Roosevelt Row faces reckoning over First Friday
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A street performer at First Friday on Roosevelt Row in 2005, what many consider the "golden age" of the arts district. Photo: Bryan Chan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
May's First Friday art walk on Roosevelt Row will look different after organizers scrapped the vendor market and street closures, citing a string of "ugly" and violent incidents.
Why it matters: It's a moment of reckoning for Roosevelt Row — a once-scrappy arts district that many locals say has lost its authenticity amid downtown Phoenix's rapid growth.
The intrigue: "The art became window dressing … for a bar district" said John Logan, a longtime downtown Phoenix advocate and the owner of Carly's Bistro on Roosevelt, which closed in 2024 after 20 years.
- Artists, musicians and promoters we spoke to echoed Logan's sentiment, noting that the arrival of luxury apartments and upscale bars and restaurants crushed the district's soul — in large part because working-class artists can't afford to live there anymore.
The latest: Changes to Roosevelt's First Friday event will only impact the street fair portion. Other activities, like gallery openings and restaurant specials, will remain, per organizers.
Catch up quick: First Fridays began in the mid-'90s, by artists who'd moved into a largely abandoned downtown in search of cheap space and creative community.
- It was an organic, loosely organized affair that re-invigorated central Phoenix, said one of the event's founding artists, Pete Petrisko.
As it gained popularity, Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation (CDC) was formed to promote what was renamed "Roosevelt Row."
- The CDC grew the event to what it is now, attracting 20,000-plus attendees each month.
Yes, but: Critics say it's morphed into a party scene.
- A sprawling vendor market took over the streets post pandemic in what Petrisko dubbed a "manufactured spectacle" that pulled attention away from the handful of remaining art galleries on Roosevelt.
- Violence in recent months, including shootings, prompted organizers to eliminate that element altogether.
Zoom in: CDC board member and longtime Roosevelt business owner Cindy Dach told us the goal of the street closures was to attract a critical mass of people to support Roosevelt's galleries, restaurants and other businesses, but over time it's created an environment that distracts from them.
- She said the CDC is actively hosting listening sessions with stakeholders to determine how to return to the event's artistic roots.
Friction point: Several creatives we spoke to, including event promoter Briannin Gross, said First Friday needs to be reclaimed by autonomous artists.
- They recalled their experience at the event in the aughts: Firebreathers, people on stilts and street performers chaotically co-existing outside of independent galleries and music venues.
- "I don't see why we can't get back to there," Gross said.
Zoom out: While Roosevelt Row has become the most popular spot to visit on First Friday, it's just one of many areas in central Phoenix that participate in the monthly arts celebration.
- Historic Grand Avenue and the Warehouse District have long been artistic hubs popular on First Fridays, and the Melrose District is beginning to attract larger crowds, Petrisko told us.
The bottom line: "First Fridays is not dying any time soon," he said.