First Fridays' Shiny New Cousin

If you've been under a rock for a while, Tempe is all excited about their newest giant retail space, and frankly this one has all the rest beat. It's Tempe Marketplace - 1.3 million square feet of pure retail joy, crammed with 120 retailers and more new parking than ASU could dream of.

And this shiny new retail "experience" has spawned its own version of Phoenix's First Fridays - Third Thursdays. How creative.

Tempe Marketplace teams up with 103.9 FM and AT&T to get a national and local band to play every third Thursday of the month. Crowds sit or stand around, and can explore the wonders of Target and Old Navy while being serenaded. Oh, and it's free.

I really didn't want to enjoy Third Thursdays, it felt a little blasphemous, but I couldn't really help it. The thing is free, after all, and the bands weren't half bad. Plus there is a Chipotle within walking distance, which is always a plus. Basically, it beats sitting at home doing homework or paying for a movie. Plus if you end up deciding that you don't like the crowds, you can always bail and it's not like you lost anything. But for the most part, since the shows are 18 and over only, the crowds are fine, mostly college students, I even saw some people I recognized. No high schoolers, no children, and hardly anyone over 25. Add a burrito, and this is definitely something I'll be attending again.

— Megan Hunt