Saturday:
Santa Visits Promenade Scottsdale
Saturday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 8, the Promenade Scottsdale located at Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard and North Scottsdale Road (festivities take place in front of Nordstrom Rack) will spread Christmas cheer by giving children the opportunity to take photos with Santa Claus. A keepsake 4-by-6 print is free when participants donate food to the food drive benefiting the Harvest Compassion Center. There will also be a free make-and-take ornament activity for kids. A face painter will be on site from noon until 3 p.m.
36th Annual Queen Creek Festival & Parade
The highly anticipated annual parade will take place on Ellsworth Road, starting near Sierra Park and concluding just past the Queen Creek Library, and the festival will feature carnival rides, live entertainment, food and beverage stations, commercial vendors, free photos with Santa and a tree lighting ceremony. Hosted by the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis Club of Queen Creek, proceeds from the festival and parade, which is expected to draw more than 10,000 local residents, will benefit both nonprofit agencies and the numerous community initiatives they support. The festival kicks off at noon, while the parade commences at 3:30 p.m.
Tumbleweed Tree Lighting & Parade of Lights
Starting at 4:30 p.m., the community is invited to celebrate the holidays in Downtown Chandler with the return of the city’s annual Tumbleweed Tree Lighting & Parade of Lights. Behold the Tumbleweed Tree, visit with Santa, enjoy musical performances, partake in festive crafts, hop on amusement rides and more. At the conclusion of the parade, guests can gather in the center of the park on the west side of Arizona Avenue for the Tumbleweed Tree lighting ceremony.
The Halal Guys Opens
On Dec. 1, The Halal Guys is opening its fifth Arizona brick-and-mortar location in Avondale (10277 W. McDowell Suite 100). Throughout the day, guests will enjoy a hot sauce-eating contest, family-friendly activities, promotional contests and more. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., for any guest who brings a canned food item to support St. Mary's Food Bank and buys an entree, The Halal Guys will give the guest one complimentary entree (of equal value) every month through October 2019.
Las Noches de Las Luminarias
During the evenings of Dec. 1 through Dec. 28 (except Christmas Eve and Day), Las Noches de Las Luminarias lights up the night at Desert Botanical Garden. This year, the Electric Desert | A Light and Sound Experience by Klip Collective sets the stage for true holiday magic with more than 8,000 hand-lit luminaria bags, thousands of twinkle lights and the pulse of Electric Desert. Tickets starts at about $30 for members and about $35 for the general public.
The Polar Express
All aboard! The pages of Chris Van Allsburg’s classic children’s book come to life when both the young and young-at-heart come to relish in a holiday experience like no other. From Nov. 9 to Jan. 5, take a ride on the Grand Canyon Railway’s Polar Express to indulge in hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies while making your way to the North Pole. (Each child receives a special gift along the way, too.) For even more holiday fun, the Polar Express package is offered allowing guests to stay overnight at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. Tickets range from $33 to $79, depending on select dates and packages.
