Family Fun Activities to Heat Up Your Summer
With Independence Day right around the corner, summer is in full swing! This year, there will be plenty of unique ways to celebrate our country, as well as plenty of things to do to enjoy the rest of the dog days of summer. Check out our list below of family friendly activities for summer near the Eastmark area.
Independence Day Weekend Fireworks
This year, there are an abundance of different ways to celebrate Independence Day and catch fireworks throughout the East Valley. Nearest to Eastmark, the cities of Mesa, Queen Creek, Gilbert, and Chandler will be putting on their versions of pandemic-safe holiday celebrations.
Mesa’s Arizona Celebration of Freedom will take place on Saturday, July 3. This will be a free, socially distant drive-in style Fourth of July fireworks show in the parking lot of Fiesta Mall. The parking lots will open at 7:00pm with the fireworks lighting up the sky starting at 9:00pm. You can even tune your car radio or radio app into Kool FM 94.5 to listen to music during the fireworks show! This event will not have food or drink vendors, but you are welcome to bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages, chairs, and blankets and they will have portable restrooms available on-site. To find out more, visit http://arizonacelebrationoffreedom.com/.
In neighboring Queen Creek, Schnepf Farms will be hosting Hometown 4th on Sunday, July 4th. Schnepf Farms hopes to bring together the love for our country and our community by hosting a classic local event that will include live music, face painting, a foam pit, artisan vendors, food trucks, a beer & wine bar, and a 20-minute fireworks show in the evening. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early with pop up tents, games, and activities to set up and enjoy before the fireworks show at the end of the night, but no outside food or drink is allowed. Gates for this event open at 4:00pm and the fireworks show will begin around 8:30pm. General Admission tickets are on sale through the Schnepf Farms website for $25 per carload and they also have VIP tickets for $75.00 per person that feature a catered dinner in the air conditioned Big Red Barn, an exclusive entrance, parking lot, and restrooms, front row access to the fireworks display, and more. https://schnepffarms.com/4th-of-july/?v=e748b7c8fd06
Gilbert will be hosting their July 4th celebration at the newly built Gilbert Regional Park for the first time. This event is free and will also take place on Sunday, July 4th from 5:30pm to 9:15pm. The fireworks display will begin at 8:45pm. Families will have access to the park’s amenities such as the splash pad, playground, and sports courts starting when the gates open at 5:30pm. There will also be a variety of food trucks, a DJ and live entertainment, and a 20-minute fireworks show to end the night. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets, water, and outside food or non-alcoholic drinks. Onsite parking is free of charge but will be limited, so they recommend carpooling, biking, or walking to the event. For more information visit gilbertaz.gov/july4th.
Also nearby in Chandler, the city will be hosting it’s July 4th Fireworks Spectacular this year at Tumbleweed Park. After taking a year off in 2020, the Fireworks Spectacular is back as a socially distanced drive-in style event on Sunday, July 4th from 7:00pm – 9:30pm. A parking pass is required for entry into this event and can be bought on the City of Chandler website for $5 per vehicle. There will be parking attendants to guide each vehicle with a parking pass to its designated spot, where guests may remain inside their vehicles, sit outside next to their vehicle, or sit in the grass field closest to their vehicle. Guests are also able to bring their own food, snacks, and non-alcoholic drinks and light snacks such as popcorn, fry bread, and ice cream will be for sale through local vendors. The fireworks show will begin at 9:00pm and will last about 20 minutes. Tickets are still available for purchase online: https://www.chandleraz.gov/explore/special-events/july-4th-fireworks-spectacular
Finally, if your family loves both sporting events and fireworks, there are a couple chances to enjoy both coming up in early July. The Phoenix Rising FC soccer team will be hosting the LA Galaxy II on Saturday, July 3 at 7:30pm at their new stadium at Wild Horse Pass near I-10 and Wild Horse Boulevard. The Rising will be hosting Military Appreciation night and there will be fireworks after the match. The Arizona Diamondbacks are also going to be in town for the holiday weekend hosting the San Francisco Giants. On both July 3 and July 4, the roof will be open at Chase Field for a postgame fireworks display. Tickets are available on both teams’ websites.
Splash Pads and Pools –
One of the greatest features about living in a beautiful community like Eastmark in the summer are the community pool and splash pad areas. Come connect with other members of the community and cool off from the heat.
The Eastmark Park splash pad is open from 7:00am to 10:00pm and is located at 5100 S. Eastmark Parkway. The splash pad is shaded and is a great way to introduce little ones to water and cool off in the summer heat. Also nearby is the Eastmark Community Center, which is a resident-only area that features family friendly indoor games and just outside is the Eastmark Community Pool. The pool is over 4,000 square feet that feels like a resort-style amenity. There is also a smaller 560 square foot toddler pool to ensure family fun is had by all.
Other Indoor Activities
Finally, if your family is looking for some fun, indoor activities to beat the heat this summer, consider some of the local attractions in the Mesa area.
Several museums are just a quick drive away from the Eastmark area. The Arizona Museum of Natural History in downtown Mesa is the premier natural history museum of Arizona and features a collection of dinosaurs, panning for gold, and a mock village of the ancestral Sonoran Desert people. The Commemorative Air Force Museum is home to WWII era air crafts, while the i.d.e.a Museum is a hands-on museum for children and families that includes popular art activities while adding science, engineering and design thinking to the experiences.
There are also some fun indoor play areas in Mesa that would be a fun way to cool off. Places like Jakes Unlimited (bowling, laser tag, bumper cars and arcade games), Fat Cats Mesa (bowling, arcade games, glow golf and movie theaters), or Escape Rooms Mesa offer great meet up spots for friends and family.
However you relax with your family this summer, we hope it’s a memorable and special time.