Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. Photo by Derek von Briesen.
TLAQUEPAQUE ARTS & SHOPPING VILLAGE
Located in the heart of Sedona, it’s fitting that Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village is the city’s holiday headquarters. For starters, one of Sedona’s shopping and dining hubs gets all decked out with stunning lights. Except trees wrapped in lights, bright lights strung up high from the rooftops and even some inflatables. Tlaquepaque is also home to numerous holiday events. Read more about them in our special holiday calendar here.
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. Photo by Derek von Briesen.
Our personal favorite? The Festival of Lights. Stroll Tlaquepaque’s courtyards and walkways to see 6,000 luminaries all aglow on Dec. 9. That site paired with all the holiday décor is a truly captivating scene along with the abundance of the live music that captures some real holiday magic.
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. Photo by Derek von Briesen.
Plus, the free cider never fails to warm us up on a chilly December night. If you don’t like crowds or can’t make the event, wandering around Tlaquepaque at night when it’s all lit up is magical experience that’s not to be missed.
City of Sedona Christmas Light Show.
SEDONA
The City of Sedona is also putting on a light show, and you can look forward to seeing lights nearly everywhere you go. Sedona visitors and residents alike will find décor, wreaths and lights throughout the parks, City Hall and Uptown Sedona from late November to early January. Visit sedonaaz.gov for more information. The Sedona Heritage Museum will also be hosting its annual Christmas in the Park event. A tumbleweed snowman will greet you at the door, and the museum will be decorated. Visitors can enjoy cider, cookies, chat with pioneer family members or make a cornhusk doll to take home. The museum gift shop will be holding a sale. Admission, activities and refreshments are all complimentary. Visit sedonamuseum.org for more information.
Arizona’s Christmas City in Downtown Prescott.
PRESCOTT
Prescott is the entire state of Arizona’s holiday headquarters. The city is even nicknamed “Arizona’s Christmas City.” There’s plenty to enjoy in Prescott. Enjoy fireworks and watch as the downtown Prescott’s Courthouse is lit up. One newer event to look forward to is Prescott’s Christmas Village & ChristkindlMarket. Modeled after a traditional European Christmas market, ChristkindlMarket beckons with plenty of presents in addition to German food, beer and mulled wine, Christmas music and a traditional German band. Admission is free. Although some activities might require a small fee. During the markets, you can look forward horse-drawn carriage rides throughout the town square. This is a perfect time to stock up on unique gifts and other handmade items. Wandering around downtown Prescott when it’s all lit up is also a fantastic experience. The last time we did this, it was snowing as we walked downtown. It’s a memory we’ll cherish forever. Beyond downtown, the Heritage Park Zoo will be all decked in decorations, awash in live music and filled with spectacular light displays. Searching for even more holiday cheer? Acclaimed and lively band Mannheim Steamroller will be performing its “Christmas” show at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley on Dec. 26. Visit arizonachristmascity.com for more information.
COTTONWOOD
Downtown Cottonwood is always a charming place to be, and that’s even more so during the holidays. Expect to see many of the shops and restaurants that make up Main Street all decked out in colorful lights. The City also has a handful of events to commemorate the season. The Chocolate Walk is something we look forward to every year. The name says it all: Ticket holders can stroll up and down Main Street where they can pop in and out of Old Town’s participating shops to enjoy some tasty chocolate. Visit oldtown.org for more information.
North Pole Experience.
NORTH POLE EXPERIENCE
Flagstaff’s Little America Hotel hosts the annual North Pole Experience. Families take a trolley ride to reach Santa’s workshop. Once they arrive, they can build toys, chat with Ms. Claus, devour cookies in the bakery, check out Santa’s mailroom and conclude their trip to the North Pole with a private visit from Santa.
North Pole Experience.
The Little America Hotel also will be totally decorated for the holidays and ripe for taking plenty of quality holiday photos for social media. Visit northpoleexperience.com for more information.
San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff.
FLAGSTAFF
The rest of Flagstaff also commemorates the holidays in several memorable ways. Much of downtown Flagstaff will be all lit up. Our personal favorite downtown winter attraction is Skate at the Station. This ice rink sets up right outside of the downtown Flagstaff Visitor Center, which is housed in a former train station. Best of all? Ice skating and skate rentals are free of charge. Being at such a high elevation (the city is at about 7,000 feet above sea level), Flagstaff is also one place in Arizona where you’re almost guaranteed to see snow. According to Visit Flagstaff, the mountain town receives an average of 100 inches of snow annually. Best of all? There’s a variety of ways you can experience some fresh white powder if you’re in Flag.
Arizona Snowbowl.
If you’d like to have a real snow day, consider heading up to Arizona Snowbowl. Ski down your choice of 55 total trails. Fortyeight of those trails are serviced by eight lifts. The Snowbowl is for skiers and snowboarders of all levels and also features Arizona’s only gondola. Visit snowbowl.ski for more information.
Arizona Nordic Village
If you’d prefer to go cross country skiing, snowshoeing or fat biking, consider heading to the Arizona Nordic Village. The Nordic Village is home to more than 24 miles of trails. The ski trails are 16-feet wide. Dogs are welcome on snowshoeing or multi-use trails. If you’d like to stay overnight, yurts are available. An adult cross country ski day pass costs $30 and an adult pass for snowshoeing costs $20. Visit arizonanordicvillage.com for more information.
Flagstaff Snow Park.
Located in Fort Tuthill County Park, the Flagstaff Snow Park is the most low-key snow adventure option of the bunch. Snow tubing is the main attraction here. The snow park has a total of seven groomed tubing runs and a kiddie hill. Visitors are also encouraged to make snowmen, play in the snow, go snowshoeing and cross country skiing. The park’s website advises that guests should not bring sleds as they’re prohibited. A snow tube rental is included in the price of admission. The park is only open seasonally. Visit Flagstaff Snow Park flagstaffsnowpark.com for more information.
Grand Canyon Railway Polar Express.
POLAR EXPRESS
The Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel in Williams is behind the Polar Express. This hotel is perhaps most famous for its train that transports guests to the Grand Canyon and back. From Nov. 10 to Dec. 30, it runs the Polar Express holiday-themed train. This train takes guests to the North Pole. During the ride, guests can look forward to a reading of the children’s book “The Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg, a Santa visit, holiday songs, chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate.
Grand Canyon Railway Polar Express.
The train ride takes about 90 minutes total. Guests can book The Polar Express Package, which includes a one-night stay at the Grand Canyon Railway & Hotel, one dinner and one breakfast at the Fred Harvey Restaurant and round trip tickets to the Polar Express train. Tickets for evening departures that leave Sunday through Thursday cost $39 for kids ages 2 to 15 and $58 for adults. Tickets for Friday and Saturday departures cost $53 for children and $70 for adults. Visit thetrain.com/polarexpress for more information.
Verde Canyon Railroad.
THE MAGICAL CHRISTMAS JOURNEY ON THE VERDE CANYON RAILROAD
The Verde Canyon Railroad takes off from a depot station in Clarkdale and will transport riders through a red rock canyon. It’s magical any time of year, but especially at Christmas-time. From Nov. 24 to Dec. 24, the depot station is all decked out in lights. A bald eagle named Flurry will typically be there and provide some stunning photo opportunities. At the bird’s-eye village, kids and adults can check out 10 tiny houses that are part of a town square and provide an opportunity to see what Flurry sees when he’s in the sky. The train itself will also be decorated in lights. On board the train, elves will entertain and servers wearing holiday-appropriate garb will pass out seasonal drinks. Head outside to take in some fresh air. Head back inside when you need to warm up.
Verde Canyon Railroad.
The train will pass under an illuminated tunnel before eventually winding up at the North Pole. The round-trip takes about one hour. At the North Pole, kids will interact with Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and elves. The train will pass by Santa’s workshop, Mrs. Claus’ Bakery, the Reindeer Flight School and Ugly Sweater Factory. Adult tickets for riders ages 11 and up cost $60. Child tickets for riders who are 10 and younger cost $40. Visit verdecanyonrr.com for more information.
Pratt Brothers Christmas.
PRATT BROTHERS CHRISTMAS AT RAWHIDE IN CHANDLER
If you find yourself in Chandler this holiday season, consider paying a visit to Rawhide for the Pratt Brothers Christmas from Nov. 24 to Dec. 24. Once you’re there, you can enjoy a holiday experience across 15 acres. This place will feature 6 million lights, a holiday express train ride, a nightly parade, stunt shows, holiday shopping, a gingerbread house light show, live entertainment and one-on-one time with Santa Claus himself. Ticket prices range from $29 to $75 per person. Admission is free for children ages 2 and under. Visit prattbrotherschristmas.com for more information.
