Tempe 150 Sesquicentennial Celebration! 

Tempe turned 150 in 2021 and we celebrated with a festival at Tempe Beach Park. The festival event featured two stages of free entertainment, including Tempe favorites The Meat Puppets, and other local bands. Watch some of the performances on the Tempe Favorites stage on our Facebook Video channel in two parts: the first part here with Hans Olson and Sandra Bassett. And here for Walt Richardson, Sugar Thieves, Banana Gun, and the Meat Puppets! (external links). We met Native American artisans and local craft-makers and vendors. Items from a time capsule buried 25 years ago were revealed. Plus, community and history displays, a bouncy house area, and a "field of dreams" where baseball fans can hit and pitch rounded out the celebration. S

Many activities happened over the course of the year to commemorate Tempe's pioneer founding in 1871. Tempe History Museum featured exhibitions; Tempe History Society honored local "Legends"; the Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation hosted a tour at Double Butte Cemetery and other organizations are joining in to highlight Tempe's fascinating past and present.  

^{Tempe's Mayor and Councilmembers share stories about Tempe's history}

Past Events from the 2021 Sesquicentennial Celebration

Tales from Double Butte
A cemetery tour highlighting people from Tempe's past. 
Hosted by Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation.

Tempe 150 Exhibition Opening
Featured exhibition: Tempe 150.

Tempe "Legends" Gala Reception
Hosted by Tempe History Society

Tempe Adobe Bus Tour
Former Mayor Hugh Hallman led a fascinating tour of several iconic sites in Tempe.
Hosted by Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation.

Tempe 150 Sesquicentennial Celebration!
Free community festival with two stages of live music, including special guests The Meat Puppets. Plus hands-on activities, "Made In Tempe" vendors, food, artisans and artists, and fun for all ages.
Hosted by the City of Tempe, Tempe History Society, Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation with participants and partners.

Exhibits and Activities
Tempe 150 Perspectives
Tempe History Museum invited local community partners to help create an exhibit marking Tempe’s 150-year history by describing their most important milestone, important event or unique happening, to capture what Tempe means for them. Currently on view in the museum lobby and online. 
Tempe 150 Perspectives exhibit.


Scavenger Hunt 150
Celebrate Tempe's Sesquicentennial with a monthly scavenger hunt throughout the city! Clues helped guide participants to various canisters from a starting location. Each container had photos and facts about Tempe - upping the fun factor. Scavenger Hunt 150 page.



Tempe History Society "Legends" Stories
THS featured local Tempe "Legends" each month throughout 2021 in it's "Stories of Tempe" blog. A gala reception to honored the Legends at Tempe History Museum. 

Visit Tempe History Society's Stories of Tempe blog.


Color Your Community
Free coloring pages featuring City of Tempe landmarks. Collect all six in honor of Tempe’s 150th anniversary. Visit our Color Your Community page to download each sheet and print them to your home printer.

Connected Tempe 
Genealogists and volunteers are building an interactive, multicultural, online Tempe Family Tree as a Sesquicentennial activity. Oral history interview sessions are posted on the Connected Tempe YouTube channel. To find out more about this project visit Connected Tempe on Facebook or Instagram.

How It All Started

In 1869, Charles Trumbull Hayden scaled a butte on the shores of the Rio Salado as he passed through the area. From his elevated position, he could envision the farming potential the irrigable land offered. By 1871, Hayden was working to bring water to a prospective mill at the base of the butte, as well as constructing a store and living quarters -- thereby establishing the settlement known today as Tempe.  More than 150 years later, Tempe has grown into a thriving metropolis of nearly 200,000 residents – making it the eighth-largest city in Arizona. Tempe’s original 1.8 square miles has ballooned to just over 40.

Happy 150, Tempe!

Organizations that participated in the Sesquicentennial

Many community organizations participated in Tempe 150 by offering events, promotions, perspectives and activities. Only a handful are listed here. .

Tempe History Society celebrated “Legends” of Tempe. 

Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation is planned tours around town.

Tempe Sister Cities celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2021. They will be celebrating 50+1 with an exhibit and activities in 2022 as part of that milestone. 

Tempe History Museum's featured exhibit, Tempe 150, and a panel exhibit of various community members perspectives on the past - either their own or the community's - is available by request for display in public places. To request the pop-up exhibit at your event or location, contact the museum. 

Partners

Tempe History Society Tempe History Society was incorporated in 1969 as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization devoted to the preservation of local community history. Since that time the Society has taken a leadership role in preserving Tempe’s community history. Today the Society presents programs and events, and continues to support the Tempe History Museum and the community of Tempe. Visit tempehistory.org. 

Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation
Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation (THPF) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 volunteer organization committed to the preservation of Tempe's heritage structures and historic sites.

Visit tempehistoricpreservationfoundation.info

Tempe Sister Cities
Tempe Sister Cities mission is to provide person to person citizen diplomacy through cultural, educational and professional exchange programs, to develop global leaders and promote mutual respect and friendships for the city of Tempe and our Sister Cities. Visit tempesistercities.org.

Shop Tempe 150 

Get your own piece of Tempe (150) history at Tempe History Society's online store. Unique Tempe and sesquicentennial-themed merchandise make the perfect gifts or personal splurge. All proceeds support the sesquicentennial and the society (a 501c3 non-profit). Find all Tempe 150 merch at tempehistory.org/shop or stop by the museum (809 E Southern Ave) to purchase items in person. 

Label Pin

Tempe Tie

Challenge Coin

Resources

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