20 Dec 8th–Dec 14th, 2022 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | Lightyear figure, and a BB-8 inflatable. The couple shares the magic with their neighbors, as five adjacent houses are part of an interconnected, computerized light show. Hours: 5:30 to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; 5:30 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, through December 31. Southeast Valley Santa Train 541 East Mountain Sky Avenue, Ahwatukee santatrain.com There’s plenty of charm to Frank and Dianne Polimene’s display, which has chugged along since the ’80s. It includes whimsical touches like a dancing Santa, a cactus elf house, and stuffed animals riding a pint-sized Ferris wheel. The centerpiece is a 1/6th-scale locomotive circling an 80-foot track and dispensing candy canes. If you’re into Christmas kitsch, you can choo-choo-choose to stop by. Hours: Open nightly until 11 p.m. through January 1. Christmas on Milky Way 4606 West Milky Way, Chandler facebook.com/christmasonmilkyway You won’t need the James Webb Space Telescope to spot the constellation of 25 color-changing LED stars atop Frank Kostyun’s house. They easily stand out in the darkness while twinkling in concert with the 140,000 lights making up this astro-themed display, which also includes custom-programmed animation set to music and a 45-foot-tall tree resembling a rocket plume. Far out. Hours: Nightly, 6 to 10 p.m., through January 1. Lights on Liberty Lane 396 West Liberty Lane, Gilbert facebook.com/lightsonlibertylane Cascades of vibrant colors swirl, ebb, and flow across the Richins family’s two-story home during amazing choreographed audio and visual sequences set to holiday music. (It’s so impressive that The Great Christmas Light Fight showcased the house in 2017.) Their neighbors share in the fun, as the display’s 110,000 lights are spread across a dozen adjacent homes. Hours: Operates nightly, 6 to 10 p.m., through December 28. Peanuts Airport 1146 North Quail Lane, Gilbert Anyone who associates the holidays with the Peanuts gang will enjoy this adorable airport-like scene with 30,000 lights and cutouts of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, and other characters. Snoopy also makes an appearance, piloting a Sopwith Camel while dressed as a World War I ace. We’re sure the late Charles Schulz would’ve loved this display, too. Hours: Available nightly, 5 p.m. to midnight, through January 1. Christmas on Comstock 3642 East Comstock Drive, Gilbert facebook.com/christmasoncomstock This cooperative display won a 2015 episode of The Great Christmas Light Fight, and it’s no surprise why. An animated light show spans 13 homes and utilizes 110,000 bulbs, 50,000 feet of wire, 300-plus strobes, various snow machines, and other attractions to wow visitors. It’s both a drivable and walkable experience. Hours: Operates 6 to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; 6 to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday. through December 30. Christmas on Orchid Lane 6480 West Orchid Lane, Chandler facebook.com/ christmasonorchidlane Here’s a holiday pro tip: If you’d like to see several decorated homes in a single trip, head for this upscale street in Chandler’s Ray Ranch Estates where a series of distinctive displays are set up on 16 neighboring residences. You can also get photos in front of a large sleigh and other Insta-worthy props or just take in all the joyful sights. Hours: 6 to 9 p.m through December 31. A Winters Dream 37868 North Bonnie Lane, San Tan Valley facebook.com/awintersdreamaz It’s a drive to get to this quaint DIY display, but one worth a tank of gas. Brandon and Alina McCaslin create a serene milieu outside their home where polar bears and reindeer frolic among snowy hills. A music and light show happens nightly, but visit on weekends when it includes snowfall and special effects, as well as visits from various characters. Hours: 6 to 10 p.m. nightly, through December 25. Christmas on Orchid Lane. Tom Carlson Fantastic from p 19
