Santa Claus will be getting away from the North Pole a few times this holiday season to visit downtown Mesa and join in the Merry Main Street festivities.

Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick will be taking Christmas wishes and be available for photos from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the following weekends at Mesa’s Christmas Tree, 1 N. Macdonald:

• Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3
• Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10
• Friday, Dec. 16 and Saturday, Dec. 17
• Friday, Dec. 23
• Saturday, Dec. 24 (special time: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.)

Visit with Santa for free and bring your phone or camera to take a picture. Don’t miss your chance to see Santa before he needs to get back to the North Pole to load up the sleigh, according to a release.

Merry Main Street offers numerous activities and events including the Winter Wonderland Ice Rink, open daily through Jan. 7; Bingles, the Gnome on the Roam; Holiday Happenings at Mesa Arts Center; Mesa’s Menorah, a 12-foot-tall Menorah which will have a light added nightly beginning Dec. 18 and Jack Frost’s Food Truck Forest on Fridays and Saturdays at Pioneer Park.

For a complete list of Merry Main Street activities, including dates and times, visit merrymainst.com.

Merry Main Street is sponsored by the city of Mesa, Mesa Parks and Recreation, Downtown Mesa Association, Visit Mesa, Mesa Chamber of Commerce, AMR, Benedictine University, Boeing, Caliber, Nesbitt Contracting, Cox Communications, Sloan Park, SRP, Delta Hotels, Hunter Contracting, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, DPR Construction, Mesa Water and Valley Metro.