich with prosciutto, brie, and balsamic vinaigrette on focaccia—and a rotating selection of local and regional craft beers on tap.

• Up late? Jobot serves coffee, crepes and more until midnight daily, and is open 24 hours on weekends. 

Written by Nora Burba Trulsson. Originally printed in the 2016 Greater Phoenix Destination Guide: Meeting & Travel Planner Edition, published by Madden Media.