Sometimes it can be hard to feel merry at Christmas, especially when snow is falling, ice is building up, and you just can’t seem to get warm, no matter how many layers you add to your outfit! In Scottsdale, however, Christmas is always merry as we finally move from flip-flops, tees, and shorts to boots, long pants, and long-sleeved tees! The stores are decorated, just as they probably are in your hometown, but because the weather is so nice, we can spend hours shopping at Kierland Commons in Scottsdale or Tempe Marketplace in nearby Tempe, running in and out of each and every shop (these are both popular outdoor malls) without fear of losing feeling in our fingers and toes. It’s for this reason (and so many more) that people from all over the world flock to our doorstep, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to enjoy Christmas in the desert, and if a Scottsdale Christmas getaway is in your future, the only thing that could make your holiday brighter is a stay in one of our I Love Scottsdale Christmas cottages or condos! See our guide to Christmas in Scottsdale below.
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Christmas Guide to Scottsdale
Aside from the gifts and time with family, our favorite part of the Christmas season is the decorations! We love to drive through many of the neighborhoods, oohing and ahhing over the homes where they went all out and getting ideas for our own homes. There are plenty of opportunities to view beautiful lights when in town, and in a couple of neighborhoods, you can even see the trophy the winners of the Great Christmas Light Fight; the Birkett Family (Winter Wonderland Arizona) in Scottsdale and the Comstock neighborhood in Gilbert were both winners in different years! On the first Saturday in December, Stroll in the Glow is a popular activity for visitors and residents alike, offering hot chocolate, pictures with Santa, and of course, thousands and thousands of beautiful sparkling lights.
Las Noches De Las Luminarias, Desert Botanical Gardens
For lights with a softer glow and an opportunity to explore the native plants of the desert, a visit to the Desert Botanical Gardens offers pathways lined with luminarias, adding a softness to a holiday that is often quite loud and chaotic. Music plays, the candles glow, and if you made reservations for dinner, your stomach will be filled as your soul is fed. The peaceful ambience of the desert at night is made even more wonderful by the realization that you probably won’t even need to wear a coat!
Scottsdazzle
We like to think that it is always dazzling in Scottsdale, but at Christmas our western town really shines! Taking place the entire month of December, there will be concerts on the canal, magical Christmas lights displays, and chances for the kiddos to meet and take pictures with the jolliest of elves, the big man Santa Claus! Our monthly art walk takes on a holiday spin as you sip hot cocoa, listen to Dickensonian carolers sing your favorite Christmas songs, and enjoy the beauty of art at the galleries downtown! Enjoy wine, whiskey, and cocktail tastings at our version of the North Pole and examine the live holiday nativity the Saturday before Christmas. Every night of the month of December offers something new and dazzling at Scottsdazzle!
A Good Meal
The best part of travel often revolves around the meals we eat and if you want to enjoy a dining EXPERIENCE over Christmas, make your reservations for Café Monarch today! Located at 6939 E 1st Avenue in Scottsdale and offering an elegant prixe fixe meal you will never forget, if you can get a patio table, we suggest you go for it! Offering twinkling lights and a beautiful fountain as well as seasonal décor, this special restaurant is the perfect spot for a special occasion!
At Home for Christmas in Scottsdale
No, we aren’t talking about you heading back to the frosty tundra for your Christmas holiday. We invite you to explore the cozy comforts and luxurious appeal of our I Love Scottsdale holiday hideaways. Watch Christmas movies in theater rooms while staying comfortable in your jammies, sip wine by the pool, reveling in the cool night air and perhaps, even daring to take a dip in the heated waters. If the pool is too cold, many properties will offer private or community hot tubs, and we can vouch for the romance and wonder of spending some time submerged in their warm bubbly waters! A Christmas feast is easily prepared in our gourmet kitchens and presents can be wrapped at large dining tables after the kiddos have gone to dream about the gifts that will be waiting for them when they wake in the morning! Every minute of your Christmas spent with I Love Scottsdale will bring about warm memories and happy times; reserve your favorite today!
Contact Us
Contact us today to book your stay in a Scottsdale vacation rental. We hope you enjoyed our guide to Scottsdale for your next Christmas holiday!
