Every year, we have readers ask us about holiday events in Phoenix. Since Phoenix is the 5th largest city in the USA, there are a plethora of holiday-related festivities...and many Tucson residents enjoy making the drive up to the Valley for a short day trip or staycation.
We've tried to narrow down the picks on this page to holiday events that are worth driving for. These events include concerts, plays, light displays, breakfasts and brunches, and hotel packages.
Events are organized alphabetically by city within the Phoenix metro area. Depending on where you live in Tucson and where are you are heading in Phoenix, you're looking at a drive between 90 minutes and 2.5 hours.
Glendale is a suburb slightly northeast of Phoenix. The population is just shy of 250,000 and holiday events within Glendale tend to be of a smaller scale. Glendale Glitters, however, makes our list for a fun, free light display in a charming downtown area.
Glendale Glitters is "Arizona’s largest free holiday light display and a beloved family tradition." Charming downtown Glendale is illuminated by more than 1.7 million twinkling lights across 16 blocks.
Mesa is the 35th largest city in the United States (right behind Tucson at #33). As such, you'll find several larger-scale holiday events to go to.
Grab your family and friends and bring the holiday spirit to life. Embark on a journey through endless lights and life-sized candy canes, snowmen, and Christmas trees.
Vertuccio Farms presents over 2 million dazzling lights, all of which are synchronized to a variety of Christmas classics. Lights at the Farm™, "Arizona’s largest walk-thru synchronized Christmas Light Show," stretches over 10 acres of Vertuccio Farms - providing a spectacular walk-through, interactive journey.
Merry Main Street is a nearly month long celebration that features a nearly four-story tall Christmas tree, Mesa Christmas Market, and Santa’s sELFie Village.
The following attractions are part of Merry Main Street:
Bring the kids and watch Santa arrive at Airbase Arizona in a vintage warbird. There will be treats and smiles for everyone.
Most Tucson people think of "Phoenix" as all of the suburbs on this page combined into one because you can seamlessly drive between cities without even knowing it. The below events, however, are in Phoenix proper.
Enjoy one of the most beloved holiday events, ZooLights at Phoenix Zoo. This year, there are two ways to enjoy millions of twinkling lights, animated animal sculptures, and the Wildlife Lantern Safari. On select nights, you can cruise through ZooLights in your car. On alternate evenings, you can walk through the event. Advance ticket purchase is recommended.
Queen Creek, which is just southeast of Chandler and Gilbert, is a smaller community with a population of under 40,000.
Now in its 38th year, this annual holiday festival features carnival rides, live entertainment, food and beverage stations, commercial vendors, free photos with Santa, a tree lighting ceremony, and a community parade.
Scottsdale is know for its pristine streets, lush landscaping, and luxurious resorts. Unsurprisingly, Scottsdale's holiday events are among the best in the state.
Photographer: Justin Kriel
Photographer: Justin Kriel
The resort becomes a true winter wonderland with an ice skating rink, Santa’s Secret Headquarters, The Princess Express Train, S’mores Land, and more! New this year, Christmas at the Princess is adding more space than ever, as well as plexi-glass shields between compartments on the Princess Express trains!
Hop on board the Paradise & Pacific Railroad and experience a winter wonderland of holiday lights and displays. No trip to the park is complete without a spin on the historic Charros Carousel or a cup of hot cocoa from Hartley’s General Store!
New this year, to adhere to safety protocols, the event will feature limited-capacity, one-hour blocks at 6:00pm, 7:15pm, and 8:30pm nightly and rides will be loaded at 50% capacity.
Celebrate the season with this unique and dazzling 1.2 mile drive thru light show experience! With more than 5 million lights, this treasured family holiday tradition is ready to dazzle with music instead of just traditional still displays. Load up your family and friends to watch the action of lights, all from the warmth of your car or inside one of our magical carriages!
The route is 1.2 miles long and takes a little over 30 minutes to go through at the 3 MPH speed limit.
Enjoy a month-long holiday celebration with unique events, stunning décor, dining, shopping, and more – all reimagined this year with safety in mind.
Home to Arizona State University, Tempe is a hip and walkable town adjacent to Phoenix.
Nightly Snowfall: Experience snowfall every night at 7:00pm and 8:00pm near The District Stage at Tempe Marketplace, starting November 27th! Be safely spaced and watch as snow magically falls from the sky, turning Tempe Marketplace into a living snow globe. Plus, enjoy snowfall every hour from 11:00am-8:00pm on Christmas Eve. *Excludes Christmas Day
Candy Cane Lane: Capture sweet holiday moments at Candy Cane Lane at Tempe Marketplace. Enjoy edible-inspired art installation with nearly 100 treats, towering four-feet to eight-feet tall, November 27-December 31, 2020. Step into a safely spaced and delicious holiday dreamland filled with giant
gumdrops, larger-than-life lollipops, colossal chocolates, gigantic gingerbread men, a new fruit roll-up slide, and a hot cocoa pond, complete with massive marshmallows.
Starry & Bright Star Tunnel: Snap starry nights with sparkling lights at Tempe Marketplace, November 18-December 31, 2020. Safely stroll through a super-sized, 40-foot-long star-shaped tunnel.
Explore World of Illumination’s Arctic Adventure at Tempe Diablo Stadium, where you’ll meet 32-foot tall Sunny the Snowman and his tundra-bound friends. You’ll be delighted by your favorite holiday music and polar Christmas characters — a reminder you’re not in the desert anymore. Nostalgic and memorable, the world’s largest animated drive-through light show is a storybook adventure for kids of all ages.
Which holiday events are you looking forward to in Phoenix?
