Eight merry must-do winter wonderland experiences.
Eight Merriest Experiences:
Joyful holiday events downtown are sponsored by the Flagstaff Downtown Business Alliance. Feel festive with the Winter Wonderland Tree Lighting Event, 12 Bars of Christmas, Breakfast with Santa, Noon Year’s Eve, and holiday shopping.
Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra presents Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet. The Nutcracker is a treasured tradition for so many good reasons – it has extraordinary music, the choreography is spectacular, and it’s a wonderful holiday experience for the whole family. Nutcracker evening performances are Dec. 3 and 4, with the lollipop matinee on Dec. 4.
Enjoy millions of twinkling holiday lights! Bundle up to capture the magic with “Lights at the Station” in the heart of historic downtown at the Flagstaff Visitor Center. In the spirit of the holidays, please bring a non-perishable food donation to the visitor center for the Giving Advent Box to benefit the Flagstaff Family Food Center. Additionally, Little America Hotel, showcases millions of beautiful holiday lights in a stunning display for all to enjoy through Jan. 9, 2022.
Plan a family Christmas adventure of a lifetime with the North Pole Experience. Delight in the magic of the holiday season at Santa’s enchanting workshop. Inside the toy factory, discover Mrs. Claus’ Bakery, Santa’s Sleigh and have family time with St. Nick himself. AZ Foothills Magazine voted The North Pole Experience best holiday experience for children in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Holiday Lights Parade 2021! Join the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce and the Flagstaff community in celebrating the holidays! Children and adults will be delighted on Saturday, Dec. 11 as all sorts of floats parade through the streets of historic downtown.
Attend the Theatrikos holiday show, Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus: A Live Radio Play in Two Acts, based on a true story. “Is there a Santa Claus?” eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote in a letter to the New York Sun newspaper in 1897. The newspaper’s heartfelt reply, printed on the front page and written by a reporter struggling with the death of his wife, has been part of American Christmas folklore for more than 100 years. Performances offered Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 19.
Skiing, snowshoeing and snow play are snow-much fun! Did you know that Flagstaff accumulates an average of 100 inches of snow annually, offering a multitude of winter activities. Experience skiing or snowboarding at Arizona Snowbowl, cross country skiing and snowshoeing at Arizona Nordic Village and snow play at Flagstaff Snow Park with tubing, hot cocoa and outdoor fire pits. Stay in the know…call the winter information hotline at 1-844-256-SNOW, download the winter recreation map, access the winter wonderland webcam for real-time views of weather downtown, and check-out the SNOW-ometer at discoverflagstaff.com.
Ring in the New Year Flagstaff style with the Weatherford Hotel’s annual Great Pinecone Drop! This Flagstaff New Year’s Eve tradition began in 1999, when the Weatherford Hotel rang in the new millennium and honored the Hotel’s 100-year anniversary. There’s nothing like lowering a 70-pound, 6-foot-tall, well-lit beautiful metallic pinecone. There will be two countdowns and lowerings on Dec. 31 — one at 10 p.m. to coincide with the New York Times Square celebration and another to mark Arizona’s midnight. Please stay, play, distance and mask responsibly.
See more at discoverflagstaff.com. Happy Holidays! FBN
By Meg Roederer
