Carefree Christmas Festival & Gift Market

Escape to a southwest winter wonderland at the Carefree Christmas Festival & Gift Market. This dazzling annual event has grown into a northeast Valley holiday tradition. Additional highlights include a lighted holiday village with daytime and late night shopping, and vendors with homemade confections and delicious seasonal fare.

Spectators line the streets for the festival’s signature Electric Light Parade and its brilliantly decorated floats. Other spotlight events include a dazzling evening fireworks display, Kid’s Zone with 35 tons of real snow, Santa’s Grotto, train rides, night time carriage rides, and other amusements. Carefree’s four-acre desert botanical gardens provide a stunning backdrop for the event. The winding paths showcase thousands of exotic plants and cacti that are illuminated for the festivities.