Note: This story was originally posted in 2023 and updated in 2025.
Tucson’s favorite annual holiday tradition, the Winterhaven Festival of Lights, returns for it's 76th year, this weekend!
The festival kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 in the Winterhaven neighborhood near East Fort Lowell and North Country Club roads. The festival runs from 6 to 10 p.m. every day through Dec. 27.
The annual light festival is free to walk through, but visitors are encouraged to bring canned goods or donate to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. There will be canned good donation boxes near each of the neighborhood’s four entrances, according to the festival’s website.
“Last year, the Winterhaven Festival of Lights community stepped up in a big way—34,134 pounds of food and $33,774 raised,” according to the festival’s website.
The holiday lights come up as the sun goes down on a display at the corner of Kleindale Road and Treat Avenue on the opening night of the 73rd annual Winterhaven Festival of Lights, Tucson, Ariz., December 10, 2022.
This year, the festival is bringing back Silent Adventures — a silent-disco-meets-flash-mob tour where attendees can “sing and dance to a festive playlist through the streets of Winterhaven in a 35-minute tour led by talented guides,” according to their website. Tickets are $20 for adults and $8 for children 16 and younger.
Walking around the neighborhood is great, but what if you want to see the lights with some other mode of transportation? Don’t fret — you can take in the festive vibes on a cheerfully decorated party bike.
A ride on one of the Arizona Party Bikes will cost you $35 per seat or if you want to rent out the whole bike for you and 13 other friends or family members, it will cost $490, according to Arizona Party Bike’s website.
Spots fill up fast with limited availability, so reservations are encouraged.
You can also find delicious food vendors at this year's festival, including Star Kettlecorn, Trucking Good Cupcakes, La Bufadora Fish Tacos, and You Sly Dog.
Monday, Dec. 15 and Wednesday, Dec. 17 are drive-thru nights at this year’s festival from 5:30-6:30 p.m. All vehicles must be registered in advance to participate in the drive-through experience. Only registered buses and specialty vans will be granted access
For a list of frequently asked questions regarding this year’s event or a map of the Winterhaven neighborhood, check out the Winterhaven Festival of Lights’ website.
Tucsonans have been checking out the lights of Winterhaven for many years now. The festival runs from 6-10 p.m. daily, Dec. 9-25. There are no drive-thru nights this year.
