Celebrating Christmas in Phoenix, AZ

You might think that with all the sunshine around here, we don't really get in the holiday spirit. Not true! You can attend a holiday event nearly every day for six weeks somewhere in the Greater Phoenix area from mid-November through the end of December. Use this Phoenix Christmas Guide to help you plan your activities and family fun during the winter holidays.

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Holiday Parades, Holiday Lights, Community Festivals

Phoenix Arizona Christmas Cacti — Panoramic Images / Getty Images

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. In this list you'll find ideas for enjoying the holiday season from Thanksgiving Day, every day through the end of the year -- and even beyond that!

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Photos With Santa and More at Phoenix Area Malls

The Shops at Norterra Santa — Courtesy of The Shops at Norterra

Both indoor and outdoor shopping areas all over the Valley of the Sun spruce up for the holidays. Your kids can visit Santa (and so can your pet), enjoy the decorations, and some have music, entertainment stages, crafts and more free holiday fun.

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Holiday Theatre, Music and Dance

Starting in November, you'll have an amazing selection of cultural holiday treats to entertain you. Plays, orchestral performances, choirs, puppet shows, ballet, modern dance, children's theatre, dinner theatre, concerts — you name it, we have it in Phoenix! These are ticketed events, typically in reserved seating venues.

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Phoenix Holiday Lights, All Month Long

Luminarias at DBG — Courtesy of Desert Botanical Gardens

These aren't just one or two night events. These are the places in the Phoenix, area where you can enjoy holiday lights throughout the month of December, and sometimes into January.

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Volunteer on Christmas Day

Are you here all by yourself on Christmas? Does your family want to do something worthwhile during their time off from work and school? Do the people at work want to get together and so something nice for others? Here are some places that can always use your time and effort during the holidays and all year long.

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Special Holiday Shopping Events

Ugly Holiday Sweater Chandler Art Walk — Courtesy Downtown Chandler Community Partnership

These holiday boutiques and markets are mostly about shopping. You'll probably find some unusual and one-of-a-kind items, from fine art to knick-knacks.

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Gift Cards with a Bonus

These businesses in the Phoenix area not only offer gift cards, they offer a bonus card or certificate as well during the holidays. Most are restaurants, but not all. You'll find a few attractions and services mixed in there, too. A gift card with a bonus is two gifts in one. Or a gift for someone and a bonus for yourself!

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Eating Out on Christmas Day

Sometimes there's just a lot going on, and having your Christmas dinner out is a viable alternative to help reduce the stress in your life. Or maybe Christmas just isn't your holiday, so you don't have family and friends over, but you like the food! Here are some places in the greater Phoenix area that are open on Christmas Day for your dining pleasure. (Not yet updated.)

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Best Gift Shops For Arizona-Themed Items

Desert Botanical Garden Gift Shop — © Judy Hedding

You love to go out on weekends with the family, or take relatives when they come to visit, but did you ever think of some of our attractions as shopping destinations? Here are my favorite shops to buy gifts with Arizona and Southwest themes. You may be surprised at which ones are on my list!

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Cut Your Own Arizona Christmas Tree

In Arizona you can't just drive up to the high country, pick a tree, and chop it down. Our national forests control the cutting of Christmas trees and grant permits by lottery. Here's how it works.

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Local Gift List: Gift Ideas from Locally Owned and Operated Businesses

Holiday Bazaar Chandler — Courtesy of Downtown Chandler Community Partnership

Check here for some gift ideas from local companies. You might see spa certificates, edible gifts, wearable gifts....the list changes every year.

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Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport Holiday Travel Tips

Traveling by air is hectic and more complicated than it used to be. If you travel on holiday weekends, add even more stress and uncertainty to the travel experience. Sky Harbor International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the U.S., so you can assume that just before and after Christmas our airport will be a challenge to navigate. Here are some tips to help you get your holiday trip off to a pleasant start.

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5 Arizona Holiday Gifts For People That Already Have Too Much Stuff

If they don't need more, tools, more toys, more fruit baskets or more socks, here are some ideas for uniquely Arizona gifts for people who just don't need more "stuff" in their lives!

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Holiday Recipes: Beverages and Cocktails

Mulled wine — Courtesy of Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

Local mixologists at Phoenix and Sottsdale resorts as well as local restaurants share their recipes for festive holiday cocktails. There are even a few non-alcoholic beverages included.

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Where To Buy a Cut Christmas Tree

If you didn't go up to northern Arizona's forests to cut your own Christmas tree this year, you'll be able to find live, cut Christmas trees all over the metro Phoenix area.

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Ski in Arizona

Arizona Snowbowl Grand Canyon Express Ski Lift Opening Celebration — Coconino National Forest/Flickr/CC0 1.0

Just a few hours from Phoenix you can get that cold and wet holiday feeling at Arizona's ski resorts. Will there be enough snow this year? Here is the information about our ski resorts and how to get snow report from each one.

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When the Relatives Come To Visit

Christmas guests — Hero Images / Getty Images

If you are a newcomer to Phoenix, you'll find that all sorts of friends and relatives (usually from northern states) will drop by to visit in the winter. Why wouldn't they? When guests are in town you might need some ideas for things to do to entertain them. Here are some ideas.

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Things To Do on Christmas Day in Phoenix

Some people don't celebrate Christmas. Then there are people who would, but they are alone in the area without family. More often the case is that after months of shopping, and about 20 minutes of opening presents, all these people have a question in common--what is there to do in Phoenix on Christmas Day? Here are ten suggestions.