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Given we’re just over two weeks out from Christmas, it’s not shocking that this weekend’s calendar is heavy on holiday-related activities. That includes such annual events as Tempe’s Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade, the Desert Botanical Garden’s Las Noches de las Luminarias, and the Arizona Cacophony Society’s Santarchy bar crawl.
It’s not all Christmas everything, though. Actor and comedian Adam Sandler will also conclude his arena tour at Footprint Center, motorheads will flock to FuelFest in Chandler, and the Phoenix Festival of the Arts will celebrate its 10th anniversary.
Read on for more details or click over to Phoenix New Times‘ online calendar for even more things to do in the Valley from Friday, December 9, to Sunday, December 11.
Daniel Howell: We’re All Doomed!
NASA recently announced a 209-foot-wide asteroid could eventually get close enough to impact our planet sometime in the next decade. Closer to Earth, scientists in Europe have revived an ancient zombie virus discovered in thawed permafrost that could wipe out mankind. And climate change is inexorably causing seas to rise and crops to wither. How does one react to all of these harbingers of our potential doom? If you’re Daniel Howell, you try to make a joke of it. In his one-man show, We’re All Doomed!, the British-born comedian and YouTuber satirizes society’s ills and cracking wise about his own mental health issues dealing with such cataclysmic scenarios. It’s 90 minutes of stand-up, interactive onstage challenges, and even an uproarious musical number to kick things off. Howell is scheduled to perform the show at Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street, on Friday, December 9, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $29.50 to $59.50.
It’s luminaria time over at Desert Botanical Garden.
Desert Botanical Garden
Las Noches de las Luminarias
It wouldn’t be the holidays in the Valley without this annual event. On select evenings this month, the Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 North Galvin Parkway, will become enchanted when approximately 8,000 individual luminarias lining the paths and a series of twinkling holiday lights will accentuate the beauty of the DBG. This year, the garden’s striking scenery will include the colorfully large-scale sculptures created by German-French visual artist Rotraut for her Playing with Stars series. Meanwhile, musical performances, live entertainment, and “seasonal delights” will be offered throughout the garden. The 2022 edition of Las Noches de las Luminarias opens to the public on Friday, December 9, and will be on display through December 31. Hours are 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.95 for general admission, $16.95 for kids 3 to 17, and free for children 2 and under.
Walking through a Winter Wanderland.
Downtown Phoenix Inc.
Winter Wanderland 2022
Did last weekend’s torrential downpour snuff out your plans? The good news is there are zero clouds in the forecast for Saturday, December 10, which makes it an ideal day to get out and do something. If you’re in the mood to stretch your legs, this year’s Winter Wanderlust offers the chance to stroll around downtown Phoenix while enjoying a variety of lights, live entertainment, cooking demos, and other family-friendly activities from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. This free, self-guided tour will feature stops at the Arizona Center, Renaissance Square, Herberger Theater Center, CityScape, and other locations. Ensembles and groups scheduled to perform will include The Kings of Soul, Center Dance Ensemble, Aeroterra Arts, and Urban Electra. The full schedule and lineup of activities are available here.
FuelFest cruises into Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park this weekend.
Evolve PR
FuelFest
Let’s face it: Cars are king in metro Phoenix and most everything around these parts is, and probably always will be, geared towards driving. So an event like FuelFest on Saturday, December 10, at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, 20000 South Maricopa Road, feels right at home in the Valley. It’s geared towards motorheads, speed demons, and auto aficionados, offering such high-octane pursuits as drag racing, drifting sessions, and demos by pro drivers. There will also be a themed art exhibition, ride-alongs with pro drivers, and a premier car show where you can show off your pimped-out or souped-up vehicles. Actor Cody Walker, the brother of the late Ryan Walker from the Fast & Furious franchise will host. Hours are 1 to 8 p.m. General admission is $40 per person and $60 to $110 if you’d like to enter a car. Platinum packages are $300 and VIP tickets are $500 with various perks available for both high-end options. A full schedule and complete details are available on the FuelFest site.
Costumes are mandatory at Santarchy, but you won’t be able to get away with just an ugly holiday sweater.
Benjamin Leatherman
Santarchy 2022
Santa Claus is coming to town this weekend – and he’s in the mood to party. Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick won’t be alone, though, as he’ll roll through the streets of downtown Phoenix with a ho-ho-horde of look-alikes and others wearing Christmas-inspired costumes. It’s all a part of Santarchy, the Arizona Cacophony Society‘s annual costumed bar crawl inspired by the Santa Claus mythos that sees locals dress up as Kris Kringle, reindeer, elves, snowmen, or anything else holiday-related and drink their way across downtown. This year, the event is taking place on Saturday, December 10, with participants gathering at 5:30 p.m. before heading out and hitting up multiple nearby bars. As always, it’s free to participate but costumes are mandatory (pro tip: ugly Christmas sweaters don’t count). Visit the Cacophony Society’s website for the starting point and other details.
Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade
Boats will quite literally become floats in a nautical nighttime parade across Tempe Town Lake, 80 East Rio Salado Parkway, on Saturday, December 10. A flotilla of more than 50 vibrantly decorated and brilliantly illuminated watercraft will participate in the Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade, which will traverse the length of the man-made body of water during the annual event. Meanwhile, a variety of luminarias will adorn the sidewalks around the lake alongside vendors selling their wares. Live music and entertainment will also be offered. The event starts at 4 p.m. with the parade commencing at 6 p.m. and a fireworks finale capping things off at 8 p.m. Admission is free. Check out the schedule here.
Actor and comedian Danny McBride.
Gage Skidmore/CC BY-SA 2.0/Flickr
Dannyfest 2022
An event celebrating anything and everything Danny McBride? We’re in – or as Kenny Powers (the despicable baseball pitcher he played in HBO’s Eastbound & Down) might say, “We’re fucking in.” The inaugural
Phoenix Festival of the Arts is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
Phoenix Festival of the Arts
Phoenix Festival of the Arts 2022
There’s a lot to love about the Phoenix Festival of the Arts. The free outdoor event at Margaret T. Hance Park, 1202 North Third Street, is a community-oriented experience, boasting a roster of more than 150 artisans and cultural organizations. Numerous visual art mediums are represented, from painting and printmaking to ceramics and jewelry-making. The local focus also extends to the live entertainment, as a lineup of Valley bands and musicians curated by The Rebel Lounge perform throughout the weekend. You can also purchase eats from dozens of homegrown food trucks, watch local artists create an interconnected series of murals telling a single story, or even bring your pooch along (as it’s a dog-friendly event). The festival will celebrate its 10th anniversary with this weekend’s edition, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 10, and Sunday, December 11. More information can be found here.
Want to geek out over cats? We’ve got the purr-fect place.
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It’s Feline A Lot Like Christmas Cat Show
The Phoenix Feline Fanciers will put on their annual two-day cat event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 10, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 11, at Mesa Convention Center, 263 North Center Street. It’s open to both cat fanciers and those who like interacting with adorable felines. More than 40 breeds will be on display in eight judging rings while activities and competitions for household breeds are also planned. Looking for the purr-fect gift to spoil your fur babies? Vendors will sell everything from collars and clothing to toys, cat furniture and toys, and even jewelry. No kitten. Local adoption agencies and rescue groups will also be on hand for those who’d like to take home a new companion animal for the holidays. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and members of the military, $8 for kids 3 to 12, and free for children 3 and under.
This weekend, Adam Sandler will stage his first stand-up set in the Valley in 26 years.
Benjamin Leatherman
Adam Sandler
When a stand-up comedian does an arena tour, it’s safe to safe they’re popular enough to draw tens of thousands of fans to pack the joint. Adam Sandler certainly qualifies, given his name recognition and star status. The actor and comedian is scheduled to conclude his current tour at Footprint Center, 201 East Jefferson Street, on Sunday, December 11, and has already sold out most of the venue, according to Ticketmaster. If you’ve ever seen any of Sandler’s stand-up gigs, his Netflix special from 2018, or most of his films, you already know what to expect out of his set: sophomoric humor, quirky songs, and heartfelt moments (including a performance of his tribute song for the late Chris Farley). A special “surprise guest” is being teased for the show, which starts at 8 p.m. If you need any more reason to drop anywhere from $44.50 to $154.50 for tickets, it’s his first Valley performance in 26 years. And that’s no joke.
In need of a new tarot deck?
Andrew Gustar/CC BY-ND 2.0/Flickr
Witchcrafted Yule Market
There’s seemingly a holiday shopping event, gift market, or bazaar for everything these days, including this makers market for witchy types, pagans, or followers of the occult from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, December 11, at Glendale Civic Center, 5750 West Glenn Drive. Looking for some ritual supplies or a new set of tarot cards? How about a Krampus ornament? More than 80 vendors and artists will have all of the aforementioned items will be for sale at the event, as well as occult art, candles, handcrafted jewelry, oddities, baked goods, and other “enchanting offerings.” Admission is $5 (cash only) at the door. Yule be sorry if you miss it.
