10 best events, things to do in Phoenix this week

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

11/15-12/31: ‘Newsies’ | It’s the Disney musical that flopped at the box office, became a cult film and then a blockbuster Broadway musical, which is getting its first local production at Phoenix Theatre. With shades of “Oliver!,” it tells the sort-of-true story of the Newsboys Strike of 1889 in New York City, when newspaper magnates Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst saw their sales force of street urchins rise up to demand a fair deal. | Details: Wednesday, Nov. 15, through Sunday, Dec. 31. Phoenix Theatre, 100 E. McDowell Road. $29 and up. 602-254-2151, phoenixtheatre.com. Reg Madison Photography

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

11/22-1/15: ZooLights | Mark your calendars for Nov. 22 — that is when the popular holiday-season ZooLights exhibit will return to the Phoenix Zoo. ZooLights features millions of lights, hundreds of light displays, Music-in-Motion displays by the lake, a lighted tree, carousel rides, and more. | Details: 5:30-10:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22-Monday, Jan. 15, 2018. Tickets are available starting Oct. 1; check website for details. Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. 602-286-3800, phoenixzoo.org. Michael Chow/The Republic

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

11/24-1/6: Glendale Glitters | The award-winning and popular holiday festival is returning to Glendale. People of all ages are sure to enjoy admiring the 1.5 million LED lights that cover 16 blocks; the festival also features holiday entertainment, visits with Santa, food, hand-crafted gifts and more. | Details: Celebration kickoff Nov. 24-25. 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Then 5-11 p.m. nightly through Saturday, Jan. 6. Historic downtown Glendale, 58th and Glendale avenues. glendaleaz.com/glitters. The Republic

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

11/24-12/23:Rawhide Snowy Christmas | Enjoy festive Christmas decorations including a 100-foot Christmas tree and more at Rawhide. The entire Western town will be decorated for the holidays, Santa will visit on the weekends and you might even get to see some snow. | Details: Every Friday-Sunday from Nov. 24-Dec. 23, plus Thanksgiving, Nov. 23; times vary, check website for details. Rawhide Western Town & Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler. Free. 480-502-5600, rawhide.com. The Arizona Republic

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

11/25-1/1:Scottsdazzle | The city of Scottsdale is hosting a festive month-long holiday celebration that starts with a tree-lighting ceremony and holiday song sing along. The Christmas tree, which is coming all the way from Italy, has over one million lighting options and will shine every night on the Soleri Bridge. Entertainment, holiday décor and other fun events including restaurant specials will also take place all month as part of Scottsdazzle. | Details: 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov.25, tree lighting ceremony. Arizona Canal Banks alongside Scottsdale Waterfront and Southbridge, Scottsdale. Free. Other Scottsdazzle events/times vary, check website for details. scottsdazzle.com. Getty Images

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/8-30:Las Noches de las Luminarias | Desert Botanical Garden will glow in the evening during December with more than 8,000 hand-lit luminaria bags and thousands of white lights. The evening also features entertainment including handbell ensembles and more. | Details: 5:30-9:30 p.m. Dec.8-30. Days vary, check website for details. Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. $25, $10 for ages 3-12, free for 3 or younger. 480-941-1225, dbg.org. Desert Botanical Garden

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/15-16: Gilbert Riparian Preserve After Dark | Come stroll along a candle-lit trail at Water Ranch lake; enjoy hundreds of luminaries along with festive holiday lights, school choirs, carolers and more. Nature lovers are also sure to appreciate experiencing nighttime at the preserve. Attendees are encourage to bring donations; on Dec. 15 canned goods will be collected and donated to AZCEND and on Dec. 16 children’s toys and games will be donated to Gilbert Fire and Rescue. | Details: 5:30-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 15-16. Gilbert Riparian Preserve, 2757 E. Guadalupe Road. gilbertaz.gov. Photos by Christie Captain

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/15: Guided Bird Walk | Ranger Eric will lead the crowd on a leisurely walk around the Hassayampa River Preserve looking for wintering, migratory and resident birds. Learn how to ID birds by sound and sight, discuss bird behavior and more. | Details: 8:30-10:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 15. Hassayampa River Preserve, 49614 U.S. 60, Wickenburg. $5 for age 13 and up. Registration required. 928-684-2772. maricopacountyparks.net. Mare Czinar

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/15: Natalia Jiménez | Spaniard Jiménez fronted the adventurous pop band La Quinta Estación, which split in 2010. Her solo career is highlighted by 2015's "Quédate Con Ella," a delicious kiss-off to a cheating lover — "Let her iron your shirts / Let her go with you to Mass" — that welds mariachi horns to a modern beat. The album "Homenaje a La Gran Señora," released last year, is a Jenni Rivera tribute that findsJiménez moving even further into Mexican sounds.| Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15.The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St., Phoenix. $40. 866-777-8932, ticketweb.com. Omar Cruz

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/15: The Brian Setzer Orchestra | The once and future leader of the Stray Cats is bringing his 19-piece orchestra through town on his 14th Annual Christmas Rocks! Tour for a show that promises selections from his yuletide classics "Boogie Woogie Christmas," "Dig that Crazy Christmas" and the far more recent "Rockin' Rudolph," as well as other songs you’re bound to recognize that don't have anything to do with this or any holiday. And in keeping with the spirit of Setzer’s performance, the first three rows will be removed for dancing. | Details: 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15. Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. $63-$96. 602-267-1600 ext. 1, celebritytheatre.com. Photo: William Hames

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/16: Dr. Sky Event at Lost Dutchman State Park | Come check out the planets, stars and more in the night sky at Lost Dutchman State Park. Dr. Sky, a local television and radio journalist, will present An Amazing Night Under the Skies. Dress warmly since it willprobably be cool. | Details: 7-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec.16. Lost Dutchman State Park, 6109 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction.$7 per vehicle (up to four adults). azstateparks.com. Photos provided by Dr. Sky

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/16-17: Trains in the Garden | Train fans of all ages will love Arizona Big Train Operators’ annual Christmas open house tours featuring G-scale garden railroads. Several homes and a children’s medical center in Phoenix and the East Valley will have the trains on display. | Details: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Dec.16-17. Check website for maps. Donations are accepted. azbigtrains.org. Charlie Leight/The Republic

12/17: 6th Street Market | Train fans of all ages will

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/17: 6th Street Market | Come experience live music, art and more at the weekly 6th Street Market. From shopping and interactive art projects to 30-plus local artisans and food booths when hunger calls, the event offers something for just about everyone. | Details: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec.17. 6th Street Park, 24 E. Sixth St., Tempe. downtowntempe.com. David Wallace/The Republic

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/17: Carol Burnett | The award-winning actress and best-selling author will appear at the Comerica Theatre for “An Evening of Laughter and Reflection.” Burnett is well-known for the famously funny show “The Carol Burnett Show,” which ran for 11 years and received 25 Emmy awards. During the performance, Burnett will show video clips from her shows and take questions from the audience. | Details: 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington St., Phoenix. $88-179. 602-379-2800, comericatheatre.com. Rich Fury/Invision/AP

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/17: Deck the Halls … And All That Jazz! | The 140 members of the Tempe Community Chorus will perform holiday tunes including “Candlelight Carol” and their own spin on “Silent Night.” The event will also feature other songs like “And All That Jazz” and “Listen to the Music.” Mill Avenue Singers and Harmony Rain will also perform. | Details: 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec.17. Mesa Arts Theater, 1 E. Main St.$15, free for age 11 and younger. 480-644-6500, mesaartscenter.com. Thinkstock

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/19-24: ‘Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella’ | That plus sign in the title indicates a new-fangled version of a musical that was originally written for a 1957 TV broadcast starring Julie Andrews. It finally made it to Broadway in 2013 with a freshened-up book by playwright Douglas Carter Beane, best known for his screenplay for “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.” It’s not a critics’ fave, but it’s a crowd-pleaser nonetheless. (Special engagement not part of the subscription series.) | Details: Tuesday, Dec. 19, through Sunday, Dec. 24.ASU Gammage, Mill Avenue and Apache Boulevard, Tempe. Prices TBA. 480-965-3434,asugammage.com. Carol Rosegg

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/21:Tommy Davidson | Known for his roles in “Black Dynamite” and as one of the original cast members of “In Living Color,” stand-up comedian Tommy Davidson will make an appearance in Phoenix. Davidson, whose film debut was with Halle Berry in “Strictly Business,” is also a talented impressionist who has imitated Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr. and others. | Details: 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec.21. StandUp Live, 50 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $22. 480-719-6100, standuplive.com. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/22: ‘A Cirque Nutcracker’: Ballet Arizona’s stellar “Nutcracker” is a highlight of every season, but if you’re looking for a new twist on a holiday favorite, the Phoenix Symphony is hosting LA-based Troupe Vertigo for a Cirque du Soleil-style spectacle with highflying acrobats whizzing over the orchestra’s heads. Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St. $30-$99. 602-495-1999, phoenixsymphony.org. Mesa Arts Center

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

1/19: Katy Perry | This tour is in support of “Witness,” a chart-topping album that finds the Queen of Post-Madonna Pop reflecting on the changes in her own life and the world around her since 2013's "Prism." The platinum lead single, “Chained to the Rhythm” with Skip Marley, hit the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. WITNESS: The TourfollowsPerry’s sold-out, 151-date Prismatic World Tour, which concluded in 2015 and was hailed byRolling Stoneas "a show to damage retinas and blow minds." The star made her Capitol Records debut with 2008’s“One of the Boys”after signing to the label in 2007.Shecemented her status as a global superstar with the follow-up album,“Teenage Dream,” in 2010. “PRISM,” her 2013 album,debuted at No. 1 on iTunes in 100 countries and has sold more than 12.5 million adjusted albums worldwide. With the singles “Firework” and “Dark Horse” each surpassing the 10 million threshold, including song sales and streams,Perryis the first female artist to earn two RIAA digital single Diamond Awards. In her 10 years with Capitol, she’s racked up more than 18 billion streams alongside worldwide sales of more than 40 million adjusted albums and more than 125 million tracks. She is the most-followed person globally on Twitter. | Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19.Gila River Arena, Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue, Glendale. $45-$1,022. 800-745-3000,gilariverarena.com. Christopher Polk/Getty Images

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

1/30-2/25: 'Hamilton' | The countdown has begun: “Hamilton,” Broadway’s hip-hop smash about the Founding Fathers, will be coming to Tempe’s ASU Gammage on Jan. 30, 2018, for a four-week run. | Details: Tuesday through Sunday, January 30-February 25. ASU Gammage, Mill Avenue and Apache Boulevard, Tempe. Single show tickets not yet available. 480-965-3434, asugammage.com. Joan Marcus

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PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

Alyssa Villegas, The Republic | azcentral.com Published 11:02 a.m. MT July 2, 2017 | Updated 6:49 a.m. MT Dec. 17, 2017

Don't know what to do in metro Phoenix? Here are our picks for the best events, concerts and shows happening in the Valley.

Find all the concerts this week if you like the few you see here.

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12/20: Geology Hike

Come to Lost Dutchman State Park and join this hike on the Siphon Draw Trail to Jacobs Crosscut Trail, which leads to the most westerly portion of the Superstition Mountain range and the rock formation created millions of years ago by a volcanic eruption.

Details: 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday, Dec. 20. Lost Dutchman State Park, 6109 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction. $7 per vehicle. azstateparks.com/lost-dutchman.

12/21: Birds n’ Beer: The 12 birds – and beers – of Christmas

Educational happy hour with local craft beer provided by Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. Talks cover a variety of topics in birding, wildlife conservation, and environmental sustainability with expert speakers. December's speaker is Paul A. Wolterbeek of the Boyce Thompson Arboretum.

Details: 5:30-7:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 21. Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center, 3131 S. Central, Ave. Phoenix. No charge for admission. 602-468-6470, riosalado.audubon.org/events.

12/21: Downtown Chandler Family Flicks

Gather up your family, friends and some blankets and head to downtown Chandler for an outdoor holiday movie night. Enjoy “Elf” while relaxing in Dr. A.J. Chandler Park.

Details: 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21. Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 3 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler. Free. visitchandler.com.

12/21: Tommy Davidson

Known for his roles in “Black Dynamite” and as one of the original cast members of “In Living Color,” stand-up comedian Tommy Davidson will make an appearance in Phoenix. Davidson, whose film debut was with Halle Berry in “Strictly Business,” is also a talented impressionist who has imitated Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr. and others.

Details: 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21. StandUp Live, 50 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix. $22. 480-719-6100, standuplive.com.

12/22: Park of Four Waters Tour

This tour will take participants through undeveloped desert to the remains of two Hohokam canal segments. “Hohokam” is an archaeological term for the ancestral Native American people who built an elaborate network of irrigation canals between around 450 and 1450 A.D.

Details: 10-11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 22. Pueblo Grande Museum, 4619 E. Washington St., Phoenix. $5, first-come, first-served. 602-495-0901, pueblogrande.org.

12/22: Sunrise in the Skyspace

Early birds and those who want to experience the winter solstice can head to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art early in the morning. The event will take place in James Turrell’s Knight Rise Skyspace; through the elliptical opening in the ceiling, watch as the rising sun shifts the appearance of the sky’s color. Irish coffee and pastries will be served.

Details: 6:15 a.m. Friday, Dec. 22. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 E. Second St., Scottsdale. $10. 480-874-4666, smoca.org.

12/23: Cocoa and Cookies With Mrs. Claus

Santa’s wife will head down from the North Pole to make a special appearance at Phoenix Premium Outlets. Families can enjoy cookies and cocoa as they listen to Mrs. Claus sing Christmas carols. Photo ops will be available at the holiday photo booth.

Details: Noon-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23. Phoenix Premium Outlets, 4976 Premium Outlet Way, Gila River Reservation. Free. premiumoutlets.com/outlet/phoenix.

12/23: Gingerbread House Decorating

Gather up the kiddos and head to the Phoenix Children’s Museum for some fun and creative gingerbread house decorating. Use royal icing and assorted candies to adorn a pre-constructed house, and sip on hot cocoa as you work.

Details: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23. Phoenix Children’s Museum, 215 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. $35 for up to four people, plus museum admission. 602-253-0501, childrensmuseumofphoenix.org.

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12/23: PhxArt Project: SentiDos Dance at CityScape

Phoenix Art Museum presents performances, installations and other art at a retail space at CityScape downtown. SentiDos Dance is the featured act in December. The performance is choreographed by Joan Rodriguez and Taimy Miranda and will also feature Convergence Ballet and Stilo Dance.

Details: 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23. CityScape, 1 E. Washington St., Phoenix. Free. phxart.org.

12/24: Mazelpalooza 2017

Friends strike a pose during Mazelpalooza 2015 at Livewire in Scottsdale on Thursday, Dec. 24. Jeremiah Toller/Special for the Republic

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10 best events, things to do in Phoenix this week

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10 best events, things to do in Phoenix this week

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

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PHOTOS: 25 best, biggest events in the Valley

12/20: Geology Hike

12/21: Birds n’ Beer: The 12 birds – and beers – of Christmas

12/21: Downtown Chandler Family Flicks

12/21: Tommy Davidson

12/22: Park of Four Waters Tour

12/22: Sunrise in the Skyspace

12/23: Cocoa and Cookies With Mrs. Claus

12/23: Gingerbread House Decorating

12/23: PhxArt Project: SentiDos Dance at CityScape

12/24: Mazelpalooza 2017

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Ongoing events

11/22-1/15: ZooLights

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11/24-1/6: Glendale Glitters

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11/24-12/23: Rawhide Snowy Christmas

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11/24-12/30: ‘South Pacific’

11/25-1/1: Scottsdazzle

12/1-31: Holiday Bricktacular

Through 12/31: Mesa Temple Christmas Lights

Biggest and best upcoming events in Phoenix