12 minute read
FEATURES
Illuminating family time during the holidays
BY ANNIKA TOMLIN Glendale Star Staff Writer
World of Illumination returns with its new theme, Candy Rush, and a gingerbread village.
Treats as far as the eye can see will be awash in millions of lights along the 1-mile drive-thru animated light show.
“Everybody loves candy,” said Sara Klick, director of guest relations and marketing for World of Illumination.
“We try to find different themes for all of our shows and candy just fit in naturally with our holiday theme and it’s something that the entire family can enjoy.”
World of Illumination’s mission is to generate memorable, innovative entertainment through its drive-thru audiovisual immersive experiences. Its work pairs creativity with technology and establishes deep, supportive connections with communities nationwide.
“The previous year in Glendale, we had Rockin’ Christmas,” Klick said about the organization that has been running since 2016.
“Candy Rush was over in Georgia, and it sold out last year. We are really excited to bring it to Arizona this year.”
Each show theme corresponds with music that helps set the mood, according to Klick, who cites that as her favorite part.
“The one thing that is consistent is all of the animated lights are bright and beautiful and there are millions of them in each show,” Klick said. “There are some classic holiday favorites (being played) but we also put in some contemporary music as well.
“It’s like the lights are kind of dancing along to the song and that is really cool to see.”
World of Illumination is quickly becoming a holiday staple around the Valley, including its Tempe location themed around Reindeer Road and Santa’s workshop. Putting the theme together is not an easy task.
“Once (a theme) is fully designed, it’s about eight months to actually produce all of the displays, put all of the lights in and program everything,” Klick said. “The building process itself is about four weeks like actually putting all of the props up.”
Klick said one of the hardest parts of the entire process is “just the testing” of the equipment.
“As you know, technical issues happen,” Klick said. “There are lots of lights and lots of moving parts, so there is a whole team of people who make sure that the lights are working as planned and everything is synchronized with the music.”
The drive-thru event requires minimal contact with the World of Illumination crew. However, a no-touch option is available for people who are staying cautious because of COVID-19.
“We do offer to have totally touchless experience,” Klick said. “If the guest would prefer that, they can print their ticket and just hold it up to their window and our greeters can actually scan their ticket through their car window. They don’t have to interact with any of our crew if they don’t want to.”
World of Illumination: Candy Rush
WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. through Jan. 2 WHERE: Desert Diamond Casino, 9431 W. Northern Avenue, Glendale COST: $39.99 to $49.99 per vehicle INFO: worldofillumination.com
(Above) Millions of lights are synchronized to holiday music as guests admire it along the 1-mile path. (Below) The theme for the Glendale World of Illumination show is Candy Rush. (Photo courtesy of World of Illumination)
EVANS FROM PAGE 20 rona,” Dexys Midnight Runners’ Irishtinged rouser “Come on Eileen” and the Pretenders’ bouncy “Don’t Get Me Wrong.”
The diversity of “Copy That” sends a very intentional message.
“I want people to realize that I’m so much more than just the country genre. And like when Spotify does like playlists concerning me, I don’t want to just be associated with Carrie Underwood or Luke Bryan or the current country,” Evans said. “I want to be known as an amazing singer and producer and musician, and not just Sara Evans, the country singer.
“I want people to go ‘Oh-my-God, I’ve never heard Sara Evans sing this kind of music or sing this way,” she added. “I want them to think that I’m an even better singer than they thought I was because I am singing better now than I ever sang, and I’m challenging myself, and I hope that shows through when you listen to it. But I did some really hard stuff on this record.”
Evans has started to filter some songs from “Copy That” into her concerts. Of course, with a catalog that includes 20 charting singles, including five No. 1 country hits (“Born to Fly,” “Suds in the Bucket,” “No Place That Far,” “A Real Fine Place To Start” and “A Little Bit Stronger”) that during the early- to mid- 2000s put her in the front ranks of the country scene, she has plenty of song choices for her shows.
“It’s definitely a good 90 minutes, no question, sometimes longer because I like to talk a lot to my audience,” Evans said. “Yeah, basically it’s all the hits — really even not all the hits — we don’t play everything.”
Sara Evans Blue Christmas Tour
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27 WHERE: The Vista Center for the Arts, 15660 N. Parkview Place, Surprise COST: Tickets start at $55 INFO: 623-523-8888, info@thevistaaz.com
November 25, 2021
Cardinals hosting ‘Musical Seats’ with Seatgeek
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Glendale Star Executive Editor
The Arizona Cardinals Football Club will host a giant game of “Musical Seats,” presented by SeatGeek from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, at State Farm Stadium.
Fans are invited to participate and can register at musicalseats.com.
Participants will have a chance to win several prizes, including Cardinals single-game tickets and gift cards up to $500 while the grand prize winner will receive a pair of 2022 Arizona Cardinals season tickets.
Cardinals alumni, Arizona Cardinals cheerleaders and team mascot Big Red will be on hand for the event, and participants can enjoy family fun activities including a QB toss game, a kicking infl atable and cornhole. Concessions will also be available.
“It’s just an awesome fun, family day,” said Sarah Kettler, head of brand and customer marketing for Seatgeek.
“Big Red will be there and just a lot
Fans have the chance to win single-game Cardinals tickets, gift cards worth up to $500 and the grand prize winner will win a pair of 2022 season tickets. (Submitted photo)
of activities.”
Spots for the “Musical Seats” challenge are limited and available on a fi rst-come, fi rst-serve basis, and while all are welcome to attend, participants must be 13 or older. Once spots are fi lled, fans can join a waitlist to be notifi ed if spots become available.
“We are very, very excited,” Kettler said.
“It seems to be a great way to capitalize on the awesome team and a fun way to welcome ourselves to Phoenix in a bigger way. It’s just an awesome year for the Cardinals. We went live as the Cardinals ticketing partner a year and a half ago. This is our second season. Last season pretty unique.”
Musical Seats
WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 WHERE: State Farm Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale COST: Free INFO: Register at musicalseats.com
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GlendaleStar.com /GlendaleStar For more religion visit glendalestar.com
This Thanksgiving, and this Christmas
Have you heard of the song “This Christmas”? Well, this year, I’ve added to the title, as you can see above. To me, these two holidays belong together. Thanksgiving precedes Christmas. First thanks, then giving.
Thanksgiving is a pause of thankfulness that reorients us to the things that matter the most: God, family, friends. It’s a time to pause, pray, praise, and celebrate God and others. Think of it. When you drink from the stream, remember the spring. Thanksgiving is much more than a time when one species ceases to gobble and another begins.
Consider this quote by Robert Lintner: “Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day.” Mr. Lintner made a great point here. Be thankful to God and people more than just one day a year. Let me illustrate Thanksgiving with the following story.
An older man lived alone in Ireland. He needed to spade his potato garden, but it was backbreaking work. Moreover, his only son, who would have helped him dig, was in Long Kesh Prison. So the older man wrote a letter to his son and mentioned his predicament.
Soon the father received a reply from his son. “For heaven’s sake, dad. Don’t dig up that garden. That’s where I buried the guns!” At 4 a.m. the next morning, a dozen British soldiers arrived and dug up the entire garden without fi nding any guns. Confused, the older man wrote another note to his son telling him what happened and asking him what to do next.
His son replied, “Now plant your potatoes, dad. That’s the best I could do from here.” You know what I would do if I were the older man in the story. Thank God and thank my son!
This Thanksgiving weekend, I have a suggestion for you. Why not give thanks for and to your family, co-workers, friends, spouse, employees or your employer? John F. Kennedy said that we must fi nd time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives. I agree with that.
Even the famous sprinter Usain Bolt has found a way to thank his doubters. Here is what he wrote: “I’d like to say to all my fans out there. Thanks for the support. And to all my doubters, thank you very much because you have pushed me.” Not bad! Dub Nance points out something for which we all can be very thankful. “There’s one thing for which you can be thankful. … Only you and God have all the facts about yourself.”
Richard Douglas notes the following on the idea of Thanksgiving. “The modern American seldom pauses to give thanks for the simple blessings of life. One reason is that most of us have many good things in life. Another reason is that it hurts our pride to be grateful. We do not want to admit that God is the provider of all good things. We are stewards, not owners. Being thankful requires humility and faith in God. When we have these things, we can be grateful.”
The lack of thankfulness in our lives has devastating consequences. It affects our attitude when we are closed to gratitude. We end up becoming judgmental. We end up becoming selfi sh and self-suffi cient. We end up underachieving and alone in our unthankful world.” Brene Brown captures Douglas’ concept in this statement: “What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.”
Craig Lounsbrough clarifi es Thanksgiving for us even more. “Let’s be frank, being thankful doesn’t change the reality of what we’re facing; it simply emphasizes what we do have rather than what we don’t have. It focuses us on the possibilities, not the liabilities. It’s not about making anything different. It’s about seeing things differently. When we see things differently, we engage those things differently.
“Being thankful is entirely contrary to a sense of entitlement. The two don’t do well with one another. In some ways, we’ve been groomed and grown to believe that life owes us. If I’m entitled, there is no need to be thankful. If I’m owed something, and it’s legitimately mine, why should I be grateful for it? And why would the thought of thankfulness even cross my mind if it’s mine in the fi rst place?”
Think of it. Attitudes sour in the life that is closed to thankfulness. If someone isn’t thankful for what they have, they aren’t likely to be thankful for what they are going to get. Soon selfish attitudes take over, closing life to better things.
If you are living in a world of thanklessness, pause and change it, taking the time to thank God and others. That’s what Thanksgiving is all about. It’s giving thanks, not just taking thanks. Thanking God and others is a way to bless God and others. Thankfulness gives you a different perspective on life, an attitude that builds up, not tears down. A happy Thanksgiving is a healthy Thanksgiving, and a healthy Thanksgiving leads to more giving, not getting Christmas.
Now, do you see why God says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God…?” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Pastor Ed Delph
Glendale Star Columnist
Ed Delph is a noted author of 10 books, as well as a pastor, teacher, former business owner and speaker. He has traveled extensively, having been to more than 100 countries. He is president of NationStrategy, a nonprofi t organization involved in uplifting and transforming communities worldwide. For more information, see nationstrategy.com. He may be contacted at nationstrategy@cs.com.
