“I eat, breathe and sleep Christmas lights,” Simon Kreisberger says when I ask about his job. “I wake up every morning thinking about the happiest time of the year. Christmas isn’t seasonal for me.”
I believe him, of course, because who would know better? About 10 years ago, Kreisberger co-founded World of Illumination, a Christmas-themed, drive-through “immersive lighting experience” laid out every November in millions of music-synchronized LED lights on various vacant lots around town.
Kreisberger left World of Illumination last year because he “saw a huge gap in the holiday experience market.” There were, he knew, tourist destinations and hospitality groups that wanted to make their public spaces Christmas-glittery, but didn’t know where to start. His new company, Stardust Holiday Magic Makers, aims to fill that gap.
“We show people how to really embrace their canvas and their personae,” he says with absolutely no irony. “They know they want to do snowslides or a skating rink, but they aren’t looking within and studying who they are. I start by asking clients, ‘What do you want to be for Christmas?’”
Kreisberger somehow knew that what the JW Marriott in Desert Ridge wanted to be was a Sugar Chalet.
“They gave me the old Starbucks space in their lobby,” he says, “and I turned it into the most beautiful, Instagrammable, Christmas-themed snack concession you ever saw.”
But Kreisberger was just getting started. “Then I built gingerbread inflatables that took over their entire ballroom,” he crows about the holiday extravaganza now known as Jingle at JW. “I always think beyond just the ice rink and the snow-tubing.”
But a hotel skating rink and a bunch of blow-up cookies aren’t enough for Kreisberger. This year, he’s taken over the yuletide glitter of Prescott, officially anointed “Arizona’s Christmas City” by Governor Rose Mofford in 1989.
“In the past, Prescott blocked off one street for a couple of days and did a Christmas tree lighting,” he says. “I have a bigger vision. I’m adding days and making it a more family-friendly, vendor-centric event. I want a quintessential European aesthetic, with garland tents and bistro lights and a beautiful gazebo to elevate our Santa. I want gingerbread-themed bounce houses, and I’m hoping to have Arizona’s only Christmas carousel this year.”
These days, Kreisberger believes we need this kind of sparkly distraction more than ever.
“When we’re enveloped in something that’s unique and different, it takes us away,” he says. “Do I wish that sparkle didn’t go away on January 1 every year? Yes. But so far, I haven’t figured out how to keep it going, year-round, for anyone but me.”
– Robrt L. Pela
IN A NEW LIGHT
Unlike most seasonal light displays in the Valley, the Tianyu Lights Festival isn’t limited to Christmas with a dash of Hanukkah.
“The event uses the Chinese lantern-making technique, which enjoys a history of over 2,000 years, to tell new stories about nature conservation and cultural diversity,” says event manager Huiyuan Liu. “This is reflected in the diverse themes we create in the festival, showcasing creatures big and small in the jungle, endangered and extinct animals, and a section with a holiday vibe inspired by all winter holidays in the U.S.”
Back for its second year in Phoenix, the festival will look entirely different than it did last year.
“I’m especially excited for the 200-foot-long dragon that we’ll build on the pond in the park, and the expanded interactive playground where guests can touch and play with many of our lantern displays,” Liu says.
October 24-January 4. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tickets range from $21.80-$33.04; parking costs $10.
10710 W. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, tianyuculture.us/phoenix
– Leah LeMoine
