Celebrate the charm of the holidays in Alhambra with our detailed guide. Whether you're a familiar face in Alhambra or a new visitor, our guide leads you to the holiday highlights.
One of the notable events this season is the mesmerizing Las Noches de las Luminarias, where thousands of glowing lanterns illuminate the desert nights. Alongside this enchanting display, you can experience the Pratt Brothers Christmas at Rawhide, featuring festive activities and classic holiday attractions for the whole family. And the Mesa Temple Christmas Lights and International Nativity Display is something you definitely don't want to miss, showcasing beautifully crafted nativity scenes and brilliant light displays. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!
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Top Holiday Events In and Around Alhambra
- Mesa Temple Christmas Lights and International Nativity Display (Mesa)
- Las Noches de las Luminarias (Phoenix)
- Pratt Brothers Christmas at Rawhide (Chandler)
- Zoolights (Phoenix)
- Lights at The Farm (Gilbert)
- Glendale Glitters (Glendale)
- Cosmic Sleighride (Tempe)
- Riparian After Dark (Gilbert)
- Blazin’ M Ranch Holiday Hoedown (Cottonwood)
- Flagstaff Tree Lighting (Flagstaff)
See these and even more events listed below!
Alhambra Holiday Light Displays
Mesa Temple Christmas Lights and International Nativity Display
What to Expect:
Largest volunteer-driven Christmas lighting display in the Southwest.
Description:
The Mesa Temple Christmas Lights and International Nativity Display features thousands of twinkling lights and various Biblical vignettes, including a large outdoor Nativity scene underneath a lighted star. This beloved holiday tradition, which began in 1979, showcases over 100 international Nativities and is a favorite among visitors from across the Southwest.
Where: Mesa | More Info: Mesa Temple Christmas Lights and International Nativity Display
Las Noches de las Luminarias
What to Expect:
Geometric light displays combining nature and light.
Description:
Las Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden features over 8,000 flickering luminarias and twinkling lights along its trails, accompanied by musical performances and festive food and drinks. This year, the event includes the LIGHT BLOOM by HYBYCOZO, merging nature and light into stunning geometric displays.
Where: Phoenix | More Info: Las Noches de las Luminarias
Pratt Brothers Christmas at Rawhide
What to Expect:
Life-sized gingerbread house with synchronized lights and special effects.
Description:
Pratt Brothers Christmas at Rawhide features over 6 million lights, a dazzling light show, a magical train ride, nightly parades, stunt shows, holiday shopping, and live entertainment. The event includes a life-sized gingerbread house with synchronized lights and special effects, as well as a western cowboy Christmas show and the Very Merry Christmas Parade.
Where: Chandler | More Info: Pratt Brothers Christmas at Rawhide
Lights at The Farm
What to Expect:
Arizona's largest synchronized Christmas light show with interactive displays.
Description:
At Lights at The Farm, immerse yourself in a spectacular walk-through synchronized light show featuring over 5 million dazzling lights, interactive displays, and festive activities. Enjoy ice skating, meet Santa, and explore holiday-themed areas with delicious treats and family-friendly entertainment.
Where: Gilbert | More Info: Lights at The Farm
Zoolights
What to Expect:
Holiday celebration in a zoo setting
Description:
The Phoenix Zoo transforms into a dazzling spectacle with millions of twinkling lights, featuring a brand-new light show, immersive light tunnels, and vibrant visuals that captivate visitors of all ages. Enjoy warm treats by cozy s'mores pits and sip hot cocoa in the festive atmosphere. Explore interactive glow gardens, take photos with Santa, and experience the Wildlife Lantern Safari.
Where: Phoenix | More Info: Zoolights
Glendale Glitters
What to Expect:
Exquisite light arrangements and interactive features.
Description:
Glendale Glitters is a spectacular holiday light display featuring 1.7 million lights illuminating 16 blocks of downtown Glendale. The event includes local vendors, visits from Santa, carolers, and a tree lighting ceremony at the Glendale Civic Center.
Where: Glendale | More Info: Glendale Glitters
Cosmic Sleighride
What to Expect:
Jungle-themed drive-through light show with exotic animals and synchronized music.
Description:
Embark on a cosmic holiday adventure with Toukie Toucan as your host. Explore a jungle-themed drive-through light show featuring millions of lights, exotic animals, and synchronized festive music.
Where: Tempe | More Info: Cosmic Sleighride
Riparian After Dark
What to Expect:
Holiday light displays along nature trails.
Description:
The Riparian Preserve transforms into a holiday spectacle with thousands of lights and displays along 1.5 miles of trails and walkways, offering a rare opportunity to experience nature at night.
Where: Gilbert | More Info: Riparian After Dark
Flagstaff Tree Lighting
What to Expect:
Annual tree lighting with festive activities.
Description:
Join us for hot cocoa, s'mores, music, and caroling at the annual tree lighting in Heritage Square. Enjoy free pictures with Santa from 6-8 PM.
Where: Flagstaff | More Info: Flagstaff Tree Lighting
Prescott Courthouse Lighting
What to Expect:
Historic courthouse lighting ceremony with live music.
Description:
The 70th Annual Courthouse Lighting in Prescott, AZ, features live Christmas music and the ceremonial lighting of the historic Yavapai County Courthouse. The event is a cherished holiday tradition that brings the community together.
Where: Prescott | More Info: Prescott Courthouse Lighting
WinterFest
What to Expect:
Dazzling light display with Santa visits and festive activities.
Description:
Avondale transforms into a holiday destination with Santa visits, festive activities, and a dazzling light display featuring the City Christmas Tree.
Where: Avondale | More Info: WinterFest
Alhambra Holiday Markets and Shopping
Christmas Village & ChristkindlMarket
What to Expect:
German-style market with horse-drawn carriage rides and traditional food.
Description:
Prescott's Christmas Village & ChristkindlMarket is a German-style holiday market in downtown Prescott, featuring vendors with last-minute gift items, live music, horse-drawn carriage rides, and traditional German food and drinks.
Where: Prescott | More Info: Christmas Village & ChristkindlMarket
Alhambra Holiday Shows and Entertainment
Blazin’ M Ranch Holiday Hoedown
What to Expect:
Celebrity impersonations and Western-themed activities.
Description:
Celebrate the holiday season with impersonations of celebrities like Elvis, Reba, and Jerry Lee Lewis at Blazin' M Ranch. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat BBQ dinner and immerse yourself in a Western frontier experience with activities like axe throwing, mechanical bull riding, and a wood-carvings museum.
Where: Cottonwood | More Info: Blazin’ M Ranch Holiday Hoedown
Alhambra Other Holiday Activities
North Pole Experience
What to Expect:
Immersive holiday adventure with Santa's elves and interactive toy-making activities.
Description:
Step into Santa's 400-year-old workshop in Flagstaff, Arizona, where you'll meet Santa's Toy Soldiers, explore the toy factory, and enjoy freshly baked treats from Mrs. Claus Bakery. Build toys with Santa's elves, earn an Honorary Elf diploma, and write your Christmas wish list. Get a backstage pass to Santa's Sleigh Hangar and share private family time with Santa, receiving a complimentary digital family portrait and a special teddy bear for each child.
Where: Flagstaff | More Info: North Pole Experience
12 Bars of Christmas
What to Expect:
Ugly holiday sweater-themed bar crawl with karaoke after party.
Description:
Join the 12 Bars of Christmas bar crawl in downtown Flagstaff, where revelers are encouraged to wear ugly holiday sweaters and enjoy drink specials at participating bars.
Where: Flagstaff | More Info: 12 Bars of Christmas
The Great Pinecone Drop
What to Expect:
Lowering a large, illuminated pinecone symbolizing the start of a new year.
Description:
The Great Pinecone Drop is a unique New Year's Eve tradition in Flagstaff, Arizona, featuring a 70-pound, 6-foot-tall, well-lit metallic pinecone lowered from the Weatherford Hotel. This event, which began in 1999, offers various ways to celebrate, including staying at the hotel, enjoying live music, and participating in family-friendly activities.
Where: Flagstaff | More Info: The Great Pinecone Drop
Noon Year's Eve
What to Expect:
Family-friendly New Year's Eve celebration with crafts and activities.
Description:
Celebrate the start of the new year with a family-friendly daytime celebration featuring crafts, cookie decorating, and a special Pine Cone Drop.
Where: Flagstaff | More Info: Noon Year's Eve
Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village
What to Expect:
Authentic Mexican village setting with over 50 specialty shops and exclusive art galleries.
Description:
Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village is an internationally renowned destination in Sedona, Arizona, featuring over 50 galleries and shops authentically fashioned after a traditional Mexican village. The village offers a unique shopping experience with lush natural surroundings, including vine-covered stucco walls, cobble-stoned walkways, and magnificent arched entryways. It is a perfect setting to witness gifted artisans at work, with a variety of art expressions from Western bronze sculpture to contemporary fine art paintings.
Where: Sedona | More Info: Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village
Gilbert’s Water Tower Plaza
What to Expect:
Historic water tower with interactive water features.
Description:
Gilbert’s Water Tower Plaza is a 0.7-acre park in Downtown Gilbert's Heritage District, featuring a historic water tower, splash pad, grassy areas, and various water features. It hosts a variety of events and offers amenities like benches, tables, bike racks, and restrooms.
Where: Gilbert | More Info: Gilbert’s Water Tower Plaza
Holiday Program & Light Parade
What to Expect:
Family-friendly holiday event with diverse activities and a festive light parade.
Description:
The Holiday Program & Light Parade in Apache Junction features Santa, vendor booths, arts and crafts, games, music, inflatables, food, and a Tree Lighting ceremony at the Focal Point, culminating in the Annual Holiday Light Parade.
Where: Apache Junction | More Info: Holiday Program & Light Parade
Festive Fun in Nearby Cities!
Discover Holiday events in hundreds of cities worldwide. Check out these nearby locations for more festive fun!
- Maryvale (3 miles)
- Encanto (3 miles)
- Glendale (4 miles)
- Phoenix (5 miles)
- Central City (6 miles)
- Peoria (8 miles)
- Sun City (10 miles)
- Tempe Junction (12 miles)
- Deer Valley (13 miles)
- Avondale (13 miles)
- El Mirage (14 miles)
- Scottsdale (14 miles)
- Goodyear (14 miles)
- Ahwatukee Foothills (14 miles)
- Tempe (14 miles)
- Surprise (15 miles)
- Sun City West (16 miles)
- Mesa (19 miles)
- Chandler (21 miles)
- Gilbert (22 miles)
- Fountain Hills (25 miles)
- Anthem (25 miles)
- Buckeye (27 miles)
- Maricopa (31 miles)
- Queen Creek (34 miles)
- Apache Junction (34 miles)
- San Tan Valley (41 miles)