JOANNA ALLHANDS

Allhands: Merry Main Street's back, and it'll be glorious

Joanna Allhands
opinion columnist
Mattie and Sam Eder cruise down Main Street in 2004 during Mesa's Merry Main Street.

Things looked bleak for Mesa in 2005 when it killed Merry Main Street.

Nothing measures the health of a community like its festivals. But the city couldn't afford to hold up its end of the celebration, and neither could downtown merchants. They pulled the plug on the lights and yanked the parade, killing a prime opportunity to celebrate what's great about the community.

But things must (finally) be looking up.

Merry Main Street will return Nov. 27 through Jan. 3. There will be an ice-skating rink, free performances at Mesa Arts Center, a food-truck forest (doesn't that sound fun?) and, of course, tons of holiday lights.

The festival debuts at a pivotal time for downtown Mesa. Light rail just opened, providing a key link for visitors. And there will be a massive music festival a couple of weekends before, starting on Nov. 12. More than 100 bands from across the country will be there. Organizers are saying it could be the next South by Southwest.

This is big exposure for downtown Mesa, an area that has always had a lot of charm but until relatively recently, was not a place anyone under 50 wanted to be.

It was often said that Mesa rolled the sidewalks up at 5 p.m. A lot of people probably still think that's the case.

Which makes the public investment in Merry Main Street all the more important. The mayor and City Council recognize that now is their golden moment to show residents what the area used to be -- the heart and soul of not only Mesa, but the East Valley.

I can't wait to see what they do with it.

Timeline: The evolution of downtown Mesa