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.

May 14, 2019April 9, 2026

Light Rail Phoenix: A Beginner’s Guide

[Updated 5/14/19.]

People have asked me how to take the Valley Metro light rail in the Phoenix area, so I made a video guide.

However, if you prefer tips in written form, read on!

1. Find where to go.

There’s just one line with 2 directions, Eastbound and Westbound. You can ride anywhere on the line all day for $4.

Westbound train route:

begins in Mesa (Gilbert Rd./Main St., as of 5/18/19)
ASU Tempe campus
Sky Harbor Airport
Downtown Phoenix (Phoenix Convention Center, Talking Stick Resort Arena, Chase Field)
Central Ave. (turns north)
Roosevelt Row/arts district
ends at 19th Ave. and Dunlap (near Metrocenter)

Eastbound trains start at 19th Avenue and Dunlap, retracing basically the same route, heading south and then east and ending at Gilbert Road and Main Street (as of 5/18/19).

Schedule

To find where to get on and off the train and get schedule information, download a Transit Book, check the Valley Metro website, get the Ridekick app, or try Google Maps. If you don’t want to bother with the schedule, you can just show up. Trains run about every 10-20 minutes until around midnight or 1am.

Park-and-Ride

If there’s not a stop near you, you can drive to one of the 11 Park-and-Ride lots, where there’s free parking for people riding the light rail or bus. You just find a spot, lock your car, and head to the station platform.

2. Get your ticket.

You can easily get a pass from a fare vending machine at your stop before you leave.

Follow the prompts on screen to select an all-day pass and activate it immediately. Then pay with cash, credit or debit.

Your pass and receipt print from two different places. Make sure to pick them both up!

On the Station Platform

While you’re waiting, check the signs to make sure in the right spot for the train going in your direction.

Stations have…

fare vending machines
scrolling LED signs that say when to expect the next train
seating
some shade
route maps (simplified to highlight the stops – not to scale)
drinking fountains
artwork inspired by the local area

Stations don’t have…

restrooms
food or anything for purchase (except rail passes)

You can bring your own food and beverage in sealed or spill proof containers.

3. Get on board.

Trains stop at every station. You don’t have to flag them down. If one looks like it’s not stopping, Don’t panic! It’s probably just pulling up farther.

When the train pulls up to the station, it will come to a complete stop, the doors automatically open, and you can step into any car. Find a seat or or a place to stand and hold on to the railing. If you are standing, try to move back away from the doors, so people can easily get on and off.

There’s usually not anyone checking tickets as you get on. It’s kind of on the honor system. Occasionally, though, transit officers in black and white uniforms will come through and check tickets after the train is in motion. Not having one can get you fined up to $500.

Watch and listen for your stop. You can find a route map above some of the doors. And before each stop, a recording will say “approaching station” then the station name and whether you’ll exit the train on the left or right side. The information is also on scrolling LED signs in the middle of the ceiling of each car. Once you arrive, wait for the train to stop and doors to open, and you’re there!

– More light rail info –

Fare details. Day (round trip) pass: $4 / Week: $20 / Month: $64
Make sure you are waiting for the train going the direction you want to go. Most of the platforms are in the middle of the street and trains going both directions share them. However, around downtown Phoenix the line splits. So if you’re at the Phoenix Convention Center for example, the station for westbound trains is at Washington and eastbound trains stop a block south of there at Jefferson.
If you’re only going one way (to the airport, for example), you can purchase a 1-ride ticket. Once you purchase it, take your ticket and receipt. You have a two-hour window after purchasing to make your trip in one direction.
You may notice that there’s a “buy online” option on the Valley Metro website. This is NOT for last-minute purchases! Since electronic tickets are not accepted, you can order tickets online, and then they’ll be shipped to you via snail mail.
Pets are allowed only in enclosed carriers or cages that fit on your lap. Of course, this doesn’t apply to service animals – they just need to be out of walkways.
RailRide: Talking Stick Resort Arena event tickets now include a free ride to the event!

November 3, 2018December 9, 2025

Downtown Mesa’s Día de los Muertos

A 10-foot tall skeleton in a sombrero leaned over to ask if I knew what time it was.

Which is not that weird when you’re at a Día de los Muertos celebration with skeletons everywhere – on banners, as sculptures, painted on kids’ faces, and for sale on tote bags.

So, of course, there would be a skeleton with stilts, a full beard, and no watch.

When you think about it, the lack of a timepiece may be the least surprising part. Schedules are probably pretty irrelevant in the realm of the dead.

Phillip, Quijote, and I had showed up near the end of Mesa Arts Center’s festival. We started at the custom car show and worked our way toward an oversized Frida Kahlo skull made from tissue paper flowers, stopping to listen to a band on the way.

We visited the community altar, which was decorated with photos, candles, art, and flowers in memory of departed loved ones.

On a second stage, Mariachi Pasion, an all-woman mariachi band, began playing.
Continue reading “Downtown Mesa’s Día de los Muertos”

October 18, 2018May 23, 2023

George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center in Phoenix

During Phoenix Art Detour, my friend Anne and I wandered into the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center.

The building had been a high school for African American students from 1926 to 1953, which I didn’t even know about until we stumbled across it. I guess I had assumed that, since the Phoenix population didn’t really start booming until the ’60s, maybe we had just skipped the whole segregation thing. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

However, Arizona did desegregate its schools a year before Brown v. Board of Education mandated it nationally. The Carver High School closed, and the students were integrated into other high schools.

In 1986, four Carver alumnae formed Phoenix Monarchs Alumni Association, an organization to preserve the building and turn it into a museum and cultural center. They were eventually able to purchase it, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center is now open with a mission to honor African and African American heritage, arts, and culture.

The Phoenix Monarchs Alumni Association continues to raise funds to upgrade the space and offer additional programs and exhibits.

In front of the museum is a statue of its namesake, scientist George Washington Carver, holding one of the peanut plants he was famous for studying.

We explored the first floor and saw artwork like paintings, sculptures, and a quilt made by students who had gone to school there.

There was a room with vintage typewriters and sewing machines.

Another one had what looked like African artifacts and traditional craft, like masks, drums, and beaded gourd instruments, as well as contemporary paintings, and a violin.

Outside of Art Detour week, I think a volunteer guide is usually there to provide context and answer questions, because a lot of the items weren’t labeled. The museum had a work-in-progress feel, as funds are still being raised to improve the building and exhibition space. It will be exciting to see it transform!

More Info on the Carver Museum

The George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center is located at 415 E. Grant Street in the Phoenix Warehouse District.
Hours: Fridays and Saturdays, 11am to 5pm.
Donations accepted.
History of Carver school and museum (archived).

September 27, 2018May 23, 2023

2018 Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival

When the Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival was in Phoenix earlier this year, I went with my official quilt/sewing expert – my mom, Cyndee – to see what was new since the last time we went.

The textile-arts-focused expo moves around the western United States throughout the year. It features a mix of local and national/traveling exhibitors, demos, and seminars. Some exhibitors offer open make-and-take projects for a small materials fee (usually $3-5).

Here is a sampler of who and what we saw at the Festival…

Fabric and Patterns

Elkhorn Quilt Company – Based here in Mesa, Arizona, Debbie Dominy specializes in modern quilts and a curated collection of contemporary fabrics. You have to catch her at an exhibitor booth, since she sells exclusively at quilt shows and festivals.

IG: elkhornquiltcompany

African Everything was founded by Mary Ogwel (a.k.a. “Basket Mary”) to help women lift each other out of poverty. Her imports span the continent and include coiled bowls, hand-painted batik fabrics from Tanzania, beaded wire bowls from Kenya, and artisan baskets from Ghana and Tanzania.

Online shop.
IG: @africanbaskets and #basketmary
IRL: Saturdays at Downtown Phoenix Public Farmers Market (8am – 1pm) + Uptown Farmers Market (9am – 1pm)
Extension of Maendeleo Imports and Thank You and God Bless (TYGB).

England Design Studios – Designer/owner Cynthia England developed her own style of quilting called “picture piecing” for her beautifully detailed quilts. The technique allows you to reuse your pattern, does not waste fabric, and makes it easy to fix mistakes. She now sells her patterns, kits, and books to help others learn picture piecing.

Spirit of the Artisan – Formerly Stitch in Time, Gale Carson continues find and import gorgeous artisan textiles from Southeast Asia, including vintage Hmong embroidery and Thai silk batik, as well as hand-loomed silk, Ikot, cottons, and wools.

the-sampler.com’s booth is covered with day-glow quilts and vibrant All About Color fabrics! They also sell patterns and quilt kits.

FB: AllAboutCColor

Rochelle’s Fine Fabric and Quilting had all kinds of odds and ends, but what really caught our attention was the woman with the scissors through her head! It’s just one of the gag headbands they offer – you can also choose from options like cleavers and plungers. They sell other novelties, as well as handmade aprons, mesh totes, and patterns.

FB: rochellesfinefabrics

Embellishment + Decoration

Chenille-It: Nannette Holmberg invented a type of bias tape that allows you to easily get a chenille-edge effect. She had examples of it lining quilt squares and embellishing sweaters.

Laura Murray Designs– Just as we were visiting this booth and puzzling over a product called “Paintstiks,” we heard Laura Murray was about to give a workshop about them. So we rushed into the seminar building and slid into some seats. After watching the demo, Paintstiks seem pretty neat – kind of like a sophisticated crayon that you can use to make patterns on fabric (or other porous surfaces like paper).

FB: lauramurraydesigns

Taylor Made Iron-on designs has all kinds of bling for embellishing fabric. They also had a t-shirt with a U.S. map captioned “Been there, done that,” so you can decorate the states you’ve visited with iron-on rhinestones or embroidered RVs, etc.

Jewelry

Bob Miller continues making rad steampunk accessories! He also does custom craft-themed jewelry with teeny scissors or sewing machines or knitting needles. You can make a fob to decorate your keychain or claim your favorite crafting scissors at his booth’s make and take.

Karen and Chuck Nolke – It was great to see these artists again and talk to them about their team process for creating the one-of-kind jewelry pieces in their collection. She chooses colors, he fires them, and she then adds paint, which creates a unique layered look.

Etsy: karennolke

Guilds

The Lacey Ladies of Arizona (chapter of the International Organization of Lace, Inc.) were super excited to show off their different types of lacemaking, often talking over each other!

Their annual Lace Day event this year will be on November 17, 10am-4pm at Beatitudes Life Center in Phoenix.

Arizona Desert Weavers and Spinners Guild demonstrates traditional spinning and handweaving techniques. They have monthly fiber artists’ meetings October through May.

FB Group: Arizona Desert Weavers and Spinners Guild

More Info

Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival

Upcoming 2018 shows:

Orange County, CA September 27 – 29
Puyallup, WA October 18 – 20
Tucson, AZ November 15 – 17

Phoenix event

January 31 – February 2, 2019
Admission: $10 for all 3 days.
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.