There’s a first for everything and that includes First Friday.

Curious as to what this is? Well, the name says it all. On the first Friday of each month, Roosevelt Row shuts down for the evening and becomes a mecca for the bizarre, eccentric, and down right strange. Everywhere you turn, there’s either a musician, an artist, or a food vendor. If you’re lucky, you might come across an individual offering all three. I’m talking to you, you banjo playing, “abstract” painting, churro selling crazy man.

Anyway, a few weekends back, Andrew and I made our way into Midtown so we could finally check this scene out. Uh, best decision ever! Block after block, there was something fascinating to watch. Whether it was a sculpture being made completely out of recycled cans or a ballerina twirling while being covered in neon paint, the two of us could not peel our eyes away. I mean, if anything, go for the people watching. It is top notch quality, let me tell you.

This little corner of Phoenix lights up on those select nights, but even during the day there’s something about it that pulls you in. Maybe it’s the hole in the wall places you missed as you were being shuffled around in a sea of spectators or perhaps it’s soaking in the calm before the storm, knowing that chaos is about to ensue in just a few short weeks. Whatever the case may be, make this outing your first and certainly not your last.