Location: Desert Botanical Garden

Featuring a collection of vibrant paintings by Arizona-based artist Frank Gonzales, this thematic, compelling exhibition explores pollinators and natural elements from the Sonoran Desert, playfully arranged in dynamic and fantasy-rich compositions. Known widely for his vivid avian subjects, Gonzales is a classically trained painter with a fresh, contemporary perspective.

Location: SEA LIFE Arizona

Expect a water wonderland at SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium this holiday season, as the undersea attraction's festive Fishmas celebration is set for weekends, December 1-24, 2018.

Location: LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Arizona

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and the team at LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Arizona is decking the halls and trimming the trees ahead of its first-ever Holiday Bricktacular celebration.

Location: Petersen House

Visit the historic Petersen House Museum and enjoy a long-running Tempe Christmas tradition this holiday season!

Location: Tempe Center for the Arts

Tempe Center for the Arts presents, "The Revolutionists", December 7-15, 2018.

Location: Tempe Improv Comedy Theatre

Dana Carvey is best known for his Saturday Night Live characters such as the Church Lady; Hans, of the Hans and Franz body building duo; and Weekend Updates Grumpy Old Man.  See comedian Dana Carvey live at Tempe Improv December 13-15, 2018. Showtimes: December 13th- 8:00 p.m. December 14th- 7:30 p.m. December 15th- 7:00 & 9:30 p.m.

Location: Herberger Theater Center

Not every princess needs rescuing. Based on the Newbery-honor book, this Cinderella twist follows Ella, a princess who is given the “gift” of obedience at birth. As she grows up, the strong-willed little girl must defeat her evil stepmother, a hungry ogre, and this troublesome curse to find her own voice and live happily ever after. This charming musical adventure is the perfect fairy tale for the holiday season! See Ella Enchanted: The Musical December 15-30 at The Herberger Theater Center Stage West. AGES 5 AND UP Weekends, December 15-30, 2018: Saturdays (1 & 4 pm), Sundays (1 pm) $12-$30 + Herberger Box Office Fees

Location: Tempe Center for the Arts

Artists' for Change is an Artist Development program that brings together Artists/Creatives to create Self and Social transformation.

Location: The Marquee

Ministry performs live at the Marquee Theatre on December 16, 2018.  Doors open at 6:15 p.m.

Location:

The Tempe Community Chorus presents Enchantment Everywhere - The Magic of Winter at the Ikeda Theater on December 16, 2018.

Location: Pueblo Grande Museum

Hear the untold stories of pottery sherds and discover what these pieces of the past can reveal. Find out how archaeologists rediscover history from pieces of pottery in Fragments: Broken Bowls Tell More Tales, a new exhibit opening on October 26 through August 2018 at Pueblo Grande Museum. This exhibition will feature sherds that connect the Hohokam with their neighbors across the Southwest and northern Mexico during the time of the European Renaissance.

Location: LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Arizona

Lose yourself in a Dinosaur-filled LEGO world! Discover exotic LEGO creatures, hunt for rare Dino eggs, explore hidden lands and even build your own dinosaurs! This bricktastic Dino experience will delight parents and children alike. What will you discover?  

Location: ASU Art Museum

“Indwelling” is a solo exhibition of Yuri Kobayashi, a contemporary artist who combines traditional woodworking practices and refined Japanese aesthetics to create sculptures that reflect her identity, experiences and thoughts. In the five artworks in “Indwelling,” Kobayashi strives to embody the surprise and wonder found in the impalpable and often illogical world in which we live. With multiple wooden components, handcrafted with close attention to detail, each work represents an attempt to decipher and represent, in abstract form, this perpetual desire to represent the ineffable.

Location: ASU Art Museum

Two artists, two coasts, two media — Andy Warhol and Viola Frey were central to two movements which reinvented art in the 20th century with the embrace of popular culture, mass-produced images and objects, bold silhouettes and colors. These two solo exhibitions, Warhol’s prints and photographs and Frey’s ceramic sculptures, are drawn entirely from ASU Art Museum’s permanent collection.

Location: Tempe Center for the Arts

The Monster Stories exhibition celebrates the 200th anniversary of the novel, Frankenstein, by exploring the monster genre in popular culture, literature, mythology and the idea of the “other” in society. Mary  Shelley’s groundbreaking work continues to spark relevant discussions about science, technology and humanity. Inspired by the ongoing popularity of the genre, the Gallery at TCA features works from local and national artists, toys and memorabilia from private collections and a range of public programs that reflect on timeless questions such as “who is the real monster?” Sept 14 | Free Public Reception  Sept 28 | Spooky Stories Join storytellers Kyle Mitchell, Joe Ray and Liz Warren for a night of hair-raising tales. Oct 26 | Movie on the EDGE: Young Frankenstein  Live music, local brews at the beer garden and a showing of the 1974 Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder classic film. Nov 3 | Monster Lab Arts & Sciences Family Workshop  Maker stations from ASU, City of Tempe and Xico, Inc. Features DIY robotics, printmaking demonstrations and a last chance to wear your Halloween costume. Nov 30 | Movie on the EDGE: Nightmare Before Christmas  Enjoy live music, wear your favorite pajamas and meet stop-motion animator Rich Zim at a showing of the 1993 Tim Burton film. *See complete schedule and descriptions online: tempecenterforthearts.com 

Location: ASU Art Museum

“A Bigger Plan” is a two-part solo exhibition of Euan MacDonald, a Los Angeles-based artist whose works span a wide range of artistic disciplines, from video to painting. The first part of the exhibition, “Side B,” is on view now through September 1, 2018, and the second part, “Side A,” is on view September 15 through December 1, 2018. “Side B” marks the first survey of MacDonald’s videos and includes formative and groundbreaking works that explore the dynamics of change and the effects of time, sound duration and chance on pictorial and social conditions. The second part of the exhibition, “Side A,” features an immersive video installation that layers pre-psychedelic patterning from the end pages of 18th, 19th and early 20th century books from the open stacks of ASU Hayden Library.

Location: ASU Art Museum

The ASU Art Museum presents From Darkness to Light: Figurative Works from the Permanent Collection now through February 9, 2019. Drawn from ASU Art Museum’s permanent collections, this exhibition highlights the work of 31 internationally and nationally known artists who represent the human form in order to convey a vast range of emotions. A breadth of emotions are explored in the works on display ranging from lightheartedness and humor to anguish and despair. “From Darkness to Light” features both ceramic and print media, representing two of ASU Art Museum’s largest and strongest holdings. Notably, the prints selected for the exhibition are all by artists who work primarily in ceramics.

Location: Desert Botanical Garden

Desert Botanical Garden is excited to announce its latest blockbuster exhibition, Electric Desert, a light and sound experience by Klip Collective opening October 2018. Cactus and desert become a living canvas in this nighttime experience, taking visitors on an immersive journey through the garden using light and original music. Electric Desert features seven site-specific locations, each one inspired by and related to the Garden. This special engagement is expected to sell out quickly. Tickets go on sale September 24.

Location: Downtown Tempe

6th Street Market blends art, live music and the community weekly in the heart of Downtown Tempe. Located in the popular 6th Street Park, this new market has just about everything — local shopping, works of art, live music, fantastic brunch offers nearby and interactive art projects — all blended with community yoga, food vendors and more. Parking at on-street meters and in City Hall Garage is FREE on Sundays!

Location: Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park

The Arizona Historical Society and the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute are pleased to host Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors, a special exhibit from the George W. Bush Institute, this fall. Each featured painting is accompanied by the inspiring story of the warrior depicted, written by President Bush. As the stories unfold, readers and visitors will encounter the faces and the hearts of those who answered the nation’s call and learn of their bravery on the battlefield, their journey to recovery, and the continued leadership and contribution they make as civilians.