Welcome to Queen Creek!
An Old Community Is “Discovered”

by Rustyn Sherer

Located near the intersection of Ellsworth and Ocotillo roads, the Town of Queen Creek is one of Arizona’s best-kept secrets. Most well known for its farming heritage and rural lifestyle, generations of families have called Queen Creek home long before Arizona’s statehood in 1912. Only in recent years has the town been “discovered” by new businesses and residents.

Queen Creek is a growing community in the east Valley. Officially incorporated in 1989, today it boasts a population of nearly 24,000.

New interest and growth have brought significant development changes and challenges to Queen Creek since the mid-1990s. Along with an explosion in residential housing development and population growth, the town has seen a boom in everything from major transportation projects such as Ellsworth Loop Road to infrastructure improvements such as sewer and gas. Town services and activity offerings have also multiplied.

Most notable for many town residents, however, is the understanding that significant growth hasn’t come at the expense of a rural community atmosphere. The direction as well as the character of Queen Creek has remained balanced—a friendly, courteous, compassionate community focused on common decency with an accepted appreciation for new businesses and the positive economic impacts they make.

The Town of Queen Creek truly is a wonderful community in which to work, play and reside. Visit soon and experience Queen Creek for yourself.

Rustyn Sherer is President and Executive Director of the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce.

Queen Creek Business Connection

Airport Access & University Education
• Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport—formerly Williams Air Force Base and now a designated Foreign Trade Zone—is a fully functioning regional airport with service from Allegiant Airlines to multiple destinations and equipment manufacturers/service centers such as Embraer and Cessna. The property is also home to Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus. For more information, visit phxmesagateway.org or poly.asu.edu.

Business Services
• For those interested in opening up shop in Queen Creek or in doing business with the town, the best resources for information and help are the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce and the Queen Creek Economic Development Department. Both will welcome you to town and will help you find information about the area and local businesses, provide guidance on starting or expanding a business in Queen Creek, or connect you with other individuals who can assist you. For more information, visit queencreekchamber.org or queencreek.org.

Restaurants and Shopping
• Longstanding establishments such as Queen Creek Café, Rudy’s Restaurant and Russ’ True Value Hardware still serve the town along with several new retail developments and restaurants in Queen Creek. With major developers Vestar and Westcor investing in the community, residents have even more choices for products and services.

Area Fun and Entertainment

Unique Experiences
• While there are many sites and activities unique to Queen Creek, Schnepf Farms and the Queen Creek Olive Mill are two of the best known. At Schnepf Farms, recognized as an “Arizona treasure” by Governor Napolitano, you can experience seasonal activities such as pumpkin and peach picking; and other events year-round. The town’s July 4th fireworks display and the musical concert “Edgefest” are other favorite events.

Across from Schnepf Farms is the Queen Creek Olive Mill, a working olive farm that offers regular wine-tastings in the fall along with an organic food menu and many olive products. For more information, visit schnepffarms.com and queencreekolivemill.com.

Parks & Recreation
• Located a few miles south of Town Hall are the San Tan Mountain Regional Park and the brand new Horseshoe Park and Equestrian Centre (HPEC). The 10,000-acre San Tan Park is a favorite among both hikers and stargazers, with elevation ranging from 1,400 to 2,500 feet.

Queen Creek’s HPEC, slated to open in January 2009, will be one of the most differentiating attractions for the town compared with surrounding communities. Equestrian-oriented events such as rodeos are expected to be popular at the facility, however, the HPEC will likely host a wide range on non-equestrian events. For more information, visit maricopa.gov/parks/santan and queencreek.org.

Arts, Culture & History
• In and around the Town of Queen Creek are a few hidden gems most find a pleasant surprise. The Queen Creek Performing Arts Center (QCPAC), San Tan Art Gallery and San Tan Historical Museum are three that warrant attention. Dubbed the best-kept “performing arts secret” in Arizona, the QCPAC is a splendid theater seating over 400 and hosting local and national shows year-round.

The San Tan Art Gallery showcases talent from a variety of artistic mediums throughout the year. Housed in Queen Creek’s first school (Old Main), The San Tan Historical Museum is a great place to peruse artifacts, manuscripts and a variety of elements of Queen Creek’s past. For more information, visit qcpac.com and queencreek.org.

New to Town
• New growth has spurred the need for new services and offerings in town. Queen Creek will open a state-of-the-art library by year’s end and will welcome a new, vastly expanded U.S. Post Office soon. In addition, the town is planning its first Farmer’s Market in November hoping to highlight locally grown food. Other facilities Queen Creek has longed for are coming soon also, such as the Barney Athletic Complex. For more information, visit queencreek.org, usps.com and thebfsc.com.