The best motivator to get out of the house in the summer heat? Great entertainment, amazing food, and refreshing drinks! Consider this your definitive guide for all fun activities and foodie-focused summer events in Phoenix, AZ.
Just because it’s hot doesn’t mean that you can’t soak up the best of summer. If you’re looking for what to do in Phoenix this weekend, read on!
Dine under the dome at Arcosanti with Cloth & Flame
If you haven’t enjoyed a dinner with Cloth & Flame yet, get your tickets to this event! An experiential dining company, Cloth & Flame offers some of the most delicious and beautiful activities in Phoenix. They’ve become nationally known for their chef-driven dinners set at beautiful pop-up locations throughout the Southwest.
This is their last event as a part of their spring Arcosanti dinner series, and you likely won’t be able to catch one of their local events again until the weather cools down in the Fall – though you can always follow them to cooler climes like Flagstaff or LA. The beautiful architecture and art of Arcosanti make the perfect backdrop for an elegant date night or unique dinner with friends. Get your tickets for the June 18th event here.
Fourth of July Events in Phoenix
There are plenty of places to watch fireworks in Phoenix this 4th of July! Westworld of Scottsdale offers plenty of family-friendly activities like bull-riding, face painting, games, and more – along with the largest fireworks display in Scottsdale. For a more luxe and relaxed experience, enjoy the holiday festivities at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess resort’s 12th annual Fourth of July Freedom Fest.
Looking for festivities in the heart of the city? Downtown Phoenix also always boasts a spectacular fireworks display at Chase Field. Follow it up with cocktails and bites from one of the many delicious restaurants and bars on Roosevelt Row!
In the East Valley, you can catch fireworks at Chandler’s All American Bash and the Gilbert 4th of July Celebration.
Chill at some of the best bars in Phoenix
If you’re looking for a high-energy patio to hang out in Downtown Phoenix, look no further than The Churchill. Boasting two great bars and a handful of shops and food vendors (get the breakfast sandwiches or burgers at Stoop Kid!), this community-centered space is fun, dog-friendly, and always hosting events. Check out their Bad & Boozy Bingo nights on the first Tuesday of every month, and check their Instagram for the latest events lineup.
For poolside hangouts in Phoenix, you really can’t beat Lylo Swim Club. A part of the Rise Uptown Hotel, Lylo offers refreshing tropical cocktails, fun food, and a gorgeous and relaxing ambiance – what more could you want on a hot summer day? Check out their take on a pina colada, made with coconut sorbet and prosecco, and share the Mochiko Fried Chicken Bucket. It’s definitely a girl’s day or date night spot, so get a sitter for the kiddos!
The Canal Club at The Scott Resort in Scottsdale curates the best Cuban-inspired summer activities in Phoenix. Sip delicious rum cocktails at their Rum Society events each second Wednesday of the month, and enjoy classic black and white movies for a dreamy date night at dusk each Friday.
Fun summer farm activities in Phoenix with the kids
Late in the summer, a whole bunch of delicious produce is ripe for the picking at Apple Annie’s! Their harvest events are some of the best annual summer events in Phoenix. Take a trip just outside Phoenix to Willcox from July 23rd to August 7th and visit the orchards to pick fresh, juicy peaches and enjoy fresh peach pie in the shade of the trees. In addition to harvesting the sweet fruit, you can also shop a variety of farm-fresh peach products from peach salsa to peach fudge.
Head back between August 13th – 21st for green chilies (they’ll roast them for you at the farm!), and then again for the last week in August and first week in September for their famous apple harvest, where you can enjoy apple cider donuts and fresh apple pie.
Apple Annie’s serves burger lunches each day from 11:30-3pm, as well as their infamous pancake breakfasts from 7:30-10:30am every Saturday and Sunday.
Looking for more fun activities to do with the kiddos? Check out this post with plenty of ideas for fun things to do in Phoenix with kids.
Other fun summer events in Phoenix
In the mood for something artistic – and Instagram-worthy? Check out the Immersive Klimt Exhibit through June 19th, or the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibition beginning August 26th. The Lighthouse Artspace in Scottsdale is entirely transformed for each event, providing a colorful, psychedelic, and thoroughly artistic way to experience the prolific artists’ work.
Catch the world-famous Thunder Down Under with no trip to Vegas necessary. The show is coming to The Talking Stick Resort on June 10th and 11th for a rowdy girls’ night out.
Beginning July 5th, The Lion King returns to ASU Gammage Theater. Catch the show through the month of July to take in the spectacle of stunning costumes and sets and iconic songs.
Hopefully, your dilemma of what to do in Phoenix this weekend has been solved with these suggestions! For more fun things to do in Phoenix – in any season – check out my Local Guide to Food & Fun in The Valley.
