<body><div>Tempe Town Lake will commemorate 25 years as an oasis of opportunity in the desert with a free family friendly event on Sunday, Nov. 3, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tempe Beach Park. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2ttiyJ_0wMSHPzN00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2ttiyJ_0wMSHPzN00" width="1200" height="800" ><figcaption>(City of Tempe Photo)</figcaption></figure>Celebrate with live music, activities for all ages, boating opportunities, arts and crafts, games and more.Ever been in a pedal boat or kayak on the lake? Now is your chance to try it for free. Tempe Boat Rentals will offer free 30-minute kayak and pedal boat rentals on a first-come basis. More free fun: enjoy live music by local favorites Walt Richardson and Rock Lobster, games, face painting, a rock-climbing wall, trackless train, mini golf, crafts and so much more. Food trucks and local vendors will offer concessions for sale. The first 500 people will receive a commemorative State Forty Eight T-shirt, so arrive early to secure a shirt and a spot on the grass for the concert. Visit tempe.gov/FamilyFun for more event details. Join us Nov. 3. Tempe Town Lake historyTempe Town Lake was designed with three purposes in mind: flood control, recreation and economic development. The history of Tempe Town Lake begins with the story of the Salt River. Between 500 A.D. to 1450 A.D., the prehistoric Hohokam created an extensive canal system. Their system became the foundation of the canals seen throughout the Valley today. As late as the 1800s, the Salt River flowed uncontrolled. Following the construction of the Roosevelt Dam in 1911, the Salt River transformed from a flowing river to a barren wasteland with tremendous flooding potential. In 1966, Dean James Elmore of the College of Architecture at Arizona State University challenged his students to create design concepts that utilized the dry river bed. Students designed the Rio Salado Project: 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. During the 1970s and 1980s, extensive flooding caused bridge failures, property damage, traffic congestion and loss of life, further validating the need for a flood control plan. On June 2, 1999, water from the Central Arizona Project started flowing into the Tempe Town Lake. More than 35,000 people gathered for the Tempe Town Lake Festival on Nov. 6, 1999. The lake now benefits Tempe, the Greater Phoenix Area, the state of Arizona and beyond with tremendous tourism opportunities, new hotels, housing options, thousands of jobs, and recreational amenities for the health and enjoyment of people in our neighborhoods and around the globe. An economic driver and recreational hubApproximately 40,000 people work within a mile of Tempe Town Lake. Companies and positions range widely – from working for the boat concessionaire to Fortune 500 companies like State Farm. Viking Cruises and Hawaiian Airlines are just a few of the many companies that call Town Lake home. Thousands of new places to live have been built along the shoreline or just beyond Tempe Town Lake, from Edgewater at Hayden Ferry Lakeside to Aubrey Apartments at The Grand. Millions of people have attended special events along the shores of the lake – like Oktoberfest, July 4 celebrations, Aloha Fest, Innings Festival and Boots in the Park. Hundreds of nonprofit organizations have raised money for their causes through these events. The lake and and surrounding parks bring in people from around the world, and many use the area as their daily spot for jogging, walking, biking and boating. Nature lovers look for the bald eagles, beavers, rabbits and egrets that call Town Lake home. While the development value of Tempe Town Lake is approximately $5 billion, that doesn’t account for the value of a person’s career, pivotal memories, impact to local nonprofits, or the global recognition received from the events and companies on Town Lake. It also doesn’t calculate the immense array of services that can be delivered to residents as a result of the revenues Town Lake generates. While these accomplishments are immense, the future is bright for the lake. Opportunities remain for development and recreation both on and adjacent to Town Lake. The Rio Salado and Beach Park Master Plan provides a blueprint for future of programming, infrastructure, use of open space and land/water activities. Rio Reimagined, a project envisioned by the late Senator John McCain in 2018, brings together communities along the Salt and Gila rivers with a goal of connecting communities to one another and the environment, fostering economic, recreational and equitable development. “Tempe Town Lake started as an idea in 1966. Mayors like Harry Mitchell, Neil Giuliano, Hugh Hallman and Mark Mitchell all played roles in bringing the lake to fruition and helping it become the success it is,” said Mayor Corey Woods. “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.” </div></body>

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Commemorate 25 Years of Tempe Town Lake

Tempe Town Lake will commemorate 25 years as an oasis of opportunity in the desert with a free family friendly event on Sunday, Nov. 3, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tempe Beach Park. Celebrate with live music, activities for all ages, boating opportunities, arts and crafts, games and more.