Mesa Arts Center and Other Places for Holiday Lights in Mesa, Arizona

The Mesa Arts Center is the place to be this holiday season in Mesa, Arizona. The Thanksgiving and Christmas season is celebrated with festivals, plays and musicals and unique and amazing lighted decorations and events within short drives of Phoenix, Arizona.

The Mesa Arts Center

November 17, A Holiday Art & Music Festival
Location: Shadow Walk
Time: 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m

A Holiday Art & Music Festival will feature music, food, gifts and local arts as well as holiday decorations and gifts at over 30 booths. Local and national artist will display and sell blown glass, artwork, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, paintings, prints and more. In addition, the entire family can learn how these one of a kind creations are made as Mesa Arts Center instructors and artists, who will be demonstrating techniques in glass blowing, ceramics, and blacksmithing. Face painting is available for the children and the Petco Mobile Pet Adoption bus will be visiting. All guests will receive free admission to Mesa Contemporary Arts- the five visual arts galleries at Mesa Arts Center. .

Following the festival, Queen Latifah will perform at Mesa Arts Center headlining the Second Annual 2007 Holiday Art & Music Festival. Tickets are $60 and $50. This performance will be held in the Ikea Theater at 7:00 p.m. to promote her new album Trav'lin' Light.

November 20, 2007 - December 15, 2007 , "A Shakespearean Christmas"
Location: Anita Cox Farnsworth Studio Theater at the Mesa Arts Center, SE corner Center and Main streets
Times: Select dates 7:30 p.m.; some matinees available
Phone: 480-644-6500
Ticket Price $9.50-$32.50

Old English holidays are brought to life in this performance created by Shakespeare Orange County. This performance includes snippets, poems and song from the works of Shakespeare, Elizabethan songs, interesting characters brought to life to bring a tear to your eye and comic relief to bring a smile to your face.
December 15, Symphony of the Southwest Presents: Handel's MESSIAH
Location: Ikeda Theater
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Ticket Price: $15-$45

Handel' Messiah will be performed by choirs from Mesa Community College. This ever lasting and joyous musical celebration is an event you will never forget.

December, 19 Dave Koz and Friends Smooth Jazz Christmas
Location: Ikeda Theater 1 E. Main St. Mesa,
Time: 8:00 pm
Ticket Price: $45-$85

A musical celebration of the season, but with a twist. Jazz meets the holidays with performance of traditional Christmas favorites which are given a jazzy new twist.

November 22, 2007 - January 6, 2008
Zoo Lights
Location: Phoenix Zoo
Times: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

ZooLights is one of the largest holiday light shows in the entire southwest United States with over 2.5 million lights, hundreds of lighted animal displays and a dancing tree show. Each year this event adds more unique displays, never before seen. Children and families will enjoy the carousel, camel and wagon rides as well as all the other family friendly activities and refreshments. Children's entertainment also includes Jengo, the talking giraffe. Stingray Bay will have new species for everyone to check out.

November 23, 2007 - January 1, 2008
Michael A. Pollack Holiday Lights Display
Times: Dusk to dawn
Location: Baseline Road east of Alma School Road
Admission: Free

The Michael A. Pollack Real Estate Investments corporate headquarters in Mesa, Arizona celebrates the season with a free event open to the public. Over 500,000 twinkling, sparkling colored lights, animated lights and decorations, as well rooftop figurines.

November 23, 2007- December 31, 2007
Mesa Arizona Temple Gardens Christmas Lights and Concert Series
Location: The Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints
Time: 5:30-10:00 p.m.
Price: Free

The gardens are lit at 5:30 and holiday events be at 7 p.m. be lit from 5:30 until 10 p.m. each subsequent night through December 31, 2007. Over one million visitor each year come to enjoy the hundreds of thousands of colorful lights, nativity display, and holiday dioramas that are scattered throughout the garden area of the Mesa Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. Visitors may also tour participate in free tours from 10:00 am-10:00 p.m. during the Christmas lights display.

To create and maintain this winter wonderland eight hundred volunteers will donate more than 10,000 hours of labor throughout the holiday season. The festivities include free half hour concerts, with a variety of groups and musical styles, from contemporary to classical.

There are also several free events throughout the Phoenix area, but this year Mesa has canceled its Mesa Merry Christmas Celebration. For other events, you may wish to look to other communities such as Phoenix, were holiday celebrations include an Electric Light Parade or Scottsdale which will be celebrating the season with the Holiday Harmony Celebration or the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park Holiday Lights which features visits from Santa, train rides and holiday lights and decorations. But with all the activities, arts, concerts and arts in Mesa, how would you have time to go anywhere else?