Christmas lights at this Mesa home a tradition for more than 20 years
See lights 6 p.m.-midnight through New Year’s Day at 2329 N. Recker Road #104 in Mesa with snow weekends 6-9 p.m. A “Happy Birthday Jesus” the family says.
Provided by Danny Dingman
- World of Illumination is a popular drive-through Christmas light display in Arizona.
- The experience features two locations in Tempe and Glendale, each with a unique theme.
- The Tempe theme is “Rockin’ Christmas” and the Glendale theme is “Cosmic Sleighride.”
The holiday season is officially here, and for many, that means it’s time to dust off the ornaments, untangle the lights and decorate the Christmas tree.
For others, the tradition isn’t about decorating at home at all, but instead it’s piling into the car with friends and family and cruising through dazzling Christmas light displays.
One of Arizona’s popular displays is World of Illumination, a massive drive-through Christmas light experience featuring millions of synchronized lights, theme displays and large holiday scenes. Arizona has two locations, Tempe and Glendale, each with a unique theme.
Here is everything to know about World of Illumination.
The best drive-through Christmas lights in Phoenix
The World of Illumination offers two locations with different themes. The Tempe location’s theme is “Rockin’ Christmas” with a mile-long symphony of sight and sound and dancing to classic holiday beats and a retro Santa rocking around the Christmas tree.
The second location is in Glendale, which takes you out of this world with the theme “Cosmic Sleighride.” This mile-long course invites guests to blast off into a space-age holiday adventure.
How long does it take to drive through the World of Illumination?
Driving through the World of Illumination typically takes about 25-35 minutes, depending on traffic and the level of activity that night. Pro tip: Go early in the evening or on a weekday to avoid long lines.
Want a free option? Drive past these extravagant displays
Nearly 100 over-the-top displays will be on The Arizona Republic’s annual holiday lights map, which is used by individuals, bus tours, limo parties and others who have made cruising the Phoenix area in search of the biggest and brightest part of their holiday tradition.
If you’re ready to cruise around for some lights, visit http://lights.azcentral.com/.
Got a story you want to share? Reach out at Tiffany.Acosta@gannett.com. Follow @tiffsario on Instagram.
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