The Rinq, Goodyear's free synthetic ice rink, will set up for the holidays at 1900 N. Civic Square. First Watch's GSQ directory listing gives the same address. So a family can skate and then sit down to eat at one address, and that shows how much downtown Goodyear has filled in. GSQ is the 150-acre mixed-use development growing around Goodyear Civic Square. Its developers describe it as a future mix of dining, retail, entertainment, residential, hotel and office uses surrounding the park.
This November and December, the city's events on the Square and the restaurants at GSQ fill one walkable downtown. Park once and the evening can carry on from there.
What's already open around the Square
The GSQ directory from RED Development lists a good-sized group of open businesses. They cluster in three spots, which helps when you're planning around an event.
Along North Globe Drive. Bacchus Wine Bar and Copper & Sage both list 1975 N. Globe Drive. High Tide Seafood Bar & Grill is at 1844 N. Globe Drive, and F45 Training is at 2015 N. Globe Drive.
On the Civic Square side. First Watch is at 1900 N. Civic Square. Classic & Fancy Nails Spa lists North Civic Square.
Fronting McDowell Road. Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen and Dave's Hot Chicken share 15030 W. McDowell Road. BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse is at 14950 W. McDowell Road and is listed as open during construction. The newest arrival on this stretch is Firebirds Wood Fired Grill at 14848 W. McDowell Road, next to Trader Joe's. A September 10, 2026 release from RED Development said Firebirds had opened earlier that week. The restaurant is known for hand-cut steaks and seafood seared over locally sourced wood.
The directory also marks these as open: Harkins Estrella Falls, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, Over Easy, Shake Shack, Spitz Mediterranean Street Food, The Stillery, The Yard and Trader Joe's. The city's Civic Square page lists Banner Health among the businesses open at GSQ as well.
You have a lot of choice here. The first skate session of the evening starts at 5 p.m., which leaves time for an early dinner on Globe Drive afterward. A later skate pairs well with dessert at The Yard.
The calendar on the Square, November through December
The city's special events page lists 2026 dates for the season. Most of them happen at Goodyear Civic Square itself.
| Date | Event | Time | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 2–7 | Veterans Week: Run. Remember. Celebrate. | Week-long | Goodyear Civic Square and City Hall |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Veterans Day Tribute | 4–7 p.m. | Goodyear Civic Square |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Chalk Art in the Park | 9 a.m.–2 p.m. | Goodyear Recreation Campus |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Holidays on the Square: Yule Y'all | 5–8 p.m. | Goodyear Civic Square |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | Holidays on the Square: Jingle Jam | 5–8 p.m. | Goodyear Civic Square |
| Dec. 4–Jan. 3 | The Rinq | 5–9 p.m. on operating days | 1900 N. Civic Square |
Veterans Week starts with the Tribute Flag Garden, Patriotic Art Murals and Banners of Brave at Goodyear City Hall. Next comes the West Valley Veterans Day Ceremony and 5K/1-mile Run/Walk, held in partnership with Estrella Mountain Community College. The week wraps up with the Veterans Day Tribute festival on Saturday, November 7. Details and registration for the run are on the city's Veterans Day Tribute page.
Chalk Art in the Park is the one event on the list that isn't at Civic Square. It's sponsored by APS at Goodyear Recreation Campus, with art stations open to community members and professional artists, a live DJ and food trucks.
Holidays on the Square has a different theme each Friday. Yule Y'all on December 4 brings country-inspired entertainment with a Western flair. Jingle Jam on December 11 is a sing-and-dance-along night of holiday music. December 4 is also opening day for The Rinq, so that Friday is the busiest night of the season on the Square.
Before you skate at The Rinq
The city's listing has the details, and a few of them are worth knowing before you go.
- Admission is free for residents and non-residents alike, and skates are provided at no charge.
- Skate sizes run from Toddler 7 and Youth 8 up to adult 15.
- Bring socks to wear while skating.
- No preregistration is needed. Drop in and complete The Rinq waiver before you step on.
- Sessions last 30 minutes and start at 5, 6, 7 and 8 p.m. Spots are first-come, first-served.
- In December, regular sessions run Fridays through Sundays starting December 5, except holidays. The January dates are Saturday, January 2, and Sunday, January 3.
- Free parking is in the North Civic Square Parking Garage. During events, extra parking opens in the special event lot north of the library.
Sessions start on the hour, so dinner reservations are easy to plan around. A 6:00 skate ends at 6:30, which leaves time for a 7:00 table at High Tide or Copper & Sage without moving the car.
Expected before the year ends
Three more places are on track to join the list this season. The City of Goodyear's September 10 announcement said Firebirds, Magdaleña and Flower Child were all set to open at GSQ before the end of the year. With Firebirds now serving, two are still to come.
- Magdaleña is a new restaurant from the team behind Pa'la. It blends Latin American flavors with live-fire cooking in a 2,462-square-foot space between High Tide and Over Easy. RED Development's release gives a "this fall/winter" opening window. That window replaces an earlier late-May target from an April city release.
- Flower Child is the fast-casual restaurant from Fox Restaurant Concepts, serving made-from-scratch bowls, wraps and salads. It's expected to open near the future Postino site by year-end.
- V's Barber Shop started in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood in 1999. It was scheduled to open in October 2026 on the north side of GSQ, next to Spitz and The Yard.
As of the latest directory snapshot, all three were still marked "Coming Soon." So check before you head over for any of them. Paris Baguette and Zara Nail Bar were expected by the end of 2026, according to ABC15's April report. They're also still listed as coming soon.
The 2027 lineup came from a resident survey
The list of signings for next year traces back to what Goodyear residents asked for. In the city's announcement, Mike Ebert, managing partner of RED Development, said: "Last year, the City of Goodyear surveyed residents on the retailers and restaurants they most wanted to see, and Sephora, Postino, Flower Child and Spinato's Pizzeria all ranked in the top 10."
Flower Child is due this year, and the other three are coming in 2027. Here's where the September release places each new arrival:
- Sephora and J.Crew Factory Outlet, side by side in 2027.
- Lovesac, between Cava and California Fish Grill in spring 2027.
- Postino, the all-day restaurant and wine bar, in 2027.
- Miel de Agave, a Mexican fusion restaurant along Goodyear Way near Fogo de Chão, in spring 2027. It will be the restaurant's fourth Valley location, after Scottsdale, downtown Phoenix and Chandler.
- Spinato's Pizzeria, family-owned since 1974, across from the south parking garage. This will be its farthest West Valley location.
- Qdoba and Petfolk, a veterinary care network for dogs and cats, next to each other near the south parking garage.
- Berry Divine Acai Bowls, on the Civic Square side. An earlier report had it on a fall 2026 schedule, and the September release moved it into 2027.
Lauren Bailey, CEO and co-founder of Upward Projects, the company behind Postino, was quoted in the city's announcement: "We've felt the love from our West Valley fans for a long time, so bringing Postino to Goodyear feels really special." The directory still lists Nordstrom Rack, CAVA, Handel's Ice Cream, Fogo de Chão, California Fish Grill and Reformed Pilates as coming soon, with no firm dates yet. Next year's holiday season on the Square will likely have even more choices nearby than this one does.
Julie and Mark of Homes by Helms keep a close eye on what's opening around the West Valley, from new tables at GSQ to free nights on the Square. If you'd like to talk over what's changing near your part of Goodyear, or want a local contact for anything home-related, we'd be glad to hear from you. Contact Us.
