TEMPE, AZ — Music filled the air and crowds flooded Mill Avenue on Friday night as downtown Tempe came to life with a celebration of music, art and history.
"Meet Me on Mill" was a one-night celebration honoring the story of the historic downtown corridor.
"I think it's really cool because I love when people come together," one attendee said.
The event comes as the avenue works to rebound after a difficult stretch for businesses along the corridor.
First the pandemic, then two years of construction turned visitors away. Now, organizers and businesses say they hope the event sparks future success and draws people back to the district.
Ally Dykstra, business liaison for the Downtown Tempe Authority, said residents could expect to see "Mill Avenue in its new glory."
"Because it might not be what it used to be, but it is something fun and exciting and lovely," Dykstra said.
"Bring people back who haven't been here on Mill for a while," Jen Nesbit, who owns The Shoe Mill, said ahead of the event. "And also to introduce us to new people who haven't had a chance just to see how cool this little community is."
The celebration also leaned into the area's history, including ghost tours highlighting the past.
For many, the night was about more than the corridor's comeback — it was about community.
"To be open on the street like this means everything to everybody," one attendee said across the street from a live band's performance. "Music can bring us all together in this world."
Some hope the night is the first of many.
"I would love to see more events like this downtown in the future," another attendee said.
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