A Phoenix Finds Seasonal Deep Dive
The holiday season in Arizona hits a little differently. Sure, we’ve got twinkle lights and Santa visits just like everywhere else — but we’ve also got tumbleweed trees, desert snowstorms, glowing forests of luminarias, and award-winning winter attractions tucked into pine-heavy mountain towns.
Arizona holiday culture is a blend of quirky traditions, record-setting events, and “wait… that happens here?” moments that surprise even long-time locals. Whether you’re new to the Valley or were born here with sand in your stockings, these are the ten holiday facts about Arizona that feel too good not to share.
Let’s dive into the weird, wonderful, and unforgettable side of Arizona Christmas:
1. Arizona’s Famous Tumbleweed Christmas Tree Is One of a Kind
You’ll find Christmas trees made of fir, pine, spruce, and… tumbleweeds? Chandler’s Tumbleweed Tree is one of the only holiday trees like it in the entire world. Since 1957, the city has collected more than a thousand tumbleweeds, painted them white, dusted them with glitter, wired and stacked them into a towering holiday monument, and lit it up in the center of town.
It’s a tradition so delightfully odd that travel magazines, reporters, and bloggers flock to see it every year — and locals treat it like a badge of holiday honor. Only in Arizona could something prickly and wind-blown become a beloved Christmas icon.
2. The North Pole Experience in Flagstaff Was Ranked Best Holiday Experience in America
Hidden in the snowy forests of Flagstaff sits one of the most immersive Santa attractions in the country — so immersive that several national outlets have named it the Best Holiday Experience in the U.S.
Families board a special shuttle that transports them “through a magic portal” straight into Santa’s Workshop. Inside, kids help the elves make toys, tour the factory, decorate cookies, and meet Santa in his private study. It’s elaborate, theatrical, and unforgettable.
If you want the closest thing to a storybook North Pole without leaving the state — this is it.
3. Flagstaff Is Often the Snowiest City in the Entire Country
Sure, Phoenix might be balmy in December, but head two hours north and suddenly you’re in the middle of a winter wonderland. In especially snowy years, Flagstaff is literally the snowiest city in America, beating Colorado, New York, and even parts of Alaska.
That’s why the region’s holiday season feels so quintessentially wintry — ice rinks, sleigh rides, pine forests coated in white, and Christmas festivals that feel lifted from a storybook. If you love snow but hate shoveling it off your car, Flag is your December fix.
4. World of Illumination Started in Arizona and Became the Largest Drive-Through Light Show Company in the World
You may have driven through one of their over-the-top animated tunnels of lights, but what most people don’t know is that World of Illumination was born in Tempe. The founders launched their first synchronized holiday light show here, and it quickly exploded nationwide.
Today it’s the world’s largest producer of fully synchronized drive-through light shows — but Arizona will always be its home base. One more reason we’re low-key the holiday entertainment capital of the Southwest.
5. The Mesa Temple Lights Rank Among the Most Beautiful Holiday Displays in the Southwest
More than a million lights transform the Mesa Temple grounds into a glowing garden each December. What sets it apart is the design — not chaotic or flashy, but carefully arranged, soft, and incredibly photogenic.
People travel from across the country to see it, and photographers swear it’s one of the most beautiful holiday light events in the entire Southwest. It’s peaceful, free, and deeply rooted in Arizona tradition.
6. Arizona Was Home to One of the Largest Gingerbread Villages Ever Displayed
The Biltmore strikes again — several years ago, its pastry team created what was considered one of the largest gingerbread villages in the country, spanning over 20 feet with intricate storefronts, tiny people, candy-lined streets, and full electric lighting.
It wasn’t just a display — it was a full miniature city, built by chefs with a level of detail that bordered on architectural.
7. The Polar Express Attraction in Williams Is One of the Top Holiday Train Rides in America
Based on the famous book and movie, the Polar Express in Williams has become a national phenomenon. Families from across the U.S. fly into Arizona in December just to ride it.
Kids board the train in pajamas, sip hot chocolate, sing carols, and travel through the woods until they reach “the North Pole,” where Santa boards to greet each child. Tickets sell out months in advance — proving that Arizona quietly hosts one of the country’s most magical Christmas experiences.
8. Arizona’s Holiday Movie Footprints Run Deeper Than You Think
Arizona isn’t known for snowy holiday filming locations, but a surprising number of iconic movies have shot winter scenes here — including Raising Arizona, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and several made-for-TV Christmas movies that needed “winter sunshine” shots.
Hollywood often uses the Valley for warm-weather scenes set at Christmas, giving us a strange but fun claim in the movie world.
9. Arizona Hosts One of the Largest Native American Holiday Markets in the U.S.
The annual Pueblo Grande Museum Indian Market & Fair – Holiday Edition is one of the biggest cultural holiday markets in the country, showcasing Native artists, performers, jewelry makers, and craftspeople.
It’s one of Arizona’s most meaningful holiday traditions — a celebration of Indigenous culture during the season of giving, with hundreds of artisans and thousands of visitors each year.
Wrapping It All Up
From tumbleweed trees to snowy mountain towns, from world-famous light shows to gingerbread cities, Arizona’s holiday season refuses to fit into any one box. We’re part desert, part pine forest, part glittering resort town, part quirky local tradition — a mix you won’t find anywhere else in the country.
That’s what makes celebrating here so special. It’s bright. It’s weird. It’s warm. It’s whimsical.
And it’s very Arizona.
If you’re into discovering more local gems, seasonal guides, and the best things happening across the Valley all year long, make sure to sign up for the Phoenix Finds Monthly Newsletter — your inside line to everything worth experiencing.