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Republic dining reporter focuses on ‘life’s little pleasures’<\/p>\n
Bahar Anooshahr reports on dining in the Phoenix area. Subscribe to azcentral.com, and she’ll introduce you to the best restaurants and bars in town.<\/p>\n
The Republic<\/p>\n
With the Fourth of July 2025 falling on a Friday, many people will get to enjoy a three-day weekend. After a big day filled with hot dogs, fireworks and fun, there will be two more days to fill with adventures.<\/p>\n
You’ve got a lot of choices in metro Phoenix and beyond. If you’re staying in town, you can take a leisurely float down the Salt River, go to a concert or try a new-to-you restaurant.<\/p>\n
If you’re up for a road trip, there are lots of beaches<\/a> and gorgeous lakes in Arizona, not to mention new things to do in Flagstaff<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here are 10 ways to have a classic Fourth of July weekend in Arizona. And just in case you need more ideas for summer fun, here are 100 things to do when it’s 100 degrees<\/a> in Phoenix.<\/p>\n 1. Best Fourth of July fireworks shows in metro Phoenix<\/p>\n It’s not the Fourth of July without a glittering fireworks display. From Westgate in Glendale to Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix to Tempe Town Lake to Apache Junction, we’ve rounded up every place to see the fireworks in metro Phoenix<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2. Take a Fourth of July Arizona road trip<\/p>\n If you want to get out of the heat for the long weekend, hit the road. Flagstaff has a huge nighttime Fourth of July drone show planned, and Prescott presents the World’s Oldest Rodeo with fireworks and a parade. Here are Fourth of July 2025 events around Arizona<\/a>.<\/p>\n 3. Go Salt River Tubing<\/p>\n Pack the cooler and bring plenty of sunscreen for a lazy float down the scenic Salt River to celebrate July 4th weekend. It’s been a beloved summer tradition since the late 1970s<\/a>. Here’s everything you need to know about Salt River Tubing<\/a>. Pro tip: Make a reservation; holiday weekends are busy.<\/p>\n 4. Eat where the celebrities go in Phoenix<\/p>\n While you’d expect celebrities rolling through Phoenix to eat at high-end restaurants and bars, it turns out that many of them prefer checking out our hidden gems.<\/p>\n Check out where Post Malone<\/a>, Elijah Wood<\/a>, Gordon Ramsey<\/a> and Guy Fieri<\/a> went while they were in town.<\/p>\n See why Phoenix chef Yotaka Martin<\/a> won Best Chef – Southwest<\/a> in the 2025 James Beard Awards by eating at Lom Wong restaurant on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. She and her husband Alex Martin built the business from its start as an intimate dinner party<\/a> in their Scottsdale home.<\/p>\n 5. Catch a concert \u2014 or two<\/p>\n Fourth of July weekend has some fun options for music fans, with Beartooth and I Prevail bringing their Summer of Loud Tour to town on Tuesday, July 1, and Kesha and Scissor Sisters are making an appearance Sunday, July 6. In between those are The Driver Era, The English Beat and San Pacho.<\/p>\n Here’s our guide to the best concerts coming to Phoenix in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n 6. Take an easy day trip from Phoenix<\/p>\n If you have an itch to go somewhere on the spur of the moment, check out our guide to the best Arizona day trips from Phoenix<\/a>. No packing, no hotel bill and you won’t spend a ton of money on gas.<\/p>\n 7. Check out The Republic’s 100 Essential Restaurants<\/p>\n Every year the Features team at The Arizona Republic puts together a master list of restaurants we think best represent the breadth and depth of the metro Phoenix dining scene. Whether your tastes run to barbecue, brunch or authentic Ethiopian food, you’ll find something delicious on our 100 essential restaurants list<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bonus ranking: If you’re looking for the best pizza in metro Phoenix, this gem was voted Arizona Republic readers’ favorite pizza<\/a>, beating out 24 competitors.<\/p>\n 8. Go jump in a lake<\/p>\n Nothing beats a fun day boating or swimming in one of Arizona’s many lakes. Here’s a guide to all the lakes where you can swim at in Arizona<\/a>, from Lake Havasu to Saguaro Lake to Patagonia Lake.<\/p>\n 9. Dive into a Phoenix hotel pool or water park<\/p>\n Not everyone likes swimming with the fishes and if you fall into that category then you might want to check out these resort pools that offer day passes<\/a>. To help you decide, here’s a guide to the best hotels and resorts with water parks<\/a> in metro Phoenix.<\/p>\n 10. Take the kids to a splash pad or a new water park<\/p>\n There are dozens of splash pads at parks and shopping centers<\/a> throughout metro Phoenix, so we’ve rounded up 10 of the best for you.<\/p>\n For a full-on water park experience for the whole family. try the the sprawling new Rescue Oasis Park, Soak Station 309 and Oasis Swim Center in Surprise. Here’s a handy guide to everything you can do there<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meredith G. White covers entertainment, art and culture for The Arizona Republic and\u00a0azcentral.com<\/a>.\u00a0She writes the latest news about video games, television and best things to do in metro Phoenix.<\/p>\n