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SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | DECEMBER 19, 2021
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Santa returns to Scottsdale for photo ops BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer
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fter having to can Santa Claus from last year’s celebrations or having jolly St. Nick sitting at a distance from kids, several venues around the city have brought back the star of the show this year. Most places around the city offer a oneon-one experience with Santa but with the options to remain distant. Here are places to find Santa around Scottsdale prior to Christmas Day. Holiday Light Experience at Salt River Fields After providing a drive-thru only experience last holiday season where Santa sat and waved at vehicles passing by, Holiday Light Experience at Salt River Fields has expanded Santa’s Village. “This year, we decided to build an entire
The Holiday Light Experience at Salt River Fields is more than willing to accommodate kids’ wishes on how close they want to be. (Special to the Progress)
village around him so people could park their cars, meet Mrs. Claus and visit her
workshop, eat some food, roast marshmallows and meet Santa,” said Kerry Dunne, a
spokesman for Holiday Light Experience at Salt River Fields. Santa’s Village guests can purchase S’more kits with marshmallows they can roast over a fire, enjoy a myriad of foods ranging from lobster and sushi to pizza to cotton candy and ice cream, take family photos in one of twenty 20-foot-tall presents around the site and enjoy the 12-minute film presented on a 40 x 17-foot projection screen. “We wanted an extension for the families,” said Dunne. “We wanted them to be able to get out of their cars, drink some hot chocolate, roam around and provide a lot of family activities while people wait for Santa.” However, the main attraction is the opportunity to get a meet and greet with Santa. “Last year, we did not allow anybody to
see SANTA page 23
3 Scottsdale women earn degrees, honors at ASU
PROGRESS NEWS STAFF
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hree Scottsdale residents last week earned degrees and big honors at Arizona State University’s winter graduation ceremonies. Abby Pellino Hawthorne, Hayley Steiner and Alma Astassi were among scores of grads who were awarded a variety of bachelor’s and higher degrees.
ABBY HAWTHORNE After earning dual bachelor’s degrees and working for two years in program management post-graduation, Abby Hawthorne knew she wanted to return to ASU to pursue her JD from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and now looks forward to a career in international arbitration.
Abby Hawthorne Focusing on international and business law and alternative dispute resolution, Hawthorne was a member of ASU Law’s
Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vis Moot) court team – a role she says provided the most defining moments of her legal studies. She was recognized as the top oralist at the University of San Diego Vis International Commercial Arbitration pre-moot event and one of the top 32 oralists globally at the Vis Moot Vienna competition during her final year at ASU Law. “Though time intensive and challenging, my role on the Vis Moot team helped grow my advocacy and legal research skills in a way that was fun, interesting and will surely pay off in my career,” said Hawthorne, who was recognized for her advocacy skills as one of 10 ASU Law students honored with The Order of Barristers. Hawthorne, who holds bachelor’s de-
grees in global studies and sociology as well as certificates in international studies, and religion and conflict, studied abroad twice: a summer studying European Union law and policy at ASU Law’s partner program in Prato, Italy, and a semester in Melbourne, Australia, working on an independent study paper examining female representation on the federal courts of Australia and the U.S. “When discussing my non-traditional law school path with ASU Law professors and administration, the answer to my many questions was never ‘no’ – it was: ‘If you’re willing to put in the effort, we can find a way to make that work,’” Hawthorne said. Hawthorne served as a U.S. Depart-
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