Nestled amid the red buttes of Papago Park, the Desert Botanical Garden hosts one of the world’s finest collections of desert plants and is home to 139 rare, threatened and endangered plant species from around the world. Starting the day after Thanksgiving, the Garden welcomes visitors to Las Noches de las Luminarias and lights up the cactus garden with thousands of hand-lit luminarias. Take a journey through the Garden’s golden-lit paths Nov. 28-Dec. 23, and enjoy live music by local bands, savor cuisine and sample exquisite wines, or delight in a warm cup of cocoa or cider. What a way to kick off the holiday season! For more information, visit www.dbg.org.

Just down the road, see the Phoenix Zoo in a whole new light with Zoolights Nov. 27, 2008 to Jan. 10, 2009. Once the sun goes down and animals go to sleep, the Zoo transforms into one of the largest holiday lighting events in the Southwest with 2.5 million lights and more than 400 light sculptures ranging from small stars to life-size giraffe, elephants and orangutans. And with Zoolights going green, visitors will be happy to see that LED lights are being used since they consume less energy than standard bulbs. Plus, the lights are powered by SRP EarthWise Energy, which produces energy from sun, wind, the Earth’s heat and flowing water in area canals. For more information, visit www.phoenixzoo.org.

And to ring in the New Year, Scottsdale’s Ultimate Block Party is the place to be. On Dec. 31, more than 10,000 people will gather in downtown Scottsdale for a street-scene atmosphere featuring live entertainment on two stages, a cooking display and culinary experience by area chefs, and access to three of Scottsdale’s hottest bars – Acme Bar & Grill, Dos Gringos and Upper Deck. And when the clock strikes 12, celebrate 2009 with a fireworks display and champagne toast. For more information, visit www.scottsdalesultimateblockparty.com.

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