West Phoenix shopping mall, Christown Spectrum Shopping Center, is celebrating 55 years, and to celebrate, there is a free and family-friendly “Feeling Groovy” party.
There will be music and fashion from the 1960s and more on Saturday, Sept. 24 from noon to 3 p.m. at Christown, 1703 W. Bethany Home Rd.
The event will include:
- Live ‘60s Music by The RAVE
- Psychedelic Pixel Painting
- “Far Out” Arts & Crafts
- FREE Photos
- Hula Hoop Contest
- Kids Crafts
- FREE Birthday Cake
- Enter-to-Win One of Three “Outta Sight” Prizes
- Balloon twisting class, face painters, faux tattoos and much more
Christown Spectrum was named after Chris Harri, a Swiss farmer who moved to the Valley in 1904. Harri, a local legend who died in 1971, owned and farmed 360 acres in what is now north central Phoenix, including the site where the mall now sits.
In the mid 1950s, Harri sold a large portion of his land to a developer. In 1961, the Christown Spectrum opened with much fanfare at North 19th Avenue and West Bethany Home Road.
It was Arizona’s first air conditioned, enclosed mall. At the time, it also was the largest mall between Los Angeles and Houston.
In 2001, the center’s previous owner changed the name to Phoenix Spectrum Mall to reflect its “spectrum” of shopping choices. The new name was never fully received by the established community.
In June of 2007, the name was changed to Christown Spectrum incorporating both names to reflect its history and wide range of shopping and dining selections.
