Good morning, Mesa. It is a rough stretch out there: highs near 102 today, with an extreme heat warning running through Monday. Run errands early and keep water close.
- 🧈 Arizona's first butter shop is coming to Mesa. Arizona Churn Culture, a family business, targets a late-summer opening.
- 🏄 FlowRider competition Saturday at Rhodes Aquatic. Four age groups, from young kids to adults, 5 PM start.
- 🎖️ Mesa's fire chief takes a statewide lifetime honor. Chief Mary Cameli won the 2026 Bob Weber Award.
- 📚 Library programs and an open mic fill the weekend. Storytimes, crafts, a book club, and a Saturday showcase.
- 🎟️ Around the Valley. Three shows worth the drive this weekend.
Arizona's first butter shop lands in Mesa
Mesa is getting Arizona's first dedicated butter shop. Arizona Churn Culture, a family-run business, plans to open here in late August or early September.
Key facts:
The concept: a shop built entirely around churned butter, the first of its kind in the state.
Who: a family business making its retail debut.
When: late August or early September.
An exact address and hours have not been released yet.
What to watch: a firm location and opening date. Details.
The weekend
🏄 Hang 110° FlowRider competition. Saturday, July 25 at 5 PM at Rhodes Aquatic Complex, 1860 S. Longmore. Registration is open in four age groups, from young kids to adults. A good excuse to be near water this weekend. Details.
🎤 Powerful Voices open mic. Thursday in Mesa. Live music, comedy, and poetry on one bill. Details.
📚 At the Mesa libraries. The Main branch has Toddlertime and Lunch at the Library on Thursday, plus a manga book club Friday afternoon. Dobson Ranch hosts a family recycled-craft session Saturday at 10 AM, and the Express branch has take-home craft kits all week while supplies last. Details.
Around Mesa
🎖️ Mesa's fire chief earns a statewide honor. Mesa Fire and Medical Chief Mary Cameli received the 2026 Bob Weber Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arizona Fire Chiefs Association, recognized for building a nationally respected department. Details.
🏠 Typical rent in Mesa is about $1,548 a month, roughly flat over the past year.
From the schools
The new year is almost here. Mesa Public Schools' returning teachers report the week of July 31, and campuses reopen soon after.
🏫 Board meeting and back-to-school logistics. The MPS Governing Board meets Thursday at 6 PM at 549 N. Stapley Drive. EVIT students who missed the first laptop pickup get a second chance Tuesday, July 28, from 8 to 11 AM and noon to 3 PM. Dobson High's returning teachers report July 31.
Around the Valley
A few shows worth leaving Mesa for this weekend.
🎸 Damage Inc. Friday, July 24 at The Showroom at Casino Arizona in Scottsdale. One of the smaller rooms in the East Valley for a rock show. Tickets.
🎪 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Phoenix, at the Mortgage Matchup Center. The circus is in town for a family night out. Tickets.
🎶 Darius Rucker. Thursday at Arizona Financial Theatre in downtown Phoenix. Catch him in a theater instead of an arena. Tickets.