14 Fun Things to do this Holiday Season in Northern Arizona
Disclaimer: We are not paid to promote any restaurant, hotel, activity, product, or attraction. All opinions are subjective and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
10. Shop for a real Christmas tree at Viola’s Garden
Around Christmas time, you can enjoy the rustic experience of picking out a real Christmas tree in Flagstaff. Viola’s just opened a new location on 89a, away from the cluster in town, making it the perfect choice for an old-fashioned Christmas tree shopping experience.
They offer both cut and potted trees. The ambiance is super festive and I love strolling around with a hot cocoa enjoying the decor before picking out my tree. When I first moved here, I heard that many Phoenix locals make the 2 hour drive to pick out their tree in the frosty temps!
Address: 610 S. State Route 89A Flagstaff, AZ 86005
11. Prescott Courthouse Lights
For the annual Prescott courthouse lighting ceremony, hundreds of trees are decked out in the gorgeous colors. I love this event and have made the daytrip from Flagstaff sevearl times. If you happen to be in town for the official lighting ceremony, you will be treated to a pre lighting parade, carolers, and the reading of A Christmas Story.
- Location: 120 S. Cortez Street, Prescott, AZ 86303
- 2025 Date: December 6th at 6pm
- Admission: Free
12. Holiday Lights Parade in Flagstaff & Prescott
Both Prescott and Flagstaff put on a festive holiday light parade each season as a fun, free event for the community. These holiday parades are not like your typical parade, but rather jam packed with lights and over-the-top decor. I’ve never seen a more spirited parade!
Both these events are very popular, and thus parking downtown tends to fill up fast, so grab an early bite to eat to ensure your spot. In my opinion, Prescott’s parade is a bit more extravagant and lively, so if you can only fit one into your itinerary, then this one is definitely the way to go!
- Location: Prescott’s parade takes place downtown, as does Flagstaff’s
- 2025 Dates: Flagstaff (Dec. 13th at 6pm), Prescott (Nov. 29th at 6pm)
- Admission: Both parades are free!
13. Free Holiday Film Series at The Orpheum in Downtown Flagstaff
The historic Orpheum Theater in downtown Flagstaff screens a different holiday classic each Saturday morning in December. Visits with Santa, along with hot cocoa and cookies, will take place immediately after the film.
For some odd reason they had no heat on inside. After standing outside in the freezing cold for 10 minutes to get inside, we had to put hat and gloves on. It was a bit inconvenient, but offering movies for free is nice. The lineup has included Home Alone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Polar Express, and Elf. Arrive early – seats fill up fast.
- Location: 15 W Aspen Ave, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
- 2025 Dates: Dec 6th (Home Alone), 13th (Elf), and 20th (The Santa Clause). Doors open at 9, movie starts at 9:30.
- Admission: It’s free!
14. Wild Wonderland at Bearizona
Update: This event was unfortunately cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. This was the best event, so I am pretty sad to see it go. You can still enjoy some lights by the entrance.
Bearizona, the wonderful drive through wildlife park in Williams offers a fantastic holiday festival known as Wild Wonderland. 2015 marked the first year of what will eventually be a bigger and better event (according to Bearizona, this year is just 20% of what the festive seasonal event will become in future years).
Many gorgeous Christmas trees line the walk through portion. There were so many lights on the pines and other cute knick knacks. Lots of places to take photos. The highlight is a synchronized music and light show, accompanied by holiday tunes both new and old.
Some of the selections include Hot Chocolate from The Polar Express, a fitting option as Williams is home to The Polar Express train ride, Let it Snow from the popular Frozen movie, and classic favorites from the Trans Siberian Orchestra.
Bundle up (it gets extremely cold at night!), pick up a hot cocoa at the visitor’s center or bring your own from home), enjoy the beautiful lights, and keep a keen eye out for any animal sightings. Most of the park is closed, however, a bear or 2 might make an appearance.
- Location: 1500 Historic Rte 66, Williams, AZ 86046
- 2025 Dates: This event is cancelled, however, you can still enjoy lights by the entrance.
- Admission: $10 per person
A few more festive events to consider…
The North Pole Experience – Departing at the Little America Flagstaff and continuing on a ride to the North Pole to visit Santa’s workshop, the North Pole Experience is one of the area’s most popular holiday events for kids. Kids can work side by side with the elfs at the workshop, attend Elf university, and take a break for a cookie in Santa’s bakery.
The Polar Express – Williams is most well-known for being home to the Grand Canyon Railway, a convenient, albeit very pricey, means of transportation to the Grand Canyon. During the winter season, it transform into The Polar Express, based on the classic children’s story (and later popular holiday film).
As you board the festive train hot chocolate and cookies are served before taking off to The North Pole to meet Santa. And of course, The Polar Express will be read along the journey. Although very popular, the ride has mixed reviews, so journey at your own risk!
Holiday plays and concerts – You will find various plays and concerts throughout the season, from budget friendly options such as school and church concerts, to more extravagant productions like the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra’s Nutcracker and Christmas in the Mountains by the Master Chorale of Flagstaff. Check local newspapers for more events throughout the season.
Synchronized home show – This popular Flagstaff synchronized light and music show runs each night, with a medley of unique holiday songs in sync with over 6000 lights. I wasn’t a fan of the style of music they used, nor their overall design, however, it’s something extra to do (for free) if you happen to be in the area. And it’s nice to know that they donate all their profits to charity. To get there, put the following address into your GPS: 6376 E Abineau Canyon in Flagstaff (and tune into 107.1FM).
Special holiday drinks – Treat yourself to a specialty holiday espresso drink. A few drinks I recommend include: the Peppermint Mocha at Brandy’s Restaurant, The Peppermint Dark Chocolate Mocha at Late for the Train, and the Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks. These festive drinks are sure to get you into the holiday spirit!
Festive dining
My absolute favorite place to dine this time of year is Pisa Lisa. They serve excellent pizza and gelato (I love the plain cheese and vegan Semplice). The decor is so festive – they really go all out. I love the colorful lights and old fashioned Santa photos on the wall.
**All dates, times, and events subject to change. Please check with each individual website to verify this year’s schedule.
