Canal Convergence

This is an annual amAZing public family friendly event held along the Scottsdale canal. There are options to do private seating events with food & drinks, but you can still get the full experience for free! This year in 2024, we arrived to the area looking for parking on Saturday around 6:20PM and it was a mayhem of cars, parking lots were full, valet was full, and absolutely no street parking. I ended up having to park 0.5 miles away, so definitely plan accordingly with carpooling or using ride share. Once we got to the area, despite the crowds, we were still able to find a nice area to watch the 8PM drone light show and the synchronized music fire performance. This year's canal art featured "Fireflection" by Walter Productions: A fire-shooting flotilla featuring mirrored geometric forms with flame heads and LEDs! There were also educational workshops, live music, food vendors and art installations throughout the canal walkway. I love how they raise awareness of environmental issues and their messages of sustainability! I can't wait for next year's Canal Convergence event!

Another fabulous Canal Convergence show of lights on the Scottsdale waterfront. This is a free immersive interactive light-based public art display. The event happens yearly in the November timeframe. The light show along the waterfront happens hourly with the first show at 6:30pm. Watch the light show to music. There were also a few vendors such as Waymo, the self driverless ride share, Arcosanti and Scottsdale Center for the Arts. A great way to spend the evening. The show continues until November 17, 2024. Ample free and paid parking.

I go to the Canal Convergence every year, often several times over the 10 days. I really enjoy this free, nighttime art event. The light based art is always impressive and memorable. There is live music and interactive booths to create your own art under the direction of the staff. This is a family friendly event with activities and art that will engage all ages. Admittedly, 2024 seemed to have less art pieces and more dead space between the art than in years past. Even if it's not 'art' I would hope that they would fill in these dark sections between art installations with interesting, color, LED light balls or other purchased lights along the path.

Ever since my 1st attendance to the Canal Convergence I have been a fast fan! The Canal Convergence is a free event that runs about a weeklong in the late fall and spring time. It has art, lights, live music, exhibits teaching you about your environment and community.This year's floatus event was Mario themed, which was cool, but to be honest I always love watching the floatus show that light up and interact with the music with flames and lights. Also this year there was a lot of interactive art all around.This is a great way to spend an hour or 2 with family or friends walking along the canal and checking out the artwork! Looking forward to seeing it in the spring.

Though I've lived in Arizona for a few years now, this is the first year I made it out to Canal Convergence! The theme this year was "The Power of Play."The event is at the Scottsdale Waterfront, and is free (including the parking). There are a few different exhibits, and all are interactive in some way. The lines were long for most of them, so we didn't do much interacting, but it was still fun and beautiful to watch others interact and see the results of their interaction. There were also interactive activities (like painting dumpsters!), though most were geared towards children. We went on Saturday night for the last weekend, and it was just absolutely packed. Finding parking took quite a while, as did navigating the parking garage (we parked at Scottsdale Fashion Square). It does have a nice community feel to it, though, which I love. I'll probably come back next year, but on a weekday instead!

This is such a beautiful event, especially the piece that somehow picks up on the energy in your body and transforms it into art in front of you. That was so cool. I highly recommend this walk whenever it's in town to see all the amazing exhibits, great alone or with a date!

2022 is noted to be "10 years water, art, and light" on the Scottsdale Waterfront. This event was fun. We rode over on our scooter and didn't have to find parking but there seemed to be parking garages and street parking. The area is used to high traffic and cars. The lights were cool, definitely not the biggest or most impressive light/art I've seen, but that in no way diminishes this beautiful show, and may I remind y'all it's FREE. The places where I've seen incredible sculptures and lights/lasers were large scale music & art festivals which aren't cheap. So, the canal convergence feels like a nod to that and was reminiscent of some great past times. We enjoyed a beer and walked around. The best way to review this event is simply to post the pictures. It's an annual event, this year was my first time attending. Again, it's free to walk around and take in the sights and it's located in a fantastic area near old town Scottsdale. We managed to check it out on its final night 11/13. It was pretty busy! Next year we will go midweek :)

In 2023, we experienced a delightful year. Opting for a Monday night visit proved to be a wise choice as the atmosphere was relaxed and not overcrowded. Following our outing, we savored the delights of Tapas Papa Frita on the outdoor terrace while enjoying live music. It made for a fantastic evening out. The event was characterized by its free admission, interactive installations, artistic charm, and vibrant festivities. We are eagerly anticipating the upcoming year's edition.

Attending on a peaceful Monday evening in 2023 made for a pleasant experience with relaxed crowds. Following the visit, we enjoyed Tapas Papa Frita on the outdoor patio while being serenaded by live music. The combination made for a fantastic date night that was free, creatively engaging, and full of a festive atmosphere. Can't wait to repeat this enjoyable experience in the upcoming year!

Our experience in 2023 was quite satisfying. We decided to visit on a Monday evening, which made for a relaxed atmosphere due to the smaller crowds. Following our visit, we enjoyed a delightful meal of Tapas Papa Frita on the outdoor patio while being serenaded by live music. This made for a fantastic date night with a mix of free interactive artistic fun and a celebratory ambiance. Anticipating our next visit eagerly!