Merry Main Street starts Friday, Nov. 27. The kickoff and Christmas tree lighting runs from 5 to 10 p.m., and the City of Mesa lists it at 1 N. Macdonald. The tree, the ice rink and the live music are in the same place as always. The change this year is at the edges. Since August, a full Italian restaurant, a gelato bar and a hidden cocktail lounge have opened near the east end of downtown. In October a dinner-and-live-music venue opened near the west end.
Taken together, that changes how a holiday night downtown can go. You can have dinner at one end of Main Street, spend the evening in the middle and finish at the other end. On the nights when the season is busiest, the light rail covers the whole route for free.
The east end now has a dinner anchor
Michael Merendino of Crust Concepts opened three businesses on the ground floor of The 233, a new Unscripted by Hyatt hotel at 233 E. Main St., just east of Hibbert. Phoenix New Times reported that the Crust restaurant and its hidden bar were first announced in 2023. The project stalled when the original developer filed for bankruptcy in 2024. A new developer took over and added a hotel to the plan. The same New Times story said the trio was in a soft opening by early August, with an official grand opening set for Aug. 27.
Each one fits a different part of the night:
- Crust Simply Italian is the fifth Valley location of a restaurant that began in Scottsdale in 2007. It serves East Coast-style Italian food: New York-style pizzas, chicken Parmesan, and pastas with alfredo, bolognese or vodka sauce. The Mesa dining room is 7,300 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out on a patio facing Main Street.
- Bombolino sells coffee and pastries in the morning and doughnuts and gelato later in the day. The gelato comes from Glendale's Villa Dolce, with flavors like New York strawberry cheesecake and Cookie Monster. Mesa's Buttered Up Bakery makes the pastries and doughnuts, and the Crust team finishes them on site. The item New Times singled out is the Bomba, a doughnut filled with gelato.
- The Nightingale is the hidden bar, and you get in through Bombolino. It's decorated in jewel tones with a bird theme and has its own private patio. The house cocktails include the Dead Canary, a dark rum espresso martini, and the Tail Feather, a cucumber-infused mezcal drink.
The posted hours depend on where you look. Crust's own site lists the restaurant at 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Hyatt's dining page lists 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For The Nightingale, Crust lists Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to close. Hyatt lists Wednesday through Sunday evenings. Both sources agree on Friday and Saturday evenings, and those are the nights that matter most this season. For any other night, check before you go.
Location is what makes The 233 useful in December. The Mesa Temple Holiday Lights run nightly from Nov. 27 through Dec. 30, 5 to 10 p.m., at 101 S. LeSueur. The International Nativity Exhibit runs on the same schedule at the Visitors' Center, 455 E. Main St. Downtown Mesa describes the lights as a tradition going back more than 45 years. The Mesa Christmas Market is close by too, set for Dec. 11 through 13, 5 to 9:30 p.m., at 420 E. Main St. at the Mesa Drive Park & Ride. That puts dinner, the temple lights and the market within a few blocks of each other at the east end. "There's such an energy in the community down here," Merendino told Phoenix New Times.
The west end picked up a stage
The other new anchor is near Country Club Drive. KTAR reported that Stage 12 West opened Friday, Oct. 2, in the space that used to be 12 West Brewing's downtown location. Downtown Mesa's dining directory lists it at 12 W. Main St. It's a restaurant and a live entertainment venue in one. The menu runs from spicy wings and a bruschetta trio to grilled salmon and pasta primavera, with chocolate lava cake or apple crisp for dessert, and the shows come with sound and laser displays. The venue also announced Jolie's Secret Speakeasy, with an opening date of Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. When the story ran, regular hours weren't posted on the venue's website.
Soulitify, an R&B, pop and Latin cover band, played Stage 12 West's opening weekend. The same band plays the Mesa Christmas Tree on Dec. 4.
For dessert at this end of the street, Twisterz Frozen Dessert is at 58 W. Main St. The City of Mesa announced it as open in February. Visit Mesa lists it open until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, so it's still serving after the tree area winds down.
The middle is where the season happens
The middle of Main Street still has the main attractions. Merry Main Street includes a 6,000-square-foot real ice rink, the Winter Wonderland Ice Rink, at the Plaza at Mesa City Center. The rink's 2026 dates, hours and skating prices haven't been posted yet. The official page says 2026 information is coming soon. According to the Merry Main Street calendar, most of the season's activities are free. The only costs are skating and Mesa Arts Center tickets.
Here are the dated events posted so far for 2026, from the Live @ Merry Main schedule, Downtown Mesa's Sunset Market listing and the Mesa Arts Center calendar:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov. 13 | Sunset Market, 5–9 p.m. | Macdonald and Main |
| Fri, Nov. 27 | Kickoff, tree lighting; Pete Pancrazi Band featuring Diana Lee, 6–9 p.m. | Mesa Christmas Tree |
| Sat, Nov. 28 | Crown Kings, 6–9 p.m. | Mesa Christmas Tree |
| Nov. 28–29 | Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis | Mesa Arts Center |
| Dec. 2–5 | Fall on Your Knees | Mesa Arts Center |
| Fri, Dec. 4 | Soulitify, 6–9 p.m. | Mesa Christmas Tree |
| Fri, Dec. 11 | Sunset Market, 5–9 p.m.; Chad Freeman & Redline, 6–9 p.m.; Mesa Christmas Market opens, 5–9:30 p.m. | Macdonald and Main; tree; 420 E. Main |
| Wed, Dec. 16 | Dave Koz & Friends Christmas 2026 Tour | Mesa Arts Center |
| Fri, Dec. 18 | Mariachi Destino Real, 6–9 p.m.; GENTRI Christmas | Mesa Christmas Tree; Mesa Arts Center |
| Sat, Dec. 19 | Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland | Mesa Arts Center |
| Mon, Dec. 21 | Mickey Guyton & Friends Holiday | Mesa Arts Center |
The Live @ Merry Main page notes that schedules can change. Santa visits, Santa Paws and Breakfast with Santa are all on the program, but their 2026 details haven't been released. Only service animals are allowed at Merry Main Street activities. Santa Paws is the exception.
Friday, Dec. 11 is the busiest date on the list. The Sunset Market, a band at the tree and the first night of the Mesa Christmas Market all overlap, and the Christmas Market is at the east end, a short walk from The 233.
Fridays and Saturdays connect the whole street
On Fridays and Saturdays from Nov. 27 through Dec. 26, light rail rides are free between the Country Club and Gilbert Rd. stations from 5 to 10 p.m. Downtown Mesa lists three stops on Main Street: Country Club/Main St., Center/Main St. and Mesa Dr/Main St. Every Live @ Merry Main show this year falls on a Friday or Saturday, so every show date also has free rides.
Parking costs nothing after 5 p.m. too. Downtown Mesa says it has more than 5,000 free spaces, with garages free after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. The named garages are Centennial Garage at 145 N. Centennial Way, Eco Mesa Garage at 127 W. Pepper Place, Pepper Place Garage at 30 W. Pepper Place, Pomeroy Garage at 30 S. Pomeroy St. and Sirrine Parking Garage at 30 S. Sirrine St. Free surface lots include the Green Lot at 1 N. Macdonald St. and the Gold Lot at 38 S. Drew St.
Here's one way a Friday night could go:
- Park in a west-side garage and have an early dinner and a show at Stage 12 West.
- Walk east to the tree for the 6 p.m. set, then skate if the rink is open.
- Ride the free light rail east to the Mesa Dr/Main St. stop for the temple lights and the Nativity Exhibit.
- Finish with gelato at Bombolino or a drink at The Nightingale, then ride back west before 10 p.m.
You can also do it in reverse. Start with dinner at Crust, walk to the temple lights before the crowds arrive, and end with dessert at Twisterz on the west side.
Still on the way
Two more spots are coming to the west end. Randizzle's Burger Bar was announced with an October opening target that depended on inspections. Its address is 104 W. Main St., Suites 103–105. As of Oct. 16, Arizona Pulse reported that no opening date had been confirmed. In the same building, at 104 W. Main St., #101, Pinnacle Brewing Co. plans a taproom and kitchen in early 2027, according to Phoenix New Times. Randizzle's may or may not be open by the kickoff. Pinnacle won't be open until after this season.
If you're planning a holiday night downtown and want suggestions from someone who spends a lot of time in the East Valley, our team at Jody Poling is happy to share where we'd start and where we'd end the night. Contact us any time this season.
