DECEMBER 2023 10 North Pole Experience at Little America in Flagstaff. Lights in the Night at Thompson Event Center in Mesa. FRIDAY 12/1 Frosty Fest 6-8 p.m. at Park West Mall, 9744 W. Northern Ave., Peoria. Tis the season for all things jolly. During this free event, guests will find two real snow play areas, an inner tube snow slide, a live performance by the Jingle Belles, photo ops with Santa, “reindeer” rides and train rides. A seasonal scavenger hunt will allow attendees to collect “believe” bells at participating stores and restaurants, redeemable for a free light- up Santa hat. shopparkwest.com SATURDAY 12/2 Holiday “Open Barn” 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Desert Mirage Alpaca Ranch, 19007 W. Roadrunner Road, Wittman. Desert Mirage has a lot of holiday spirit going around – and this is made even better with one thing: alpacas! Spend time with the fluffy animals, browse through local vendors and take care of Christmas shopping at the alpaca store. The man in red will also be making an appearance. This event is free. desertmiragealpacaranch.com SUNDAY 12/3 Santa Hustle 5K 7 a.m. at Westgate, 6751 N. Sunset Blvd., Glendale. Now’s the time to run off all those calories from Thanksgiving to make room for Christmas dinner. The Santa Hustle race offers a half-marathon, 5K and Kids Dash. Dress in your best Santa-themed outfits, enjoy the race and then head to the post-race party for the awards show – there’s even an award for best costume. Registration is $50 for the 5K and $70 for the half-marathon. santahustle.com FRIDAY 12/8 – SUNDAY 12/10 4th Avenue Winter Street Fair 10 a.m., along 4th Avenue in Tucson. This 54th annual, family-friendly street fair brings over 350,000 people to the Old Pueblo annually. There will be live entertainment, 40+ food and drink stations, a vendor village, beer and wine and more than 350 artists from around the world showcasing their mediums. This event is free. fourthavenue.org SAT. 12/9 – SUN. 12/10 West Valley Wonderland 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at State Farm Stadium, 1 Cardinals Dr., Glendale. A one-stop holiday shop with over 100 vendors offering everything from handmade crafts and jewelry to home goods, holiday ornaments and apparel. There will also be games, activities, food vendors, live music, balloon rides and more. Tickets start at $12. westvalleywonderland.com SUNDAY 12/10 Hanukkah Menorah Lighting 5:30 p.m. at Tlaquepaque, 336 State Route 179, Sedona. Hosted by Chabad of Sedona and Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village, attendees are welcome to watch the lighting of the menorah on the first night of Hanukkah at Tlaquepaque. Latkes, donuts, and hot chocolate will be available, as well as festive music. Kids will have the opportunity to meet Judah the Maccabbee, take a photo and receive chocolate coins. This event is free. tlaq.com FRIDAY 12/15 A Winter’s Eve with David Arkenstone 7:30 p.m. at the Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix. Five-time Grammy nominee David Arkenstone and his band will host a candlelit concert of holiday classics performed in Arkenstone’s signature style: a blend of neo-classical crossover, new age, Celtic, progressive rock, orchestral and world music. Tickets start at $42. mim.org FRIDAY 12/15 – SUNDAY 12/17 Art at Anthem 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. at Outlets North Phoenix, 4250 W. Anthem Way. The inaugural Art at Anthem event will boast over 60 fine artists and vendors, live music, activities, food vendors and more. Saturday will see a Drum Circle activity for the kids, and on Sunday, Native hoop dancer Moontee Sinquah will perform. Admission is free. oakcreekartsandcraftsshow.com SATURDAY 12/16 North Pole Experience Times vary; at Little America, 2515 E. Butler Ave., Flagstaff. Visit with Santa before he heads out to drop off Christmas gifts. Go behind the scenes of Santa’s workshop and help the elves build toys for Christmas, take a tour of the workshop, visit the Toy Hall of Fame, read stories with Mrs. Claus – and visit her bakery – and build arts and crafts. Tickets start at $52 per person. northpoleexperience.com Lights in the Night 6-8 p.m. at Thompson Event Center, 1901 N. Alma School Road, Mesa. As families and friends travel through this drive-thru light show, they may be dazzled by over one million lights glittering on candy canes, snowmen, presents, and more, all synchronized to festive holiday tunes. New this year is a VIP train ride experience. Tickets start at $35 per vehicle. arizonalightsinthenight.com OUT OF THE AREA, BUT WORTH THE DRIVE WEDNESDAY 12/20 DRUMline Live! Holiday Spectacular 7 p.m. at The Vista Center for the Arts, 15660 N. Parkview Pl., Surprise. If you’ve seen the movie Drumline , you know what’s happening at this evening’s event. Except this time, the drummers will perform soulful renditions of favored holiday classics like The Little Drummer Boy, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and more. Tickets start at $30. thevistaaz.com FRIDAY 12/29 African Children’s Choir 7 p.m. at Desert Hills Community Church, 34835 N. 7th St., Phoenix. International nonprofit Music for Life is hosting the 2023 U.S. African Children’s Choir Tour. The concert will include performances of popular children’s music, traditional spiritual songs and African cultural pieces. This concert is free, but donations are welcome. africanchildrenschoir.com SUNDAY 12/31 New Year’s Eve Celebration 3-6 p.m. or 7 p.m.-12:30 a.m. at Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria. Ring in 2024 with two performances and a three-course meal. Tribute band Not Fade Away will play songs by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beatles, The Big Bopper and more. There will be a champagne celebration and a balloon drop when midnight strikes. Tickets are $175 per person. azbroadway.org Blazin’ M New Year’s Eve 7 p.m. at Blazin’ M Ranch, 1875 Mabery Ranch Road, Cottonwood. Dinner, drinks and dancing are on the docket for this ranch’s NYE event. Guests can choose from prime rib, chicken or a vegetarian meal, and after dinner, there will be a live DJ and dancing, plus a champagne toast at midnight. Kids and adults are welcome. Tickets are $109 per person. blazinm.com WE HAVE MOVED 4600 E Shea Blvd | Suite 100 | Phoenix, AZ 85028 NW corner Tatum and Shea | West of Trader Joes 602.955.8700 • FPSAZ.com IN PRACTICE CELEBRATING EXPERT DOCTORS AND PRACTITIONERS. CONVENIENT SERVICES. EXTENDED HOURS. Our Family Caring for Yours

11 DECEMBER 2023 By Shi Bradley Earlier this year, Arcadia-based environmental advocate and author Robin Shaw released her debut novel, The Tree That Called Us Home . This story centers around the disappearance of the iconic American Chestnut Tree. The novel regales readers with a journey that spans seven generations of the Hayes family, who run a hog farm in southwestern Virginia. The protagonist returns from her busy life in the city to begin a project focused on the chestnut tree in her hometown, telling a tale of the circle of life, the importance of family, and the significance of the tree in the Appalachian region. “The chestnut was this giant of a tree that grew all over the eastern seaboard. It was used for everything,” Shaw said. “Lumber, people made it a source of nutrition, they used it to make bread. It became a staple in American history. Many streets are named after the chestnut. It’s even in a famous Christmas song.” Over the last 100 years, nearly 60 species of chestnuts have gone extinct. The blight of the American chestnut highlights a moment in environmental history widely regarded by ecologists as one of the most significant disasters since the Ice Age. “Our chestnuts built no immunity to the blight,” Shaw explained. “It traveled and wiped out an estimated four billion trees.” With a degree in biology and a background in creative writing, Shaw wanted to find a way to advocate for and bring awareness to the American chestnut – in a way didn’t require a return to the lab or significant funds, which was part of the inspiration for her novel. “I realized storytelling is truly the birthplace of connection for human beings,” Shaw said. “We love to hear stories; we love to tell stories. So I thought, I will write about a real family, what life was like when they lived in the chestnut forests, and then when the blight came, what that was like and how it affected their family.” Shaw says the support in publishing the book and the reception in both the local and chestnut advocacy communities has been incredible. “I’ve done many things in my life and had many different careers. But this was definitely a culmination of everything I’ve worked for,” Shaw said. “I had a book launch, and the energy was amazing.” Shaw hopes her novel inspires people to help the cause, but her first and foremost goal is to spread awareness about an underrated part of history. “I want everyone to know that this happened,” Shaw said. “This was a devastating event that Americans should be aware of, and if you want to be involved and advocate for the cause, even better.” The Tree That Called Us Home is available on Amazon. wildamericanchestnut.com A story about the disappearance of the American Chestnut Robin Shaw (front, right) with some of her guests at the book launch for her novel – a project that took over three years. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN SHAW 602.399.8540 debbiefrazelle.com dfrazelle@cox.net PAST ARCADIA PTO VP PAST H AST H AST OPI PTA PRESIDENT ARCADIA RESIDENT FOR OVER 30 YEARS Top 1% of Coldwell Banker Agents Debbie Frazelle | CLHMS | ABR Thank you for your friendship and loyalty. Because of great clients like you, we have remained in the top 3% at Coldwell Banker for the last 10 years straight. If you or a friend is looking to buy or sell a home, I would love to be your Realtor. Have a safe and healthy holiday! Fresh holiday wreaths and more starting at $30 Saturday & Sunday • December 2 & 3 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. (or until SOLD OUT) Help support Arcadia’s Boy Scout Troop 6 This is our sole fundraiser of the year and helps fund our camping, hiking, backpacking trips and community service projects, while we encourage and train young men to: Be Prepared. For Life. No trees are cut down for these holiday evergreens from Sherwood Forest Farms in the Paci fi c Northwest. DRIVE-THRU 3641 N. 56th Street – Prince of Peace Church (pull-through off 56th Street) ff 56th Street) ff (Look for Troop 6 Scouts with signs) Indian School Road 56th St. Prince of Peace Lutheran Church TROOP 6 DRIVE-THRU WREATH SALE SATURDAY SALE SUNDAY SALE