Downtown Phoenix will be packed Friday with Suns, Diamondbacks, Viva PHX

PHOENIX – Downtown Phoenix is the place to be on Friday night – unless you just need to drive through the area.

The biggest convergence will be along Jefferson Street between First and Seventh streets for a must-win Phoenix Suns game and the start of an Arizona Diamondbacks homestand.

Other parts of downtown will be hopping, too, with Viva PHX festivities spread among multiple venues.

Valley Metro light rail is always a good way to reach downtown Phoenix without the hassle of traffic or parking.

But if you’re driving to a downtown event Friday, you’ll certainly want to leave early.

What’s happening in downtown Phoenix on Friday night

The Diamondbacks’ game against the Toronto Blue Jays begins at 6:40 p.m. at Chase Field and will be followed by a fireworks show.

Just west on Jefferson Street, the Suns tip off at 7 p.m. for an NBA Play-In Tournament matchup against the Golden State Warriors at Mortgage Matchup Center. The winner moves into the main playoff field while the loser’s season is over.

Meanwhile, Viva PHX, a six-day festival that started on Wednesday, has the following activities at downtown venues Friday night.

• 5:30 p.m.: Fruity Poetry night at The McKinley Club, 734 W. Polk Street
• 6 p.m.: Langhorne Slim and other musical acts at Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave.
• 6 p.m.: Live music at Myspace, 120 E. Roosevelt Street
• 6 p.m.: Sgt. Papers, Parque De Cometas and other musical acts at Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Ave.
• 7 p.m.: Kora Puckett & The Berries and other musical acts at Gracie’s Tax Bar, 711 N. Seventh Ave.
• 8 p.m.: From Here Now, Not New Here, an art exhibition with music, food and community activation at The Greater Good PHX, 818 N. Central Ave.
• 8 p.m.: Interpol at The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren Street
• 8 p.m.: Model/Actriz and other and other musical acts at Club Contact, 747 W. Van Buren Street

All of Friday’s Viva PHX events are free except for the Interpol concert, which is sold out.

Viva PHX, which concludes Monday, also has events outside the downtown Phoenix area Friday as part of its expanded format this year. Find the full list of activities and locations at vivaphx.com/schedule.

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