Happy Friday, Glendale. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Glendale Brief serve up everything you need to know for the weekend ahead.

📰 In the news

Community answers reading challenge: Valley Leadership’s Leaders for Literacy places volunteers in classrooms so teachers can attend evidence-based training, now serving 11 schools as only 39% of Arizona third graders read at grade level — learn how the program works.

Fast track to construction careers: GCU and McCarthy launched a pre-apprentice construction program this fall featuring civil and mechanical/plumbing, with HVAC and concrete in 2026. The first class began Sept. 2, building a trades pipeline — get program details and timeline.

Rising costs, fewer builds: Metro Phoenix ranks No. 17 in a new affordable housing study. Builders authorized units averaging $242,315 in 2024, below the U.S. average, with 34% of new units being multifamily — see Phoenix’s construction value data.

Highlights this week

• Explore White Spider stories at Heard Museum
• Hear leaders map Phoenix’s energy future
• Run the Miles for Mentorship 5K
• Ride with IMRG for Folds of Honor
• Learn about Niwashi Dō apprenticeships

Local food truck serves up masterful BBQ

There’s a reason Big Brotha BBQ runs out of food before closing time. Word’s getting around about their 12-hour smoked brisket and fall-apart ribs that put the big chains to shame.

When you want real BBQ, you can only trust a pitmaster that’s putting their passion into the meal. That’s the spirit behind Big Brotha, and you can taste the difference in every bite.

Small batch cooking means when it’s gone, it’s gone.

Check out their menu and order ahead (or plan to show up early).

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Comedy capers take stage: Sun City Players are kicking off their 2025-26 season with Farce of Nature in November, a door-slamming Ozarks comedy full of mistaken identities. It’s directed by Ann Davis. Tickets are $15 in advance, or grab a $40 season pass for all three shows. See dates and ticket info.

Desert gardens rev up: Phoenix gardeners, fall is your prime time. As triple-digit heat fades, you can plant cool-season veggies and desert-friendly fruit trees starting mid-September. Most of the Valley won’t see frost until late November or December, but outlying suburbs can get it sooner, so keep frost cloth ready. See timing and frost advice.

Market: Fresh veggies, homemade jams, slightly too confident street musicians, and the joy of overbuying produce you swear you’ll cook with this week, Arrowhead Farmers Market is basically Saturday morning perfection.

Modern health: Willow is changing the weight management game with sustainable, flexible, and modern plans to help you feel your best. All their docs are board certified, and you get unlimited access to your physician (AKA… you’ll be in good hands). Take this 2-minute assessment to get started.

Learn something new: If you’ve always wanted to learn a new language, meet italki. They match you with native speakers for personalized lessons starting at just $5/hour. With 150+ languages to choose from and flexible scheduling, you won’t need to rearrange your life (or start a side hustle) to achieve fluency.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

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Today

🎧 Blueprint Vessel Tour with DJ Detox @ Trill | Friday (9/12) at 6:30pm – Blueprint Vessel is rolling into Trill Hip Hop Shop, backed by DJ Detox’s sly sets and more underground rhythm than your garage stash. It’s the kind of local night where you swap vinyl war stories, laugh about neighborhood legends, and feel oddly young again.

🎷 Michael Collins Trio feat. Mike Crotty: Jazz Silhouette – Dave Matthews @ The Nash | Friday (9/12) at 7:00pm – Whether you’ve been cranking “Crash” since college or only nodding along, this jazz ensemble at The Nash spins Dave Matthews’s catalog through piano, snappy sax, and a rhythm section that’s too cool to snooze. Michael Collins’s arrangements give your old favorites a fresh, soulful spin.

This weekend

🍅 Opening Day of Season 9 | Saturday (9/13) at 9:00am – Kick off Season Nine with farm-fresh veggies, killer pastries, and food trucks serving everything from tacos to charred pizza, all soundtracked by live tunes while kids get their masterpiece face paint. Come hungry, pretend you’ve got your life together.

🐶 Puppy Palooza @ Ammo AZ | Saturday (9/13) at 10:00am – Remember when weekends meant yard work? Ditch that dream for Puppy Palooza, where adoptable pups, gentle Danes, and sloppy kisses outnumber shrub trimming. Leave with puppy breath, a full heart, and no regrets about ignoring the lawn.

🚤 Lake Clean Up & Fun Dive @ Fireman’s Cove | Sunday (9/14) at 8:00am – Sunday morning at Fireman’s Cove means swapping your recliner for a paddle board, snorkel, or trash bag as Fins Up Scuba, OdySea Aquarium, and dive shops tackle Lake Pleasant’s mess. Scavenging other people’s soda cans never felt so rewarding, and prizes await the top haulers!

🎸 Celebrate Guitars @ Musical Instrument Museum | Sunday (9/14) at 9:00am – Think your guitar playlist is diverse? How about six-string magic from flamenco firecrackers to Brazilian batucada, all under one roof at MIM. Included with museum admission (members free), it’s a fretboard globe-trot with enough wizardry to make your air guitar jealous.

🌸 Inspirational Ikebana @ Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix | Sunday (9/14) at 9:00am – Tired of buying generic bouquets? Roll up to the Japanese Friendship Garden for al fresco Ikebana with master Ping Wei, who’ll demystify stem placement, floral symbolism, and all that zen balance, then send you home clutching your very own botanical masterpiece.

Next week

🃏 Reading Lenormand Cards @ The Astrology Store | Monday (9/15) at 6:30pm – Monday nights are for decoding secret messages in a deck of 36 Lenormand cards, not doom-scrolling through social media. Over four relaxed sessions, you’ll master spread techniques, quirks of each card, and shock your skeptical friends with actual insights. It’s like tarot’s wry cousin.

🐱 MIM Talks: Cats: Beyond Keyboard Cat and Mr. Mistoffelees @ Musical Instrument Museum | Tuesday (9/16) at 1:30pm – Scratch your cat-video marathon and scamper to MIM for a deep-dive into how lions, tigers, and even your tabby buddy have prowled their way into global musical traditions. Then breeze through the gallery tour to spot purrfectly musical feline art.

💉 Samia: The Bloodless Tour @ Crescent Ballroom | Tuesday (9/16) at 8:00pm – If you’re itching for raw vocals and clever songwriting, indie favorite Samia rolls into town with special guest Hank Heaven. GA’s under thirty bucks, cheaper than a fancy latte, or splurge on VIP to sneak in early, grab merch, swap quips, and hit an intimate Q&A.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 9/12 The Local Sound @ Monroe’s Bar – 4 pm
• 9/12 The Dickies and more @ The 44 Sports Grill – 8 pm
• 9/13 The Optimystics @ Westside Blues & Jazz – 7:30 pm
• 9/13 Wolff Pac @ Hooper’s Bar – 8 pm
• 9/14 Jontavious Willis @ Musical Instrument Museum – 7 pm
• 9/14 Sunny Day Real Estate @ The Van Buren – 8 pm
• 9/14 DJ Pootiecat @ Valley Bar – 9 pm
• 9/15 Michael Cleveland and more @ Musical Instrument Museum – 7 pm
• 9/15 Destin Conrad @ The Van Buren – 8 pm
• 9/16 Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Season 666 Tour @ The Van Buren – 8 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Glendale edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Lindsay L Kothe (My Home Group Real Estate)

Garage envy hits hard here, with a pull-through RV bay that has its own AC, epoxy-coated floors, 50-amp and water hookups, and even a dedicated dump. There’s a three-car garage for the daily drivers, a steel security door, RV gate, and a storage shed for all the extras. The backyard scores a custom pergola, basketball court, palm trees, and low-maintenance turf for year-round play.

Inside, espresso cabinets and quartz counters meet wide-plank tile and a kitchen island built for snack attacks. The primary closet connects straight to the laundry room, because who has time for extra steps? All tucked in a gated, pride-of-ownership community close to Westgate’s shopping and eats.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →