Phoenix Christmas Holiday – Fun Things To Do This December in Phoenix

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Celebrate the holiday season this December in Phoenix, as a lot of fun things to do and see such as outdoor ice skating, city bright lights, Christmas shopping, and many more.

Make this December in Phoenix a memorable one as we list down 6 of the top fun things do.

1. Garden Christmas Lights Display at Desert Botanical Garden

Second on our list as one of the fun things to do this December in Phoenix is going to the Desert Botanical Garden to see glowing lights and blooming flowers.

The beautiful pathways of the Desert Botanical Garden glows with candlelight during December and Christmas season. With more than 8,000 flickering luminaria bags, creating a breath taking scenery that draws out crowds, known as Las Noches de las Luminarias, a Southwestern-inspired tradition celebrating the warmth and beauty of the holiday season in Phoenix. This yearly event has a simple concept, thousands of traditional Christmas lights cast an ethereal glow over the entire garden. With each moving step, just follow the lights that guide you to the finish line. With each successive step, get increasingly deeper into the holiday magic.

2. Holidays At The Heard Museum

Internationally acclaimed Heard Museum is one of the best places to experience culture and art of American Indians of the Southwest. The museum hosts a whopping 200,000 visitors a year and provides Indian artists with a wonderful home that will excite and inspire visitors from around the world. The museum’s 11 spacious exhibit galleries and beautiful outdoor courtyards feature outstanding traditional and contemporary American Indian art.

Also, one of the most awaited and fun things to do this December in Phoenix is experiencing Holidays at the Heard. A yearly Phoenix and Southwestern tradition, Holidays at the Heard is a must-see for families, friends and guests. Visitors can experience American Indian music and dance performances, as well as artist demonstrations and hands-on art activities.

3. Phoenix Zoo – Zoolights

The Phoenix Zoo is a great place to enjoy nature and your little ones will never be bored. This December in Phoenix, the Phoenix zoo is one of the go to places, perfect for family bonding and to hang out with your friends.

There are four trails that wind through the numerous habitats represented on this 125-acre land. The zoo houses a variety of animals, including baboons, Sumatran tigers, Asian elephants, Galápagos tortoises and Komodo dragons. Your little adventurer can go to the Red Barn petting zoo or to the giraffe encounter where they can get some face time with the animals.

One of the most anticipated tradition in this December in Phoenix is the Zoolights. ZooLights is one of the biggest holiday light displays in Southwest. The festivities include a carousel, camel and wagon rides, and a stingray touch tank.

4. Christmas At The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is known for its Spanish colonial-style setting, expansive plazas and lush, flower-filled gardens. However, during Christmas season, the resort is alive with sparkle and fun. You’ll find the welcoming lobby filled with decorated LEDs perfect for instagram post. Step into Enchanted Plaza for one of the centerpieces of the festival. The custom-designed, four-story musical tree twinkles with 80,000 bright lights that play music and offer a festive light show each evening. Lights on the surrounding palm trees are synchronized with the Christmas tree.

Lagoon Lights is also a visitor favorite where you can enjoy a twinkling fantasy land set up on the resort’s lakes. You can walk through a 17-foot long infinity tunnel of changing colors and see a pirate ship and a rocking horse.

Christmas at the Princess is a winter wonderland filled with light and magic. The Arizona desert transforms to a place where love and hope come alive and something special awaits around every corner.

5. Winter Wonderland Express At Enchanted Island Amusement Park

One of the Top 12 Best City Parks in America by Forbes, The Encanto Park has nine rides and a variety of popular attractions geared towards kids aged one to ten, but it is fun for the whole family. Their most popular kids friendly rides are the Encanto carousel, bumper boats, splash zone, kiddie cars, pedal boats, and mini-coaster.

The holiday season is just around the corner. One of the fun things to do this December in Phoenix is going to the Enchanted Island. Expect to see the comeback of the annual Winter Wonderland Express. You can ride the Holiday Train ride to a SNOW filled Enchanted Island with you kids or friends. Enjoy Christmas decorations all over the place and play in tons of fresh snow and sled riding. There’s a booth of North pole with Santa Clause perfect for picture taking.

6. Christmas Shopping At The Mall

Looking for the perfect gift for your loved ones? The best place to go to is at the malls. One of the fun things to do this December in Phoenix is joy hopping these malls to find the perfect gifts.

Phoenix Christmas shopping destinations include high-end shopping centers like the Biltmore Fashion Park. The shopping center is home to retailers like Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn and Macy’s.

For vintage goods, the Melrose District and Brass Armadillo are the perfect spot. Both are antique malls in the metro Phoenix area.

7.  Glendale Glitters

You can also go to the historic downtown Glendale. The historic downtown is magnificently lit up and decorated for the holiday season. Stay after sunset and you’ll witness the widely celebrated Glendale glitters.

Arizona is all about magical places, especially in December. In Glendale Glitters, you will find a million LEDs on display across almost all blocks of Glendale. The display usually starts from Thanksgiving until January. Visiting this town during December is indeed one of the fun things to do this December in Phoenix. Glendale has a rich past and history making it one of the interesting places to visit in the state.