Tempe honors 17 neighbors at lively Saturday celebration

Congratulate your neighborhood award winners! Last Saturday, more than 300 community members bonded over games, live music and fun in Kiwanis Park as part of the third annual Neighborhood Celebration. Seventeen amazing neighbors, community members and local businesses were awarded for being great neighbors, impacting Tempe's arts and culture, contributing to sustainability and resilience, conserving water and more.

Tempe would like to congratulate award winners for their impactful contributions to their community and thank the Neighborhood Advisory Commission for another successful neighborhood party.

2024 Neighborhood Awards winners and honorable mentions

• Neighborhood Awards winners: Broadmor Bike Bus, Cranksgiving, Oasis Lake, Elie Merheb, Lane Carraway, Jeff Caslake, Sid Frede and Tempe Preparatory Academy National Honor Society club.

• Arts and Culture Award winners: Tony Duncan, Darlene Justus, Tempe Artists Guild, Farmer Wilson and Kim DeMeritt.

• Sustainability Achievement of the Year: Ana Aguilar.

• Water Wise Landscape of the Year: Steve Bannochie.

• Historic Preservation award: Tempe Historic Preservation Foundation.

• The Dolores Huerta Scholarship was presented to Emma Ellexson.

Saturday morning was spent drinking Brick Road Coffee, eating breakfast tacos from Rusty Taco, listening to live music by local band Bohemian Insurgence, donating to local nonprofit Threadz, playing yard games and more.

Attendees shopped at small business vendors on site, including: Uplighten Life, Voyce Threads, and MapStand.

"The Tempe Neighborhood Celebration embodies what we should try and accomplish in our individual neighborhood," Neighborhood Advisory Commission Chair Joel Stern said. "When we come together to celebrate our neighbors in harmony accompanied by food, music, and friendship, neighborhoods can create a strong and thriving community."