17th Annual Melrose Street Fair Set for March 2; Free Event Boasts Food Trucks, Huss Brewing, Live Entertainment, Classic Car Show, Kids’ Zone and More
(PHOENIX – January 21, 2019) – On Sat., March 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Seventh Avenue Merchants Association (SAMA) is proud to present the 17th Annual Melrose Street Fair. The event takes place throughout the entire Melrose District – which is located along 7th Avenue from Camelback to Indian School – and is expecting more than 25,000 guests. Open to the public and free to attend, the daylong event will feature more than 200 booths by local artisans and independent businesses; the “Melrose Patio” craft beer garden sponsored by Huss Brewing; a kid’s zone with face painting, video gaming truck, and more; and live entertainment with local bands.
Live entertainment for the event includes:
- 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. – the Phoenix Metropolitan Men’s Chorus, Phoenix Women’s Chorus and Voices of the Desert
- 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. – Josh West Trio, known for their appearance on NBC’s The Voice
- 1:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. – Haymarket Squares
- 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. – The Senators
The Melrose Street Fair will also boast a bevy of popular food trucks, each selling their most sought-after items, including:
- 2FG Grilled Cheese
- Circle R Farm
- Marcel Waffles Phoenix
- Costantino’s Italian
- The Lemongrass Shack
- Cactus Corn
- Pizza Arno
- Hummus Xpress
- Yatai Ramen
- Satay Hut
- Mustache Pretzels
- The Panini People
Back as a partner this year is also Chester’s Classic Car Show, a massive car show that promises more than 200 vintage automobiles, each of which will be displayed at the event. At 3:15 p.m. on the main stage, car show trophies will be presented as in year’s past as well.
Thanks to a grant SAMA earned for the event this year from the Arizona Recycling Coalition, it will also be a zero-waste event, meaning all materials used at the event – even the marketing materials being used to promote it in advance – are made from recycled materials and/or or completely compostable post-event.
Parking is free throughout the neighborhood and general vicinity, and there will be pedicabs available for guests who do not wish to hoof it all the way from their spots.
The 17th Annual Melrose Street Fair is made possible by generous donors including: Boxer Love Rescue; Huss Brewing Company; Sun Harvest Solar, Girl Scouts–Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, Washington Federal, Pioneer Title Agency, Echo Magazine, Clear Channel Outdoor and the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services.
For additional details, to sign up as a vendor or look into sponsorship or partnership, visit www.m7streetfair.com.
About The Melrose District: A History
Teeming with culture and bursting with flavors, the Melrose District – along 7th Avenue approximately from Camelback to Indian School Road in Phoenix – is home to some of Arizona’s top art galleries, restaurants, bars, clubs and independent small businesses. It’s a can’t-miss region of the Valley. It’s also can’t-miss – quite literally – thanks to the massive, iconic “Melrose Arch” that hangs across the road on 7th Avenue just north of Indian School Road.
Today’s bustling Melrose District is actually a result of a group of merchants in the area who joined together more than 20 years ago: the Seventh Avenue Merchants Association (SAMA).
Rewind to 1998, when that particular area of town was challenged with blight and crime. In an effort to fight back on behalf of the entire community, a group of local business owners – with the help of the City of Phoenix’s Fight Back program – partnered with Arizona State University’s School of Architecture and developed a master plan to revitalize the area.
At the onset, the group had to rely on funding solely from grants and assistance from neighborhoods nearby. Somehow, over the past 20-plus years, these “small businesses that could” have lifted up their community, as well as those around them. Their work has, in fact, earned the Melrose District worldwide attention and acclaim and now serves as a model to city leadership for the direction and focuses that the citizens of Phoenix desire.
