Mesa is getting a full-blown holiday plot twist for the entire month of July, and honestly, Arizona could use it.
Organ Stop Pizza is bringing back its annual Christmas in July food drive from July 1 through July 31, turning triple-digit season into tinsel season while supporting United Food Bank. Guests who bring at least three approved non-perishable food items or make a $3 cash donation will receive 10% off their pre-tax kitchen total that evening.
Translation: do a good thing, eat the pizza, hear the Mighty Wurlitzer, and pretend the sidewalk is not actively trying to melt your shoes.
The Mesa classic is going all-in on holiday cheer, with festive decor, nightly giveaways, and two lucky guests each evening winning a free stocking of Organ Stop Pizza goodies. Santa and Mrs. Claus are also scheduled to visit every Saturday and Sunday in July, though schedules may change.
The cause behind the Christmas-in-summer spectacle is very real. Summer can be one of the hardest seasons for Arizona families. Kids are out of school, grocery needs rise, electric bills climb, and many households are left making impossible choices between paying bills and putting food on the table.
That is where United Food Bank comes in. The annual drive helps stock shelves so meals can reach children, senior citizens, parents, and families across the East Valley who are working through food insecurity during one of the most expensive and unforgiving times of year.
“When you drop off donations for this food drive in July, you will be able to step out of the triple-digit temps into the spirit of the holidays,” says OSP Manager Linda Guthrie. “Our staff always looks forward to this special month where we deck the Mighty Wurlitzer and walls with a Christmas feel. Jingle all the way to OSP in Mesa and help a worthy cause!”
And because this is Organ Stop Pizza, the whole thing comes with a side of spectacle. The Valley institution has been serving Arizona since 1972 and has built its legacy around the kind of theatrical pipe-organ experience that feels less like dinner and more like a wonderfully unhinged community ritual.
The Mighty Wurlitzer still takes center stage, surrounded by pizza, pasta, salad, dancing cat puppets, disco balls, bubbles, and a songbook that can swing from classical music to Disney favorites to pop and rock hits without asking permission. Organ Stop Pizza attracts hundreds of thousands of patrons each year and is one of only two “pizza and pipes” concepts left in the U.S.
Most needed donation items include cash, peanut butter, canned meat, canned fruit and vegetables, whole grain low-sugar cereal, soup, stews, chili, beans, canned or dried milk, rice, and pasta. Guests should skip glass jars, baby food, and opened food.
Organ Stop Pizza is located at 1149 East Southern Avenue in Mesa, at the southwest corner of Southern and Stapley. Bring the cans, grab the discount, let the organ do its thing, and call it Christmas with better air conditioning.
Insider Takeaways
- Organ Stop Pizza’s Christmas in July food drive runs July 1 through July 31 in Mesa.
- Guests who donate at least three approved non-perishable food items or $3 cash receive 10% off their pre-tax kitchen total that evening.
- The drive benefits United Food Bank and helps provide meals to children, senior citizens, parents, and families across the East Valley.
- Two guests each evening will win a free stocking of Organ Stop Pizza goodies.
- Santa and Mrs. Claus are scheduled to visit Saturdays and Sundays in July, with schedules subject to change.
- Most needed items include peanut butter, canned meat, canned produce, cereal, soup, canned or dried milk, rice, and pasta, with no glass jars, baby food, or opened food accepted.
To learn more, visit organstoppizza.com.
