From local art initiatives to live music, exciting new brands and a full lineup of events, Desert Ridge Marketplace is ready for all September has to offer.

Kicking off the month, Desert Ridge Marketplace has partnered with The Poetry Project to host a short-form poetry contest. On Sept. 5, the top five selected entries will be displayed throughout The District for public voting. Guests are invited to come out and pick their favorite entry. Later in the month on Sept. 19, the votes will be tallied, and a winner will be announced for the $300 grand prize.

September is also a great time to take a deep dive into the local art scene in The District. On Sept. 16, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (and every third Friday of the season), Desert Ridge will partner with The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance to host Fine Art Fridays. Stroll around an art market spotlighting local artists, and purchase beautiful creations, while enjoying live music, an outdoor bar, art demonstrations, and more, providing the ideal place for the whole family on a Friday evening.

To add to the exciting art offerings, local Arizona artist Sabree Garcia completed a stunning mural now on display in The District near Copper Blues Live. La Noche Rosa, which translates to The Pink Night, is a stunning desert-themed mural that is more than 11 feet tall and focuses on desert elements and colors including cacti, scorpions, and red hues. The scorpion, which took over 15 hours to complete, features a CD mosaic with more than 50 recycled CDs that add an opalescent sparkle to the full mural. The CD component plays off the scorpion’s ability to glow in the dark.

This fall, Desert Ridge Marketplace will also welcome several new tenants to the center. The lineup includes Dakota London Hair Extensions, Artichoke Basille’s Pizza, Nordstrom Rack, Cartel Roasting Co., and Spitz Mediterranean.

In case you missed it, summertime brought the heat to Desert Ridge Marketplace where five new tenants also opened including Fly Bye To Go, a Fox Restaurant Concept specializing in delicious pizza and mouthwatering crispy chicken; Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa; Veteran-owned and operated Flip Flop Shop, and the re-opening of Soap Des Jour boutique.

Desert Ridge Marketplace is located at 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix. For more information, visit shopdesertridge.com.