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Hello East Valley! Hope your coffee tastes especially good this morning. 

In today’s bring-the-kiddos edition: Arizona Baseball Museum’s wartime tales, Aloha Festival vibes, and Cirque Kalabanté’s gravity-defying acrobatics + excuses to get the fam out and about this week.

Today’s sponsor, American Hartford Gold, is helping folks around East Valley protect their savings as gold and silver continue to gain momentum. Their free guide explains what’s driving the surge… and what to know before adding precious metals to your portfolio. Grab your free copy here.

📰 In the news

Cactus League and wartime tales: Mesa’s Arizona Baseball Museum is open, tracing the game from frontier days to the Diamondbacks in the Lehi School auditorium, once a bomb shelter, with a Diversity in Baseball exhibit — see what’s inside the museum.

Securing a 100-year supply: Gilbert is advancing water sustainability by targeting 90% renewable supplies, recharging aquifers with reclaimed water, upgrading aging pipes, and using tiered rates to keep service reliable and encourage conservation — read the full story.

Destination district takes shape: Sunny Day Sports has revealed plans for two new hotels in Mesa’s Palo District at former Fiesta Mall site, supporting women’s health and athletics. Openings are expected in early 2028 — get all the details.

Nothing prepares you for a pet emergency: I learned that the hard way after charging $10k to a credit card for life-saving surgery on my cat, Miss Stache. As soon as we got home, I signed up for Spot. It’s super affordable – and reimburses up to 90% of the bill.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175/month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Highlights this week:

• Celebrate island culture at Arizona Aloha Festival
• Explore local lowrider history and culture
• Uplift lives at TCAA’s VICINITY
• Unlock clinical-level wellness data from home

💎 Local business spotlight

Your kid-friendly caffeine fix: Villa Meola Coffee, a family-run Gilbert spot shared with Gelato Cimmino, lets you sip while kids play with toys, roam stroller-friendly space, and enjoy a breezy patio. Think of it as midweek relief… quality coffee for you, relaxed vibes for them.

IBD support, close to home: Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation-Arizona Chapter brings IBD care close to home in the East Valley, with local support groups, practical education, advocacy, and Camp Oasis for kids. Living with IBD feels less solo, more supported…and if you or someone you love faces flare-ups, you’re not alone.

Local dogs’ happy place: K9 Resorts keeps East Valley pups happy and tired with attentive daycare and comfy boarding in Chandler. Expect spotless spaces, caring staff, and plenty of play, so you can power through your week while your four-legged roommate enjoys one of their own.

These aren’t ads or sponsored placements, just some cool nearby spots we think are worth a visit.

🫶 We got your back

Your data is for sale right now: There are over 400 websites selling your info to marketers, political campaigns, and scammers. They’ve got your phone number, home address, relatives’ names… you name it. That’s how robocallers seem to know everything about you before you pick up. You can remove your info one site at a time, or pay a service to do it for you. Here’s what we recommend →

Why your last diet didn’t work: Sustained weight loss is nearly impossible with diet alone. Your body literally fights back by making you hungrier the moment you start restricting calories. That’s why more doctors are recommending GLP-1s. The best part? Getting them has never been easier. We compared three programs to help you find the right fit. See which ones stood out →

What doctors wish every 65+ adult had at home: Physicians call it “long-lie,” and it’s the real reason falls are so dangerous for older adults. It’s not a broken bone… it’s lying on the floor for hours waiting for someone to notice. We dug into the options that actually solve this problem, and one stood out. See which one →

Thinning hair? It only gets worse: A few months ago, I noticed my ponytail getting thinner. I tried the usual stuff (biotin, shampoo, etc.) but mostly just hoped it would fix itself… until I learned that active follicles can permanently go dormant if you don’t do something about it. The good news? You can get treatment that actually works with no office visits or trips to the pharmacy. Check out my favorite online options →

📆 Fun for the whole fam

Have an event to share? BaseLocal Verified Businesses can submit them for free! Learn more about how to submit an event here →

All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.

🎭 Spring Tempe Festival of the Arts @ Downtown Tempe | Friday (3/13) at 10:00 AM – Consider this your annual excuse to swing through Mill and somehow stay until your phone begs for battery saver. 350+ artists, chalk murals in progress, wine and spirits tastings, Pedal Haus and Four Peaks gardens, a classic car stroll, plus young artists showing off.

🎭 Shrek the Musical @ Chandler Center for the Arts | Friday (3/13) at 7:30 PM – Chandler Center’s mainstage goes full fairy tale with Shrek the Musical, big voices, bigger laughs, and jokes the kids miss while you smirk. Kid-friendly without the sugar crash, blessed A/C, easy parking, and just enough ogre to make you nostalgic.

✈ Family Day @ CAF Airbase Arizona (Mesa) | Saturday (3/14) at 10:00 AM – If you’re overdue for quality time that doesn’t involve another streaming queue, head to Airbase Arizona Flying Museum for Family Day. Reduced pricing means you get in without a layover, and kids 12 and under tackle an aviation tech challenge from the Civil Air Patrol.

🎉 ClawZania Grand Opening @ ClawZania Mesa | Saturday (3/14) at 10:00 AM – Mesa’s getting Arizona’s first trade-up claw arcade, christening it with a grand opening weekend packed with face painting, a bouncy house, balloon twisting, and a prize wheel. Bring the kids, claim raffle tickets, sip boba, and let them learn compound interest via plushies.

🌷 Ostara Family Festival @ Gilbert Riparian Observatory | Saturday (3/14) at 2:00 PM – Spring’s here, and Magical Mama’s 6th Annual Ostara Family Festival brings games, crafts, and a no-junk egg hunt. It’s $7 per kid, adults free, so supervise, reminisce, and leave with sweet memories, not plastic trinkets or a sugar crash. Sign up now.

🎪 Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque @ Tempe Center for the Arts | Saturday (3/14) at 7:30 PM – Ready to feel lazy in the best way. Cirque Kalabanté turns gravity optional with acrobatics, Afro-jazz, and Guinean dance, all pulsing with djembe and kora. It’s culture, community, and goosebumps, with costumes so vivid your closet files a complaint.

🐕 Treasure Box II Family Market @ Flatiron Community Park (Apache Junction) | Sunday (3/15) at 9:00 AM – Whether your dog thinks it’s a tiny torpedo or you’re just here for chili, Apache Junction’s hosting dachshund and corgi races, plus a vendor market, live music, and food trucks. Five bucks per heat or to taste and vote, benefiting The Barking Lot Dog Rescue.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

📻 East Valley report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 83°F – Low: 56°F – Precip: 0%

Sunny, with a high near 83. South southwest wind 0 to 5 mph. Later: Clear, with a low around 56. North northeast wind 0 to 5 mph.

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Tomorrow – High: 92°F – Low: 58°F – Precip: 0%

Sunny, with a high near 92. North wind 0 to 5 mph. Later: Clear, with a low around 58. North wind 0 to 5 mph.

This house is wild

The Farmer-Goodwin House, built in 1883, is a lovingly restored two-story adobe in Georgian Revival style. A symmetrical plan centers on a grand staircase, with lime-plastered walls and a hipped roof capped by ten flush dormers. On a half acre, it offers a studio and upstairs bedrooms plumbed for ensuite baths, with provenance tied to ASU and James C. Goodwin.

Take a peek inside →