Tempe Town Lake to mark 25 years of history on Sunday

PHOENIX — This weekend, Tempe Town Lake celebrates 25 years of history with a free family-friendly festival that includes music and activities for everyone.

On Sunday, the festival will be held at Tempe Beach Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. celebrating its silver anniversary.

Tempe Boat Rentals will be offering free 30-minute kayak and pedal boat rentals on a first-come basis to kickstart the festival.

Attendees can enjoy live music by local musicians Walt Richardson and Rock Lobster.

There will be games, face painting, a rock-climbing wall, trackless train, mini golf, arts and crafts and more. Food trucks from vendors such as All Cooped Up in AZ, Kabobski, Kona Ice, The Snowy Churro and Pinwheel Rolls will be onsite.

The first 500 attendees will receive a commemorative State Forty-Eight T-shirt, arrive early to get one and to grab a spot on the grass to hear the live music.

What’s the history behind Tempe Town Lake?

When Tempe Town Lake was first imagined, there were three ideas in mind: flood control, recreation and economic development, according to a city of Tempe press release.

Tempe Town Lake was formerly the Salt River and between 500 A.D. to 1450 A.D., the Hohokam Native Americans built an extensive canal system. Today that same system is the foundation of the canals that are seen throughout the Valley.

In 1700, Father Eusebio Kino, a priest, named the river “Rio Salado,” Spanish for salt river due to the salty taste of the fresh water, according to the city of Tempe.

During the 1800s, water from the Salt River flowed without restriction. Due to the construction of the Roosevelt Dam in 1911, the Salt River went from a “flowing river to a barren wasteland with tremendous flooding potential,” according to Tempe officials.

In 1966, Dean James Elmore of the College of Architecture at Arizona State University assigned his students to help map out design concepts that would make use of the dry riverbed.

The end result was called the Rio Salado Project. The students came up with a system for a “series of locks and channels creating an inland seaport in the desert. The concept involved a linear greenbelt with open parks, recreational areas and development along the river.”

In the 1970s and 1980s, excessive flooding caused bridge failures, property damage, traffic congestion and cost lives, which pushed the need to implement a flood control plan.

The Tempe Town Lake started with flowing water from the Central Arizona Project back in June 1999. On Nov. 6, 1999, more than 35,000 people attended its opening day festival.

How did Tempe Town Lake become an economic force and entertainment hub?

According to Tempe officials, about 40,000 people work within a mile radius of Tempe Town Lake. From small businesses to major Fortune 500 companies such as State Farm are nestled into the heart of Tempe Town Lake.

Real-estate developers have built thousands of apartment homes along the shoreline of Tempe Town Lake, from Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside to Aubrey Apartments at The Grand.

Tempe Town Lake is the place where millions of people go to for special events such as Oktoberfest, July 4 celebrations, Aloha Fest, Innings Festival and Boots in the Park.

The lake and surrounding park areas are daily spots for jogging, walking, biking and boating. The development value of Tempe Town Lake is valued at approximately $5 billion, according to Tempe officials.

What’s in store for the future of Tempe Town Lake?

According to Tempe officials, there are plans for further development and recreation both on and near the lake. The Rio Salado and Beach Park Master Plan provides a blueprint for future planning, infrastructure and more water activities.

Rio Reimagined is a 2018 project by the late Sen. John McCain, that plans to bring together the Salt and Gila rivers with a goal of bringing communities together while providing access to open spaces for recreational purposes.

“Building on that legacy for the benefit of Tempe residents is just as important today. The Rio Salado Beach Park Master Plan and Rio Reimagined offer opportunities for us to continuously improve this vital part of our community, ” Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said.