In This Issue: Now Open: FatCats Schnepf Farms Celebrates 80 Years Inside look at Queen Creek Botanical Gardens
Whether you’re brand new or have been here a few years, we want to help you discover all that our wonderful community has to offer. Visit us at ExploreQueenCreek.com for our latest digital magazine for a behind the scenes look at some of Queen Creek’s biggest attractions! And be sure to download our mobile app to find businesses, events and news around town. You can also stop by and see us at the Visitor Center located at the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce to get all kinds of ideas for summer activities and day trips! Recognized by the Arizona Republic as one of the fastest growing towns in the nation, and as one of the newest communities in Arizona, residents are seeing constant changes and improvements to the town. Roads, buildings and other amenities are being completed at a rapid pace and even more is planned as part of the Town’s 10 year, $149 million Capital Improvement Plan. Through innovative projects, partnerships and visionary planning, Queen Creek is situated to be a competitive location for new business, and is positioned for long-term sustainability. Queen Creek has earned recognition and awards on regional, state, and national levels, and it’s been named “One of America’s Friendliest Cities” by Forbes magazine. We hope you enjoy living here as much as we do!
Welcome
The Pork Shop is a second generation family from Queen Creek, Arizona, who opened their doors in 1979. The Pork Chop is a pork only butcher shop that sells hams, salamis, bacon, smoked meat, and sausages. Jason Corman from The Pork Shop says, "Pretty much anything that comes off a pig we got it." They make their own fresh sausages (about 40 varieties) every week and, if it's not sold in a week they put it in the freezer. They make smoked hams for the holidays, but they also have them in stock all year round, they have bone and boneless hams. Their hams are all made in-house, and hickory smoked and brown sugar cured. They do their own bacon and it is something they're very known for. They have about six different flavors of bacon. The bacon is hand rubbed and smoked for over eight hours. Everything comes from the Midwest, so it's all corn and grain fed pork. Jason says, "So it's the top of the line stuff." 3359 E Combs Rd, San Tan Valley, AZ 85140 Monday: Closed Tuesday: 8am - 5pm Wednesday: 8am - 7pm Thursday: 8am - 7pm Friday: 8am - 7pm Saturday: 8am - 5pm Sunday: 9am - 3pm
What's Inside: The Pork Shop
FatCats is a Family Fun Entertainment Center, headquartered in Lehi, Utah. With the completion of FatCats Queen Creek, there will be a total of nine FatCats locations in four states. Our commitment to the Town of Queen Creek is to be “better for having been at FatCats.” We expect those who work here to leave better individuals than when they started. We focus heavily on the development of the individual team member. We also hope that our guests feel better for having spent time with us. The FatCats mission statement is, “We Create Experiences that Bring You back” and our vision is that we create “All Out Fun” with each visit. FatCats chose to expand to the Town of Queen Creek because it is a great community that complements our FatCats values, not to mention the perfect spot for year-round fun. The Town of Queen Creek is growing quickly and FatCats wants to be a part of something truly special. Our new location is 61,000 square feet in size with 8 luxury theaters featuring first run films. One of our main attractions is Bowling. We have 20 lanes of bowling and all of our lanes are BPAA league certified. In the evening, the lanes are transformed into “Thunder Alley”, a high energy bowl-for-fun experience complete with a live DJ and game host. FatCats Queen Creek will also have a state-of-the-art arcade with over 50 games was built for all ages! Play games, earn tickets, and win prizes in our redemption center! If that wasn’t enough FatCats also includes a space themed glow in the dark mini golf as well as will have 3 bays of Virtual Reality where you can escape to a different reality! At FatCats Queen Creek we really pride ourselves on having a high-quality food that all guests will love. At the FatCats Grill you will be able to get handmade pizzas, gourmet burgers, sliders, salads, sandwiches and so much more! The best thing about the FatCats Grill is that all of the food can be ordered and delivered right to your theater seat! Make sure to Follow FatCats Queen Creek on Social Media and learn more by visiting our website www.fatcatsfun.com.
Now Open: FatCats
Healthcare expands
With all the growth Queen Creek is experiencing, it's important that the health care centers do the same. In this last year, both Banner Ironwood Medical Center and Banner Health Center have completed major expansions. Banner Ironwood Medical Center celebrated their 10 year anniversary in the community by opening the 4th and 5th floors of the hospital. The opening of these new floors added 36 more beds to the current 53 licensed patient beds, with a total of 89 inpatient beds. Included on these floors are the medical/surgical unit, Women and Infant Services and the Multi-Organizational Service Unit, which serves patients with a variety of illnesses and different treatment needs. "As local communities started to grow quickly, we knew that eventually we would have to add more space to the hospital," said Robert Gardner, CEO of Banner Ironwood. Banner Health Center completed a $9.2 million expansion project. It adds more than 19,000 square feet to the existing 21,719 complex, along with 30 new exam rooms. 21772 S Ellsworth Loop Rd, Queen Creek, AZ 85142 Serving the Queen Creek and San Tan Valley area are two Dignity Health Emergency Rooms at Arizona General Hospital, and one urgent care. One of the Dignity Health Emergency Rooms is located at 1419 W Hunt Hwy in San Tan Valley. The second is located on the North West corner of Power Rd and Germann Rd, 4760 E Germann Rd. Both of these centers provide emergency medicine, imaging and radiology, ultrasound, digital X-Ray, CT scans, surgical services, wound care, and an accredited laboratory. The Dignity Health Urgent Care is located at 7205 S Power Rd in Queen Creek open daily 9am - 8pm. Services include non-emergency illnesses and injuries, and allergic reactions.
The Schnepf Family is celebrating their 80th anniversary this year. And what better way than an amusement park! Mark and Carrie Schnepf partnered with Kastl Amusements for the carnival which features nearly 30 rides when combined with those that are on the farm year-round. Mark's grandfather bought the original 640 acres to farm in 1941. But it was Mark's parents, Ray and Thora Schnepf, who moved out to Queen Creek when the area was known as Rittenhouse. The farm started out as a cotton farm and Mark says that the "soil is wonderful thanks to the Queen Creek wash that runs through there" That makes the farm perfect for growing vegetables and fruit, in addition to cotton. They also grew potatoes which were stored in what's known as "the Big Red Barn". Today the Big Red Barn is one of the many fantastic and unusual entertainment venues on the farm. A perfect location for any large event! Schnepf Farms holds many family filled events throughout the year. Peach season begins in May, stay on the lookout for ways to order peaches. July - Hometown 4th of July fireworks show and festival October - Pumpkin and Chili Festival featuring hayrides, a corn maze, and a pumpkin patch! December - Holiday and Lights Festival with Illumination Lights. Catch the Illumination Express to go through the Christmas light spectacular, take a hayride to feed Santa's deer, enjoy snow globe mini golf, ice skating, Santa Claus Lane and more! Between events Schnepf Farms is open Thursday - Sunday for their U-Pick Garden from 9AM - 4PM. While you're there stop by the bakery for fresh baked goods, catch a train ride, and visit with the animals. 24810 S Rittenhouse Rd, Queen Creek
Schnepf Farms Celebrates 80 years
Schnepf Farms includes three unique wedding and event venues. The Farmhouse was built in the 1950s by Ray Schnepf, it is a 2,200 square foot family home right in the middle of Schnepf Farms. This is a rustic but elegant landscape that features lush green lawns, grapevine entwined gazebos, and large shaded trees. It also features an indoor grand ballroom. If you're looking for more of an industrial venue. Then the Big Red Barn is the perfect place! The barn was built in the early 1960s and used to store potatoes. It has since been converted to a ceremony and reception space featuring 30-foot ceilings with bistro lighting. The ceremony can take place in a gazebo in their peach orchard or in the Big Red Barn. The Meadow is tucked away on the farm among a 25-year old pine forest, which creates an enchanting atmosphere and is perfect for couples that are looking for a quiet and private nature wedding. Their packages include their own in- house catering . It's straight from the farm to the tables and prepared by owner Carrie Schnepf, also referred to as "Chef Schnepf". One of the awesome things about having a wedding at Schnepf Farms is you can incorporate it with other farm events! For instance, Bri Jarvis, Wedding Venue Manager, said, "One time we had a bride take her wedding photos on the Ferris wheel." Now how cool is that? So if you're looking for a unique venue, Schnepf Farms is currently booking weddings and events for 2022 and 2023.
2.6886 in
Weddings on the Farm
Queen Creek Botanical Gardens
The Queen Creek Botanical Gardens are being developed by a non-profit organization that wants to inspire and educate the community about elegant, edible plants. The gardens also showcase the future of sustainable food production in landscaping, and serve as a research facility Queen Creek has great soil, water and a rich agriculture history so it's a perfect location for this type of farming. The founders of the non-profit organization believe that eating healthier, non-processed food can greatly improve a person's health and the way people feel overall. Justin Rohner, the Executive Director, has an extensive history in Agriscaping technology which uses sustainable and regenerative principles to integrate edible plants into landscaping. Through it's research, the Queen Creek Botanical Gardens want to show that a small space could grow healthy food for the community and be able to feed everyone within 15 miles. The gardens will have a weekly produce subscription box that contains hand selected, premium choice vegetables, edible flowers and fruit. All the plants featured at the gardens are edible! They have themed demonstration gardens such as English, French, Japanese, and Italian, and plenty of information so you can learn how to create your own edible landscape at home, . The Queen Creek Botanical Gardens are home to the only fully operational industrial-age water mill in the American Southwest. The second story mill-works are powered by the waterwheel and a restored 1886 stone gristmill. Other water features include their lake which is a regenerative aquatic ecosystem and home to catfish, largemouth bass, black crappie, and more! Have an interest in getting an agriscaping certification? There are certifications for all levels and types, including the DIY Mastery, Educator, Designer and Contractor. Head over to the Queen Creek Botanical Gardens website for more information! Perhaps you're looking to host an event. The pecan trees give the gardens a feeling of strength and stability that makes it a perfect place for a wedding or corporate event. The gardens are at the beginning stages of development and in the future there will be reception center, restaurants and state of the art conservatory. Queen Creek Botanical Garden sits on 10 acres off Riggs Rd and Ellsworth Rd. They are open Tuesdays - Saturdays from 9am - 4pm. You can visit QCgardens.org to sign up for a tour or purchase a general admission ticket. 25002 S 206th St, Queen Creek, AZ