Good morning, Gilbert.
- 🔭 Star party at the Riparian Preserve. Telescopes out at dusk Friday. Free, no registration.
- 🎭 Woodstock 1969 tribute concert at Hale Concert Hall. Friday night, one show.
- 🧠 Trivia at Mulligan's. Saturday at Western Skies Golf Club.
- 💧 The town is studying the federal Colorado River proposal. Gilbert's long-term water supply is the question.
- 🗳️ Council ratified the July 21 election results.
- 🎸 Four Valley shows worth the drive.
Telescopes at the Riparian Preserve, Friday at dusk
The East Valley Astronomy Club sets up its telescopes at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch on Friday night, free and open to anyone who shows up.
Key facts:
- When: Friday, August 14. Starts at dusk.
- Where: Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, near Greenfield and Guadalupe.
- Cost: Free. No ticket, no signup.
- What to expect: Club members bring their own scopes and let visitors look through them.
- Cadence: Second Friday of every month, weather permitting.
The preserve is 110 acres of wetland and water-recharge basins on the east side of town, which is the reason it works for this at all: fewer lights than almost anywhere else inside Gilbert. It is the same ground families walk for the bird paths and the Junior Ranger programming during daylight hours. At night the parking lot fills with tripods instead of strollers.
What to watch: monsoon season is the only thing that scrubs it. A thick cloud deck Friday evening means the club calls it off. Details.
The weekend
Friday
Saturday
Looking ahead
- 💻 Computer Basics: Operating Systems. Monday morning at Southeast Regional Library. Registration required. Details.
- 📚 Historical Fiction Book Club. Tuesday afternoon, Southeast Regional Library, adults. Details.
- 🌮 Gilbert Food Truck Thursday returns to Finley Mesquite Park. Next Thursday, August 20. Dinner and dessert, the whole family. Details.
- 🎙️ Powerful Voices Open Mic. Also August 20. Music, comedy, and poetry on the same bill. Details.
Around Gilbert
💧 The town is studying the federal Colorado River proposal. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a final environmental impact statement on river water cuts, and Gilbert staff are working through what it means for the town's water supply and long-range water strategy. Nothing changes for residents this week. Details.
🗳️ Council ratified the July 21 election results. The formal certification step that closes out the election. Details.
🦸 The teen who stopped for a stranger got a key to the city. Royal Cothrum, the Gilbert teenager who helped an elderly woman in distress during extreme heat, was given a key to the city. Details.
🏠 Typical rent in Gilbert is about $2,019 a month, down 1% over the past year. Details.
Around the Valley
A few picks worth leaving Gilbert for, closest first.
🎸 George Thorogood and The Destroyers. Friday, 8 PM, Gila River Hotels and Casinos at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler. The shortest drive on this list by a wide margin. Tickets.
🇯🇲 Steel Pulse, Reggae Against Racism Tour. Tonight, 8 PM, The Van Buren in Phoenix. A small room for a band with this much history behind it. Tickets.
🎤 Meghan Trainor, The Get In Girl Tour. Tonight, 6:30 PM, Mortgage Matchup Center in downtown Phoenix. Early door time, so leave before rush hour clears. Tickets.
🎶 Santana and The Doobie Brothers, Oneness Tour. Friday, 7 PM, Mortgage Matchup Center. Two acts that could each headline the building alone, sharing one night. Tickets.