Sunny Scottsdale

SCOTTSDALE – The Sonoran Desert captures the spirit of the North Pole, but with sunny skies in lieu of snowy nights. Endless festivities and millions of sparkling lights await travelers who believe in holiday magic. Read on for holiday highlights not to be missed on a winter getaway.

The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess transforms into a holiday headquarters during Christmas at the Princess, complete with 6.5 million sparkling LED lights. In addition to the Desert Ice Rink, S’mores Land, the Princess Express Train, and The Village, new this year is Aurora Ice, an ice lounge bathed in an illumination reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis, better known as the Northern Lights (Now - –Jan. 6, 2024).

Hundreds of hand-lit luminarias create a soft glow around the Desert Botanical Garden as live performances and entertainment, and festive snacks complete a picture-perfect evening at Las Noches de las Luminarias (select dates through Dec. 30).

Scottsdazzle, Old Town Scottsdale’s signature holiday spectacular, starts with the annual Sing-Along & Tree Lighting Ceremony and is followed by festivities such as the Merry Merchantile Market, a reception at Wilde Meyer Gallery featuring artwork from Jaime Ellsworth, Sue Goldsand, and Sarah Webber, and a Sparkle & Spin bicycle scavenger hunt (Now–Dec. 31).

Enchant, an immersive, extravagant winter celebration, returns with a new light maze where visitors help a mischievous elf named Eddie, and Sparky the reindeer, recover missing toys before Santa’s big night. The event also includes an ice-skating trail, live entertainment, and a visit from Santaand Mrs. Claus. (until Dec. 31).

Holiday Lights at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park offers enchanting displays and twinkling lights surrounding the park’s Paradise & Pacific Railroad and historic Charros Carousel for a picture-perfect evening (Dec. 1 – Jan. 7, 2024).

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) showcases how cultures from around the world celebrate their unique winter holidays through “‘Tis the Seasons: Holidays at MIM” with performances from Dickens Carolers, Mariachi Rubor, and Rural Street Klezmer Band, and festive-themed activities such as a music-making workshop and a Kwanzaa storytelling (Dec. 9-10).

For more ideas about how readers can spend and winter staycation in Scottsdale, visit HolidaysInScottsdale.com.