Community in the Time of Coronavirus

While COVID-19 has thrown us all off balance, people are helping each other get back on their feet in some lovely ways – sharing their art, connecting people with resources, checking in on family and friends, donating where they can, helping the “helpers” on the front lines, and buying from their local mom-and-pop shops and restaurants. (All from a safe distance, of course!)

I’ve rounded up a list of various goodies to help you stay well, support independent artists and businesses, and give back.

Breathe background for Zoom video — Courtesy of Saywells Design + Why I Love Where I Live.

Free to Download

Adobe: Resources for creativity at home!

Coloring book pages by designers and illustrators. Each week, there’s a new set of pages with themes like “gratitude” and “alphabet.”
Short films about design.
Public domain images and fonts to liven up your paper craft projects!
Tips for photographing your plants and pets.

Badge Bomb: Fun stay-at-home-themed coloring pages, activity sheets, and stickers you can print and color.

Bluprint: Patterns for sewing face masks and instructions for folding no-sew masks.

Native Seeds/SEARCH:

Tips for collecting and saving seeds from your garden.
Lots of resources for gardening in desert climates.

Why I Love Where I Live:

Coloring pages by Southwestern artists.
Backgrounds for your phone or Zoom meetings by Tucson-based Saywells Design, including mask-wearing cacti.

Workshops

Debbie Allen Dance Academy: Founded by Debbie Allen of Fame fame, DADA is a non-profit organization with programs to expand young people’s access to dance + theater.

$3 dance classes on weekdays (signup via Zoom required).
Free Instagram Live classes on weekends.

Lisa Congdon: A couple of free online classes from an artist whose work always makes me smile.

MyIntent:

Free classes to begin and end each day (yoga, meditation, journaling, etc.)
A big list of free self-care resources.

Rohit Gijare: Virtual dance classes on Sundays…

$5 semi-classical or Bolly fusion workshop with the Bollywood Boulevard choreographer.
$8 for both classes with code BOTH.

Skillshare:

Free classes demonstrating a variety of art, craft, cooking, entrepreneurship, and other skills.
Premium membership free for 2 months. (New members only.)

Shop

Arts and Artisans: 40% off everything through April 30.

Badge Bomb:

Free colorful sheet of “Coronavirus Reward Stickers” by artist Gemma Correll with every order!
25% off all items in the Stay Home + Stay Busy collection.
Free shipping on US orders over $30 + international orders over $75.

Stay Home Reward Sticker Sheet by Gemma Correll on Badge Bomb.

Bookman’s: For every $25 gift card purchase, Bookman’s will add a $5 reward. For every $100, get a $25 reward!

Doggie Drawings Shop: Artwork by Lili Chin 20% off. This includes Dogs of the World prints and cute enamel pins of different dog breeds.

Dogs and Donuts: Free delivery in Tucson for orders over $15.

Downtown Tucson Partnership: DTP Gift Card Incentive Program…

Buy a $25 gift card for one of over 60 downtown businesses through the Downtown Tucson Partnership + receive a free $10 bonus!
Participating businesses include restaurants, museums, shops, bars/breweries, salons, fitness centers, a hotel, and a theater.
DTP will announce each round of gift card sales on its site. (Hint: They’ve mostly gone on sale on Fridays starting at 6am and sold out FAST!)
They’ve also gathered a lot of resources to help Tucsonans navigate life during the pandemic.

Hotel Congress: Additional $25 when you purchase a $100 gift card.

L.A. County Yarn Crawl Shops:

Knitting Tree – Sale on discontinued and overstocked items.
Wildflower Studio – Shibui Knits Maai $14/skein (regular $17.50) + free digital pattern for M.1 scarf by Shelli Anderson with purchase of 4 skeins.
Zoe’s Knit Studio – Free shipping (or curbside pickup) on select kits. Email info@zoesknitstudio.com for details.

MAST (at Mercado San Agustin): Free shipping on U.S. orders with promo code MARCHON. Or 25% off any one item made by Mellow, Sofie, or Tasha with code LEANON.

MyIntent:

50% off sitewide with code HERWORD50 (through May 10).
We featured a MyIntent necklace in a previous gift guide.

Arizona Hearts art print by Phoenix Supply Co.

Phoenix Supply Co.

Today: buy 1 art print, get one 50% off!
Free domestic shipping on orders $40+.
I know founder/artist Melissa through the Phoenix design community, and she is a stellar human being!

Not Just Quiltz:

Bolt of the Week 25% off.
All bolt BATIKS and precut bundles 15% off (half-yard minimum).
Select colors of King Tut thread $19.95/2000 yard cone (regular $29.95).
Closeout fabrics $8/yard, while supplies last.
We met this vendor at the Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival.

Seven Cups Fine Chinese Teas:

20% off Bai Long Xu (White Dragon Whiskers) Loose Leaf Sheng Puer tea.
Free delivery within the continental U.S.
Select tea ware on sale.

Spirit of the Artisan:

$10 tapestry tote bag special!
Another one of our favorite Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival vendors – now with an online shop!

Why I Love Where I Live:

Free shipping on orders over $15 with code 2020IG.
Buy a mask and they’ll donate one to a local organization!

Food (Arizona)

Phoenix Area

Cartel Coffee Lab, Tempe:

Free shipping (except subscriptions) with code STAYHOME.
Pickup available at original downtown Tempe location (on Ash).

Crown Public House, Phoenix: Weekday specials on green chili mac, wings, pizza, and more.

Peixoto Coffee, Chandler:

Buy 3 bags of coffee, get one free.
Free shipping or curbside pickup.
Make a donation to help them provide hot coffee to overnight hospital workers.

Republica Empanada, Mesa: $2 beer or $10 mix-and-match six pack with any order.

Tucson

Several Tucson restaurants are offering $30 takeout meals for two, as part of Tucson To-Go! Even though it’s presented by Sonoran Restaurant Week, this deal is ongoing.

Agustin Kitchen (at Mercado San Agustin): Burgers and sandwiches (a.k.a. “handhelds”) are buy one, get one free from 2-4pm daily. Walk-up or call-in orders.

Beaut Burger (at MSA Annex): Buy one, get one free vegan burgers weekdays from 4-5pm. Walk-up orders only.

Cartel Coffee Lab, Tucson:

Free shipping (except subscriptions) with code STAYHOME.
Pickup available at Grant and Campbell.

Cup Cafe (in Hotel Congress):

20% off Cup Cafe dishes to-go. New menu includes family style meals!
$2 off all pies and cakes by the slice.

Check out Tucson Foodie’s takeout guide or the lists that Brunch Babes Tucson has aggregated of current food, coffee, and alcohol options!

Yuma

Julieanna’s:

Ziggy’s On-The-Fly takeout menu has value-priced versions of their signature items.
Free delivery in Yuma. Curbside or patio pickup also available.
One of our Yuma favorites!

What is helping you find a sense of community during this time?

Chalk board sign — Good Oak Bar in Tucson

April 2, 2020April 1, 2020

The Force of Words

The Word

In many cultures, around the world and across time, the spoken word has been seen as having a power to create and destroy. In the Hebrew Bible, creation is spoken into existence with the words “Let there be light.”

The words of the Diné (or Navajo) people helped to bring an end to World War II. Diné serving in the U.S. Marines developed a code adapted from their tribal language that baffled the Japanese. These “Code Talkers” were able to communicate top secret information to aid the Allied Powers’ efforts in the brutal theater of war in the Pacific.

The Navajo Code Talker program has grown in public consciousness over the last 40 years and has been the subject of many books, documentaries, and even the 2002 film Windtalkers. Yet, with all this focus on what the language accomplished, you couldn’t watch a Hollywood film in Navajo until recently.

A New Hope in Navajo

In 2013, Navajo Nation Museum director Manuelito Wheeler embarked on a project with Lucasfilm to dub the original Star Wars: A New Hope into Navajo!

It would be the first mainstream film to be translated into any Native American language.

I learned about this as I was preparing to go to Anaheim for Star Wars Celebration 7 (2015 convention celebrating all things Star Wars). One of the panels that intrigued me most was a discussion and documentary screening about the project.

During this panel, I was surprised to learn that there are a sizeable number of Diné that still speak the Navajo language, traditionally known as Diné Bizaad, almost exclusively. However, their numbers are slowly growing silent as many from the younger generations are no longer learning their parents’ language.

The panelists explained that, despite the admonitions of their parents about the importance of learning to speak their native tongue, the younger generation often see the language as a relic of the past, irrelevant to their lives.

Voiceover actor for Star Wars in Navajo — Diné voice actor in the documentary.

Film as a Cultural Force

The excitement that the Star Wars dubbing project generated was multigenerational, drawing voice talent and actors from throughout the Diné community.

When the project was complete, the newly-dubbed film was shown outdoors at rodeo grounds on the reservation. After the movie finished, a Navajo elder, who spoke no English, exclaimed through a translator that it was the best movie she had ever seen! The original 1,500 DVDs sold out quickly with profits going to the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department, which helped fund the dubbing project.

Indeed, this project was amongst recent efforts to blaze a trail for the resurgence of Diné Bizaad on the reservation. The movie has even been used in Navajo language classes for the youngest generation. In the eyes of the youth, it is giving a voice to their language that many find compelling. If a hero like Luke Skywalker speaks Diné Bizaad, there’s no denying that their parents’ language has cultural force!

A Fresh Perspective

At the end of the panel, we were treated to a viewing of the Navajo-dubbed version of Star Wars.

Being a language geek, I knew that I would find the story behind this project enjoyable. But I was surprised by how moved I was by actually viewing part of the film in the Diné Bizaad language.

Because I couldn’t understand what was being said, I paid more attention. I watched the background and noticed how much the dry landscape of Tatooine reminded me of Arizona and the Navajo reservation. I noticed how objects looked rusty and well worn, like abandoned buildings along the old Route 66.

Star Wars opening text in Navajo. — “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….”

I listened to the voices of the Diné voice actors. I was surprised to find out that, in this dubbed version, the voice of C3PO was a woman! But why not? It actually worked really well.

Even Uncle Owen’s words sounded more kindly and thoughtful than his English-speaking counterpart.

As the panelists wrapped up, one of the voice actors from the dub quoted something an older tribal member had said to a younger one, “Remember your language. Use it. One day your language will feed you.”

Words have power. They can start wars. They can bring peace. They have the force to create new ways of seeing.

– More Info –

The next Star Wars Celebration convention is scheduled for August 27-30 in Anaheim, CA.

Films:

The Navajo-language voiceover cast of Star Wars reunited in 2018 at Indigenous Comic Con (now “Indigipop X”).
The second major motion picture to be translated into Navajo was Finding Nemo in 2016.

Language:

According to Ethonologue: Languages of the World, as quoted in a 2017 article in the Navajo Times, there are 7,600 Navajo-only speakers and over 171,000 fluent speakers worldwide.
The same article shows a steady decline in Navajo speakers, with U.S. Census data showing that 93% of Diné spoke the language in 1980, but only 51% by 2010.
However, there is a movement among some young people to keep the language and culture alive, such as traditional singers Taylor Begay and his brother Dylon Begay.

Museums:

Museums and historic trading posts within the Navajo Nation.
Navajo Nation Museum (Window Rock, Arizona) on Facebook.
Exhibits honoring the Code Talkers, including the official museum in Tuba City, displays in Kayenta, and monuments.
“The Force Is With Our People,” an exhibition exploring the influence of Star Wars on contemporary Native artists. It is at the Museum of Northern Arizona (Flagstaff) – extended through May 25, 2020. Read more on the Navajo-Hopi Observer.

Navajo code talkers display — From the Navajo Code talkers display inside Burger King in Kayenta, Arizona.

March 7, 2020March 7, 2020

Inside The Alien’s Head: Paul Blake at Tucson Comic-Con

Don’t let the fact that Paul Blake is a sweet and thoughtful 71-year-old Englishman fool you. He is enmeshed in one of the biggest cover ups in sci-fi film history: the question of just who shot first, Han or Greedo.

Paul Blake with moderator Patty Hawkins at Tucson Comic-Con. — Paul Blake (right) with moderator Patty Hawkins at Tucson Comic-Con.

You may remember that in George Lucas’s original 1977 Star Wars film, outlaw Han Solo shoots the bounty hunter Greedo to escape capture. When Lucas decided to alter a later release of the film to show Greedo firing his weapon first, fans protested the edit with an outcry of “Han shot first!” and it has been a point of contention ever since.

Paul Blake saw it all firsthand from inside his green Greedo mask.

We got to hear Blake’s side of the story during his panel at Tucson Comic-Con 2019.

Paul Blake's panel at Tucson Comic-Con. — Paul Blake’s panel at Tucson Comic-Con.

An Actor’s Life

While portraying an alien from the planet Rodia named “Greedo” may be Blake’s claim to fame, he had a long career as a working actor, which he defines as being skilled enough to get steady work in theater and film, but without “the hassle of being a superstar.”

Let’s step back, for a moment, to 1970s England. At the time, Star Wars was in pre-production. Blake worked with future fellow Star Wars actor Anthony Daniels on the BBC children’s show Jackanory. Daniels was the one who gave him the tip to audition for Star Wars.

Blake arrived so early for the audition that there was no one else around. He poked around the impressive set until a crew member showed up. Blake asked if there was anywhere he could get coffee, and the man offered to bring him some. Shortly afterwards, Blake was mortified to realize that the person who had fetched his coffee was, in fact, director George Lucas!

Despite Blake’s misstep, Lucas still cast him in the role of Greedo, who, at that point, was simply known as “The Alien.”

Paul Blake gets into Greedo costume. — Paul Blake being helped into his Greedo costume. Via Nerf Herders Anonymous.

Getting Into Character

Blake’s transition to Greedo began a few weeks later with a “life mask” molding to fit his face and head. He noted, “As in theater, the costume informs your character.”

When he asked for direction on playing Greedo, Lucas simply told Blake, “Play him like an alien in the movies!”

The cantina scene had so many unusual new creatures that inspiration had to come from a wide variety of sources, including (in Greedo’s case) an ad for Birds Eye frozen vegetables with a bouncing green pea.

Despite a stuffy mask that smelled equal part “sweat and chemicals,” Blake was fortunate that the rest of his costume was made of comfortable parachute silk. Shooting his scenes stretched from days to weeks.

Han and Greedo — Han Solo faces off against Greedo in the “cantina scene” in Star Wars: A New Hope. Via StarWars.com

The Cantina Scene

The biggest moment for his character, of course, would be his Solo encounter in a seedy space cantina known for being a “wretched hive of scum and villainy.”

To accomplish the effect of him being shot, the production’s explosive technician detonated a small explosive on a fully-clothed dummy of Greedo. With the costume still smoldering, stage hands disrobed Greedo’s dummy and placed the costume on Blake, so the actor could finish the scene.

Unfortunately, the technician was a bit too aggressive with the explosives in one of the first takes, resulting in a fire on the cantina set. The set had to be rebuilt before filming could continue.

After all that, it would be close to a year until Blake found out whether any of his scenes had even made the final cut.

Greedo and cantina — Greedo via StarWars.com

Star Wars is Born

Blake, like many involved in its production, underestimated how successful Lucas’ film would be. When Star Wars came out in the summer of 1977, he was working in Greece and didn’t make time to see it. To him, Star Wars was just another gig, some “shitty science fiction thing.”

While relaxing on a beach in Greece, he met some Americans and it came up in conversation that he worked on Star Wars. The Americans were star struck that he was involved in the film, so he figured then it was worth seeing.

In the theater, he was gripped from the opening crawl! He still didn’t know whether or not he’d appear in the film or if his scenes had been cut out. So when Greedo did show up on screen, Blake jumped out of his seat in the middle of the theater and exclaimed, “That’s me!!”

Greedo and Greedo cosplayer — Paul Blake answers a question from a fan cosplaying as Greedo at Tucson Comic-Con.

Behind the Mask

One of the fans at the panel said that Blake has a reputation for being generous and caring. I would have loved to learn more about the things he’s done over the past forty years, like performing Shakespeare, working in Hong Kong, and supporting his son, Paul John Blake, who is a Paralympic champion!

Yet I also understood what brought Blake to our corner of this galaxy.

A member of the 501st Legion Mexican Garrison and a young fan from The Galactic Academy Kamino Campus México traveled to the Con from Hermosillo, Sonora specifically to meet him. They presented him with an honorary membership on behalf of The Galactic Academy, an international costuming group for kids.

Sonora trooper with Paul Blake — Fans from Mexico with Paul Blake and the certificate they presented him.

To the world, he’ll forever be known as Greedo. Paul Blake definitely couldn’t have imagined the path that life took would take him on when he put on a stinky mask and a smoldering jumpsuit over forty years ago. With irony and humor, he has embraced the time he spent in a galaxy far away and has enjoyed the ride ever since. So while Han may have shot first in 1977, at Tucson Comic-Con, Greedo brought the house down.

Greedo and phillip in cantina set — Phillip at a Phoenix Comicon Cantina Scene set.

We received media passes from Tucson Comic-Con.

January 31, 2020September 2, 2021

Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival: Patterns + Fabric

It’s Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival weekend in Phoenix!

Last year, I went to two days of the Festival – one with my Mom and one with sister-in-law Dinah and friend Kelli.

The first day, we ended up parking in a lot that was actually meant to be for a dog show, which we needed to walk through to get to our Festival.

The second day, I parked there on purpose. We walked past booths of dog stuff and people with impeccably groomed and well-mannered dogs. I really wanted to ask one of them if their dog was available to tutor our little rascal Quijote. But that’s not why we were there.

Walking into the Festival building meant being surrounded by a dazzling array of colors and patterns, handcrafted items, crafty inventions, and big ticket items like long arm sewing machines. It was fun to check in with favorite vendors from the past, meet new ones, and see things I hadn’t before.

Pocket Change booth — Pocket Change Fabric

Here are some of the fabric and pattern exhibitors we saw in 2019, plus their booth numbers at the Phoenix 2020 show. (Info about vendors for tools, accessories, and food is in Part 2!)

Patterns

Orange Dot Quilts has original quilt and bag patterns by owner/designer Dora Cary. I love her bold, modern designs!

Etsy Shop
IG: orangedotquilts
#916-917

On Williams Street – Sisters Kimie Tanner and Missy Winona offer quilt patterns, longarm quilting services, and even custom quilts!

FB: onwilliamsstreet
IG: onwilliamsstreet

The Cottage Rose Quilt Pattern Originals – Deb Eggers of The Cottage Rose created a pattern for a fabric Parcheesi board! You can just roll it up and take it with your for camping or traveling. The kit comes with the game pieces and pattern includes a little pouch to keep them in. She also made some adorable little fabric owls.

Original patterns.
FB: cottagerosequilt
#805

More The Merrier Designs – Offers patterns for art quilts and embroidery, with instructions meant to be usable by crafters at any skill level.

FB: MoreTheMerrierDesigns

Bobbie G. Designs – Embroidery, cross-stitch, and quilting patterns in a shared booth space with More the Merrier. I was drawn in by their cute vintage camper cross-stitch!

Calico Patch Designs – Vicki McCarty is a pattern and MARCUS Fabric designer, who likes to incorporate wool and cotton appliqué into her quilts. Her “Homespun Appeal” pattern (above) was featured on the cover of Quilt Sampler Magazine (Fall 2018). Currently, “Rabbit Patches Runner,” made from a pattern she designed and fabrics from her line, is on the cover of Primitive Quilts (Spring 2020).

Calico Patch Quilt Shop located in Morehead, Kentucky.
FB: calicopatchdesigns
IG: calicopatchdesigns
Tw: CalicoPatchDsn

England Design – Cynthia England was back with examples of her signature picture piecing method of quilting. True to its name, you can use this technique to make a quilt that looks like picture instead of the abstract shapes you traditionally see in quilts.

#641-642

Fabric

Bear Paw Quilts – Their (multiple) Seattle Seahawks fabrics caught my eye, and, yes, owners John and Shyla King are based in Washington. They had a large cutting board right there in their booth, so you could get exactly the amount of fabric you wanted – whether it’s a ‘Hawks design or not.

Booth #900-902

Elkhorn Quilt Company – It’s always great to stop by and check out what new fabrics and quilts Debbie Dominy has!

Shows and festivals only.
IG: elkhornquiltcompany
#225-226

Spirit of the Artisan – A gorgeous collection of textiles imported from Southeast Asia by shop owner Gale Carson, who maintains a personal connection with many of the suppliers and artisans. Her wares include scarves, bags, tops, patterns, hand-woven Burma batiks, and ornate Hmong collars.

#628-630

Desert Stitchin – Quilts, kits, southwest-themed fabrics, and “desert delights,” which are sets of 2.5-inch color-coordinated fabric strips.

Based in Goodyear, AZ.
Online store and quilt shows only.
IG: desertstitchin
#148-149

“Brolga Dreaming” by Nambooka + other aboriginal-designed fabrics

Fabric by Nambooka, Narelle Kitson, Colleen Wallace + Vanessa Inkamala — Fabric designs by (l-r) Nambooka, Narelle Kitson, Colleen Wallace + Vanessa Inkamala

NotJustQuiltZ – Largest U.S. collection of aboriginal-designed fabrics from M+S Textiles in Australia. The designs are are created — usually hand-painted — by artists of indigenous Australian descent, drawing on their cultural traditions. Artists receive commissions on their work as long as it’s in print (longer than usual in this industry), and many make their living this way.

Shop located in the Historical District of Niles in Fremont, California (Bay Area).
They also have long arm services, embroidery, custom, quilts, notions, and gift items.
FB: Notjustquiltz
IG: notjustquiltz
#540-542

Second Chance Fabrics – New and pre-owned fabric, as well as patterns and gift items. You can trade in fabrics from your stash in exchange for store credit. Anyone who sews probably has excess material around, so it’s great that there’s a place to give it a new home, while picking up something you’ll actually use!

Store in Fresno, California.
FB: SecondChanceFabrics
#310-311

Julie’s Sewing Corner & Quilt Shop is located in Miami, Arizona, which is a historic mining town near Globe. Julie and Don Reiman’s shop specializes in unusual, drive-out-of-your-way fabric.

IG: juliessewingcorner
#839-841

Sun Valley Quilts – Sewing machines, wooden sewing tables, fabric, notions, and a book section. The store is large enough for groups to visit together during events like quilt shop hops and then go to one of the nearby restaurants.

Shop in Sun Valley, Arizona and online.
A rep from The Grace Company was also there, demonstrating their quilting frames and Q’nique line of quilting machines with handles designed for more control.
FB: SunValleyQuilts
#718-721

Traditional Primitives – Missie Carpenter developed a starch basting technique for English paper piecing and has her own lines of rustic quilting fabrics and other quilting products.

FB: TraditionalPrimitives
IG: traditionalprimitives
YouTube: Missie Carpenter of Traditional Primitives
#910-911

The Copper Needle – Shop focused on providing a welcoming, creative environment. Offering fabrics, threads, patterns, notions, Bernina sewing and embroidery machines, and classes in quilting, embroidery, and painting.

Store in Payson, Arizona.
FB: copperneedle
IG: ginaperkes
Tw: gina_perkes
#634-636

Stay tuned for Part 2!

More Info

IG: quiltcraftsew and #quiltcraftsew
FB: quiltcraftsewingfestival
Our previous Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival visit.

Phoenix Event

January 30 – February 1, 2020
Admission: $12 for all 3 days. Printable $2 off coupon online.
Largest of the Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festivals.
Held at the Arizona State Fair Grounds.
The closest parking is the South Lot at the Fair Grounds. Enter through the McDowell Gate at 17th Ave and McDowell Rd.)
Parking $8.

We were guests of the Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival.

December 12, 2019May 23, 2023

Mesa’s Merry Main Street

Mesa’s annual holiday celebration, Merry Main Street, includes concerts, an arts and craft market, food trucks, visits from Santa, and – most surprisingly in an Arizona desert city – an outdoor ice skating rink.

O Christmas Market

While there are Merry Main Street activities throughout the downtown, the centerpiece of the celebration is the 40-foot-tall Christmas tree and market that takes over Macdonald on the north side of Main Street.

What you’ll find here…

Mesa’s official Christmas tree – this is where you can see Santa Friday and Saturday evenings.
Mesa Christmas Market – 30 local vendors selling handcrafted items, food and gifts in booths set up around the Christmas tree.
Concert stage with free performances on Friday and Saturday evenings.
“sELFie” Station photo backdrops. (Turns out, you can’t spell selfie without an “elf.”)
Extended store hours — Some downtown shops stay open late, so you can browse antique furniture or comic books while you’re in the neighborhood.

There are additional, ticketed holiday concerts and performances of The Nutcracker Ballet nearby at the Mesa Arts Center.

When Phoenix Freezes Over

Most of the time, you’ll only find an ice rink in Arizona inside a large, air-conditioned building. So, the temporary Winter Wonderland Ice Rink installed for the holidays in Mesa City Plaza is a downright novelty. It’s really fun to watch people skating around there, even if some of them are wearing shorts.

Speaking of Arizonans’ winter apparel (or lack thereof), Winter Wonderland just assumes you don’t own ice skates (and you probably don’t), so they automatically include skate rental in the ticket price.

Free Rides

You can ride the mile stretch of the Light Rail between Country Club and Mesa Drive free on December weekends from 5-10pm.

This weekend (December 13-14), there will also be special decorated “Polar Express” light rail trains with Santa, elves, cookies, and singing on board. Pajama-wearing is encouraged. No tickets are required.

Pioneer Park

The weekly Mesa Feastival Forest in Pioneer Park turns into Jack Frost’s Food Truck Forest on Friday and Saturday nights during the holidays. Check their Facebook page for updates on the food truck lineup.

Also in Pioneer Park…

The Mesa Farmers Market and Flea will continue to be held in the park on Saturday mornings – with a few extra festive touches like additional vendors and photos with Santa from 9-11am.
Kiddos can ride the trackless Main Street Express Train there for free during food truck or farmers’ market hours.

mesa mini train — Merry Main Street’s little train (at its old City Plaza location).

In past years, you could sometimes hear the choir singing outside the LDS Temple across the street. This year, however, the annual Christmas Lights display and concerts have been suspended due to major renovations of the buildings and grounds, which are scheduled to be completed in 2020.

The Space Between

Like a microcosm of the City of Mesa itself, Merry Main Street is a bit sprawling (although it’s gotten less spread out than in previous years).

Activities are just close enough together that you’re not sure you want to wait for even a free light rail ride, but far enough apart that you have time to regret it as you traverse the vast, vacant expanses of sidewalk between things.

How to Merry Main Street

The the best approach might be to enjoy different parts of Merry Main Street throughout the season, instead of thinking of it as all one event. Stop by the food truck forest before heading over to a performance at the MAC. Have an ice skating night. Do some holiday shopping and take some photos in front of the tree (or in the selfie stations or with Santa).

Why not go multiple times? There’s no admission cost, parking is free, and each time the weather will probably be so nice you could wear shorts to go ice skating.