December 20-22

Find out what's happening this weekend in Phoenix. You can see some live music, see the most current art exhibitions and more. Find more things to do this weekend on our event calendar. 

Find more things to do this weekend on our event calendar.  We've also rounded up holiday events and things to do in Phoenix this winter. The best winter festivals in Phoenix are here. Start making your New Year's Eve plans now; check out our New Year's Guide. 

 

Las Noches de Las Luminarias

Friday through Sunday

Enter a desert wonderland this holiday season at Desert Botanical Garden with Las Noches de las Luminarias. Enjoy an evening filled with sparkling luminarias and twinkling holiday lights. Musical performances, entertainment and holiday delights line the Garden’s iconic trails for a picture-perfect night.

Desert Botanical Garden

 

Polar Express 2024

Friday through Sunday

Every winter the Grand Canyon Railway’s Polar Express comes to life on a journey from the nighttime wilderness of Williams, Arizona, to the enchanted beauty of “the North Pole”—where Santa Claus and his reindeer are waiting with a keepsake present for every good boy and girl. Make this a family holiday tradition, and call today to make your reservations (because space is limited to those who truly believe in the spirit of Christmas). The ride lasts a little over an hour, with the train leaving each night at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon Railway

 

Holiday Events

You don’t need frigid winter weather to get in the spirit of the season. Enjoy holiday events in Phoenix, including festive lights, luminarias and more. Check out our Holiday Events guide here.

 

Concerts & Performances This Weekend

Shows are taking place more often now, including theatre performances, comedy shows and concerts. Here's who you can see perform this weekend:

Friday:
Saturday:

Sunday:

 

 

Sports This Weekend

Our local teams are giving it their all. Here's who you can cheer on this weekend:

Saturday:

 

Art Exhibits This Weekend

Phoenix is home to the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Ignite your mind with the creativity and inspiration you will find at our local cultural institutions. Here's the art exhibits you can see this weekend:

 

Muddy Terrains: Mariana Ramos Ortiz + Estephania González

Through January 12, 2025

“Muddy Terrains” presents a diverse collection of newly created works from two artists’ residencies with CALA Alliance in the Spring and Summer of 2024. San Juan-based Mariana Ramos Ortiz (Puerto Rico, b. 1997) and Phoenix-based Estephania González (United States, b. 1989) explore the interconnected themes of environmentalism, self-determination and impermanence in the Southwest and the Caribbean Archipelago. The exhibition underscores some of the most critical themes pertinent to the region, including resource scarcity. In their dynamic practice that employs innovative printmaking techniques, Ramos Ortiz explores the qualities of the earth as they relate to the realities of occupation, protection and temporality. Drawing inspiration from the societal and spiritual perspectives of the Mexica peoples of pre-conquest Mexico and Latinx hair practices, González’s work underscores the cultural significance of water across space, time and geographies.

ASU Art Museum

 

Light Bloom at the Desert Botanical Garden

Through January 20, 2025

LIGHT BLOOM by HYBYCOZO is a limited-time exhibit where nature and light converge. This mesmerizing display invites you to explore the Garden transformed by stunning geometric light installations that illuminate the beauty of the desert landscape in a new way. As the sun sets, LIGHT BLOOM comes to life, casting intricate shadows and vibrant hues across the Garden. Wander the trails and let the enchanting installations transport you to a magical realm where the natural world meets the abstract.

Desert Botanical Garden

 

Indigenous Expression and a New American Art

March 2, 2025

Indigenous Expression and a New American Art examines the mid-century American art movement known as the Indian Space Painters and the relationship between those non-Native painters, the Indigenous visual and material culture that inspired them, and the artists from the modern Native art movement who expanded upon such creative explorations through their own visual heritage.

Heard Museum

 

Chicano/a/x Prints and Graphics: Selections from the Hispanic Research Center’s Collection, 1980–2010

Through June 29, 2025

 Featuring over 30 artists who each offer a kaleidoscope of perspectives on the Mexican American experience, this year-long exhibition pays homage to the ideals of the Chicano Movement of the 1960s and 70s and expands upon them through the widely disseminated medium of prints. Presented in two parts, this unique exhibition underscores how Chicano/a/x artists have employed prints and graphics to build community, engage with social concerns, and interrogate shifting notions of political and cultural identity over time.

ASU Art Museum

 

Following Their Roots – Traditional Native American Farming in Arizona, Past and Present

July 31, 2025

This exhibit is all about exploring and celebrating the deep connections between Arizona’s Indigenous communities and their agricultural traditions, offering a rich historical perspective and a glimpse into the contemporary practices that sustain these cultural lifeways today. Discover how these communities have thrived for over 4,000 years, learn about farming practices unique to Arizona's diverse ecosystems, and dive into the important ongoing story of water rights in the Southwest. It is a fascinating journey through history, food, and culture that you won’t want to miss.

S'edav Va'aki Museum (Formerly Pueblo Grande Museum)

Editor's Picks

The Innings Festival in Tempe, AZ features bands like Dave Matthews, Weezer, and other huge headliner names in showbiz.

Winter Festivals

The weather is beautiful, which means it's time to get outside and experience everything going on.