Old Town Scottsdale is gearing up for its signature holiday season, with the City of Scottsdale announcing that Scottsdazzle returns Nov. 28 through Dec. 31. The monthlong celebration promises festive events, holiday tours, dazzling lights, seasonal dining and shopping spread across the district's core neighborhoods.
According to the City of Scottsdale
, the 2026 edition kicks off with the Scottsdazzle Tree Lighting Spectacular on Nov. 28, an event billed this year as celebrating 75 years of Scottsdale, per
experiencescottsdale.com
. The event listing describes Scottsdazzle as a month-long celebration of the season in the heart of Old Town, featuring more than 20 signature events throughout December.
Those signature events are designed to be accessible to families without breaking the budget. The listing notes free signature events, culinary demonstrations and family activities are planned in each of the Old Town districts, giving visitors multiple reasons to return throughout the season rather than making a single trip.
A Towering Centerpiece at the Waterfront
The celebration's visual anchor will once again be a holiday tree at the Scottsdale Waterfront. The event listing specifies the official lighting of a 36-foot holiday tree as part of the festivities, continuing a tradition that has become the visual signature of the season in Old Town.
Beyond the Waterfront, the event's major activity centers are spread along 5th Avenue, the Arts District and the Civic Center, according to the same listing. That footprint means shoppers, diners and families can expect festive programming scattered across several walkable pockets of Old Town rather than concentrated in just one spot.
Artists Can Still Apply for Merry Main Street
One returning program under the Scottsdazzle umbrella is Merry Main Street, described on scottsdazzle.com as a collection of temporary artwork painted directly onto storefront windows along Old Town Scottsdale's Main Street during the holiday season. The website states that applications are currently being accepted for artists who want to join the program.
A 2025 report from azfamily.com described that year's celebration as the 10th annual Scottsdazzle, noting it added a feature called the Tinsel Trail — also temporary storefront-window artwork by local artists. Those specific 2025 details, including that year's exact event times, haven't been confirmed as part of the 2026 lineup.
An Award-Winning Tradition
Scottsdazzle isn't a newcomer to recognition. The event was named best community event in Phoenix Magazine's 2025 Arizona Travel Awards, according to scottsdazzle.com, a distinction that underscores the celebration's standing as a staple of the region's holiday calendar.
For now, organizers haven't released a full day-by-day schedule for 2026 beyond the Nov. 28 tree lighting kickoff. The Scottsdazzle website invites visitors to sign up for its newsletter to hear when the rest of the 2026 events are announced, suggesting more specifics on individual activities, dining promotions and holiday tours are still to come before the season gets underway.
