Dollar stores have glow sticks

In phoenix, they often have lots of good stuff at automotive stores and places like Circuit City where they have an automotive section. (think car stereos and blue LEDs in the dash and stuff). Also, major computer places often have cool lights for case-modders.

Of course, all of that stuff will run on 12 volts... yikes! Oh wait, you can go to a place like Radio Shack and pick up a battery holder. They have battery holders that hold 8 AA batteries. Buy good alkalines and you'll have your 12volts right there. Or you could go to a battery store and buy a 12V sealed lead-acid battery. (like they use in a computer UPS). One of those would last you a couple nights, and will recharge on a battery charger in a few hours max... you just need to find somebody with a battery charger out there. (go to the AEZ and ask nicely)

luckily, you live in LA. try the TOY DISTRICT (roughly bounded by Los Angeles Street on the West, Third and Fifth Streets to the North and South, and extending eastward to San Pedro Street) for cheap tubes of glowsticks and other assorted glowy blinky fun for bargain wholesale prices. tubes of 100 glow bracelets will run you $5-6, glow necklaces are like $15 for a tube of 50, not sure whether or not they have EL wire supplies too, but they definitely have LED stuff.