SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (Oct. 17, 2023) – Create joyous moments this winter with enchanting festivities, tasty treats, refreshed resorts, and awe-inspiring art.
HOLIDAYS IN SCOTTSDALE
- Nov. 17, 2023 – Jan. 6, 2024: 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.
- Nov. 24 – 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 Santa and Mrs. Claus.
- Select dates Nov. 24 – Dec. 30: 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. Celebrate the Mexican holiday tradition of La Posada (Dec. 17) with singing processions, traditional Mexican food and beverage, as well as a piñata breaking experience for children.
- Nov. 25 – Dec. 31: Scottsdazzle, Old Town Scottsdale’s signature holiday spectacular, starts with the annual Sing-Along & Tree Lighting Ceremony (Nov. 25) and is followed by festivities such as a Merry Merchantile Market (Dec. 2), a reception at Wilde Meyer Gallery featuring artwork from Jaime Ellsworth, Sue Goldsand, and Sarah Webber (Dec. 7), and a Sparkle & Spin bicycle scavenger hunt (Dec. 10, 17).
- Nov. 25: Scottsdale Quarter’s Santa Social offers an endless supply of cheer with special character appearances, its annual tree lighting ceremony, a holiday feature film, and of course, a visit from Old St. Nick himself.
- Select dates Dec. 2-23 Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North brings the North Pole to the Southwest with Breakfast with Santa for the little ones, and a Cryotherapy Energizing Facial and Cryotherapy Pedicure for the adults.
- Dec. 7: The SHOPS at Gainey Village welcomes its eighth annual “Holiday Wine and Dine” event with complimentary wine tastings, cheerful horse and carriage rides, and live music.
- Dec. 9-10: 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 live music and festive-themed activities.
- Returning for another dazzling year, the Phoenix Zoo and JoyRidesAZ each offer fun ways to have a merry and bright night. Zoolights’ hundreds of twinkling lights include North America’s largest floating digital tree, a 200-foot-long light tunnel, and a reinvented Glow Garden across the 125 acres of the Phoenix Zoo (Nov. 22-Jan. 14, 2024). JoyRidesAZ’s Holiday Light Tour takes guests on a personal tour via electric cart to see all that glimmers in Old Town’s nine districts (Nov. 25-Dec. 23).
RESORT ROUNDUP
THE BIG NEWS: Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its 293 guest rooms and 38 luxury suites. Cactus silk pillows, homemade ceramics, fresh artwork, and more enhance the elegant Spanish design of the sprawling desert oasis at the foot of Camelback Mountain
- This season, The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch will transform into The Scottsdale Resort and Spa, as part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, with its renovation to all guest rooms and public spaces. The resort introduces a new signature restaurant, a hidden speakeasy, and a new lounge with a pool table and indoor golf simulator featuring several interactive games.
- Caesars Entertainment Corporation will launch Caesars Republic Scottsdale, its first non-gaming hotel in the United States, in Feb. 2024. The 11-story glass structure will house 265 rooms, a bar and coffee shop, two signature restaurants from Chef Giada De Laurentiis, a rooftop pool, and a fitness center.
- Travelers can find a rejuvenating stay at CIVANA Wellness Resort + Spa, which takes a holistic approach to wellness through its daily, myriad fitness and well-being classes, peaceful spa, and health-minded dining options. New superfood lattes like the “Mindful Dopamine” and “Kava Dream” help promote relaxation, brain dopamine, clarity and more.
- ADERO Scottsdale Resort is embracing the cooler weather with a Pumpkin Facial and an Artic Berry Peptide Infusion. After a soothing treatment, get lost in the night sky with the Star Dudes returning to their weekly guided stargazing sessions at Arizona’s first resort in a Dark Sky Community.
ART + ATTRACTIONS
THE BIG NEWS: Scottsdale Civic Center’s $33.5-million revitalization is now complete with a centrally located 360‐degree performance structure, a kid’s splash pad and play area, and shaded social and picnic areas. Civic Center – surrounded by City Hall, Scottsdale Public Library and the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – has long been a gathering place and event space in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. It will host the inaugural Dreamy Draw Festival Nov. 3-4, 2023, and the Arizona Concours d’Elegance car show Jan. 21, 2024.
- What better way to cap off an artful vacation than by staying at a resort with its own gallery? Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale’s newest exhibit, “Suburban Sunset,” highlights artist Michael Afsa’s minimalist wall sculptures that reimagine mundane moments in suburban architecture and capture the aura of the expansive American Southwest.
- Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West introduces new exhibitions this season. “Women of the West: Highlights from The Fran and Ed Elliott Southwest Women Artists Collection” focuses on women artists connected to Arizona throughout the late territorial period and early 20th century. The museum will soon open an exhibit featuring works of art from a portion of the Eddie Basha Collection of American Indian and Western American fine art, one of the largest, privately-owned art collections of its kind.
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West is offering new programming including a Nightfall Guided Tour, focusing on the site’s outdoor spaces and rare evening views (select dates through Dec. 31); a Shelters in the Desert Guided Tour, offering a morning hike through the desert trails behind Taliesin West and highlighting the deep connection between architecture and nature (select dates Jan. 1-March 31, 2024); and TW Live, with live classical jazz performances (select dates through April 2024).
- Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall is flush with exciting new developments, with the recent opening of Canada-based Moxies, its first location in Arizona and seventh in the U.S., and the upcoming opening of Los Angeles-based Élephante. ZIMMERMANN boutique is also new to the mall, in addition to its expansion of the luxurious south wing featuring a dedicated valet, two-story storefronts, and more.
SIP + SAVOR
- The Canal Club’s latest series, The Angel’s Share Social Club, pairs the art of mixology with education, and the talents of both local artists and craftsmen. Each event spotlights a maker and offers a unique immersive activity, all accompanied by an exclusive culinary menu. (As the alcohol or spirit matures in a barrel or cast, a small fraction of the liquid is lost to evaporation, this liquid is called the "Angel's Share").
- Culinary adventurers can try their hand at delectable dishes such as Cavatelli (Nov. 18) and Baccala Origanato (Dec. 16) with Marcellino Ristorante’s “Learn & Lunch,” a cooking class taught by the iconic Chef Marcellino.
- Amelia’s by EAT, a new neighborhood eatery and market, is now open at McCormick Ranch, serving local and organically sourced ingredients, scratch-made cocktails, wine, pastries, coffee, and artisan market goods.
UP NEXT
- The Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley, The Palmeraie – a 215-room, 20-acre new-build opening in 2024 – will have it all; exemplary service, views of Camelback Mountain, modern and sleek interiors and a 16,000-square-foot spa.
- Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch has begun a $110-million renovation and will be rebranded as Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort & Spa in late 2024, which will mark the first Grand Hyatt hotel in Arizona.
For more Scottsdale travel news and story ideas, visit www.ScottsdalePressroom.com.
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Laura McMurchie, Vice President of Communications
480-429-2253, lmcmurchie@experiencescottsdale.com
Christina Dicksen, Director of Communications
480-889-2709, cdicksen@experiencescottsdale.com
Emily Lawrence, Senior Communications Manager
480-424-1958, elawrence@experiencescottsdale.com
Emily Holdaway, Communications Coordinator
480-424-1980, eholdaway@experiencescottsdale.com
