You don't have to spend a fortune to get in the holiday spirit in the Phoenix area. There are plenty of free or very reasonably priced activities, events and festivals. Keep in mind that even if the event is free or cheap, there may be parking fees, or there may be fees for certain activities at the event. These holiday events are presented in date order. New listings are added almost daily until a week before Christmas, so come back for updates. Why not print it out, pass it around, and let the family check off which holiday happenings they want to attend?
You could celebrate every day of the holiday season and never get to all the holiday events in Phoenix, Scottsdale and the surrounding area.
- Plays, Concerts, Choirs, Performances and Other Ticketed Events
- Phoenix Holiday Lights, All Month Long
- More Than Just Events: Your Complete Greater Phoenix Guide to the Holidays
All dates, times, prices and offerings are subject to change without notice.
Santa's Wonderland
Now through Saturday, December 24. Photos with Santa, games and activities, and free Santa Bandz every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the above dates to the first 150 kids. Bass Pro Shops, Mesa.Christmas at the Princess
Thursday, November 17 through December 24, 2011. Special tree lighting, music, refreshments and activities on opening night. Trees and lights may be viewed every night during this event. On Friday and Saturday nights, November 25 through Christmas Eve, enjoy strolling carolers and take a ride on the "Princess Express" train around the lagoon. Walk around to see the swans, huge poinsettias, lighted decorations and 25 sparkling trees. Fairmont Scottsdale Princess in north Scottsdale. Free admission, charge for parking.Arizona Celebration of Lights
Saturday, November 19, 2011 through Sunday, January 1, 2012. Includes more than 7,000,000 lights and 300 animated and still displays. You stay in your car and drive through it. The organizers boast that it is Arizona's largest display of holiday lights. They estimate that about 15,000 cars pass through the display. Here is a map.See photos of the Arizona Celebration of Lights.
Golfland Winter Wonderland
Thursday, November 24 through Sunday, January 1, 2012,. Golfland’s King Arthur’s Quest miniature golf course is decorated with thousands of holiday lights for the season. Photos with Santa on Saturdays. Winter Wonderland Miniature Golf. There are specific snow days, and there's a small charge for snow play. Golfland, Mesa.See a picture gallery of holiday happenings at Golfland.
Mesa Arizona Temple Gardens Christmas Lights and Concert Series
Thursday, November 24 through Saturday, December 31, 2011. The annual Mesa Temple Garden Christmas Lights display conveys peace and goodwill of the season with a unique and spectacular exhibit of hundreds of thousands of lights that serve as a backdrop for the sounds of the holidays. Free admission, free parking. Mesa.See pictures of the Mesa Arizona Temple Gardens Christmas Lights and Concert Series.
ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo
Thursday, November 24 - Monday, January 9, 2012. Each year the Phoenix Zoo puts up an amazing holiday display of lights. The event is called ZooLights. Because ZooLights happens in the evening, don't expect to see many live animals. This event is about holiday lights, music and lighted animal sculptures.See Pictures of ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo
