PVCC Puma Press: December 2006

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	Courtesy of City of Glendale
	Glendale Glitter & Glow is the final night of Glendale Glitter. The evening is highlighted by the inflation of 36 hot air balloons in the streets of Glendale.
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Each year, historic downtown Glendale celebrates the holidays by lighting up the nights with Glendale Glitters. In its 13th year, Glendale will illuminate Murphy Park and the Catlin Court and Old Towne shopping districts with 1.4 million lights.

Lorraine Pino, Glendale tourism manager, says, “We consider ourselves the best display for holiday lights in Arizona. It’s Norman Rockwell come to life.”

Visitors can attend free opening-night events from 5-10 p.m., Nov. 24 and 25. The holiday lights will be turned on at 6 p.m. each night. While walking downtown, visitors can enjoy live musical entertainment on two stages, purchase food and merchandise and ride in horse-drawn carriages.

Pino says that along with festival food sold by street vendors, the approximately 20 restaurants, which include ethnic eateries and tearooms, will be open late and serving their specialties.

Kim Larson, PR person for special events with Glendale marketing and communications, says food vendors will sell kettle corn, roasted nuts, tons of chocolate, fry bread, mini-donuts, BBQ, soup bowls, bratwurst, hot dogs, hamburgers, Thai and Greek food and more. For the shopper, she says that arts and crafts vendors will have an array of merchandise such as engraved glass, personalized ornaments, body care products, jewelry, wooden toys, candles, dog and cat treats, purses, lamps, home décor and children’s books. The entertainment lineup will perform on two stages but is not finalized, and jugglers and other street entertainment will be on hand.

Carriage rides can usually accommodate six people, and the price is $20 per carriage ride according to Pino. She laughs as she says that depending on the speed of the horse, carriage rides last approximately 15 minutes.

Pino says that many activities like birthday celebrations and marriage proposals take place during carriage rides. Last year, a marriage proposal took place in front of the Civic Center. Later when the couple was married, they held their wedding reception at the Civic Center.

Larson says, “Catlin Court is listed on the National Historic Register, as a good portion of the Craftsman-style bungalows, which include both residential homes and some that have been turned into businesses, are historic buildings.”

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	Courtesy of City of Glendale
	Glendale's Murphy Park glows with 1.4 million lights.
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Bears & More gift shop occupies a sunshine yellow bungalow in Catlin Court at 7146 N. 58th Drive. Proprietors Linda and Valerie Burner, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law respectively, have operated their shop since 1992.

“We have 9,000 pieces in our store. We have six rooms and a walk through closet, which contains clearance items,” says Linda Burner.

She says their inventory includes 500 pieces of Steiff, which is a 126 year old company, Boyd’s bears and their new line of cards, a new line of German Schleich tiny hard rubber animals, and nostalgic toys such as tops, balsam airplane kits, jack-in-the-boxes, yo-yos and more. They also carry holiday limited edition pieces from Boyds and Steiff.

On Dec. 21, the theme for “That Thursday Thing,” which Glendale hosts the third Thursday of each month from October through May, will be holiday shopping. Entertainment and carriage rides are free and bands, violinists and carolers will entertain throughout the area while visitors finish their last-minute holiday shopping.

Glendale Glitters lasts until Jan. 6 and during that period of time there will be Enchanted Evenings and Quiet Nights. Enchanted Evenings consist of later shop and restaurant hours with musical entertainment and vendors in and around the park, lights twinkling and the sound of horses’ hooves from carriage rides. Enchanted Evenings fall on Dec. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 and 23 from 6-10 p.m. Quiet Nights are all other nights in between when visitors stroll through the park and enjoy the solitude and the twinkling lights.

On Jan. 6, Glendale wraps up the festivities with Glendale Glitter & Glow BCS Block Party, which coincides with the festivities for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the Bowl Championship Series game held at the new stadium. According to Pino, plans have not been finalized, but marching bands and cheerleaders will be in attendance. In the evening, three dozen hot air balloons will line the downtown streets. Visitors can watch crews as they prepare and inflate these silent giants. The tethered balloons will glow throughout the evening.

There are 2,000 parking spaces within walking distance of downtown Glendale, and a free shuttle will run from First Southern Baptist Church at 59th and Brown Avenues to downtown Glendale throughout the evening. Please visit http://www.visitglendale.com for updates on activities or call (623) 930-4500.