Christmas in Tucson

I absolutely love my city.  Tucson is a little slice of heaven to me.  Here are some of the places I love to visit during the holidays.  Most of them are traditions that my family and I wouldn't dream of missing!  I've included links.

El Nacimiento, Tucson Museum of Art

This Mexican nativity scene takes up an entire room and takes months for its creator to put together every year.  She does it in honor of her mother.  I so appreciate that devotion she has for her mom, because I feel the same about mine.  The display stays up until early spring, then has to be dismantled and totally put back together again in the fall.

Old Town Artisans Galleries

Whenever we visit El Nacimiento, we make a point of browsing through this group of shops which is right down the street.  It's synonymous with Christmas for us.  The adobe buildings that the stores are located in were built starting in the 1850s and they are on land that was the site of a Spanish fort in the 1700s. These shops feature hand-crafted pottery, metal-work, jewelry, and home furnishings.  We never fail to find gifts here.

Winterhaven Festival of Lights

The huge light festival that the Winterhaven neighborhood has put on every year for the last 61 years is legendary around these parts.  Almost every house for blocks and blocks is decorated, some of them very elaborately.  Unfortunately, Winterhaven is experiencing financial difficulties in these hard economic times.  They are relying on community donations, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will succeed.

Zoo Lights at Reid Park Zoo

We have been attending this event since my children were little.  There's something magical about walking around a zoo at night when every tree and bush has been draped with Christmas lights.  It's just breathtaking!

Enchanted Snowfall at La Encantada

This event is such fun!  It's rare that Tucsonans get to see a snowfall, but it happens at this upscale shopping center through most of December.  La Encantada is home to one of our favorite stores, A.J.s Fine Foods, where we find some of our most-loved Christmas goodies that just aren't around most of the year, such as marzipan.  Yum!

The Nutcracker Ballet

This timeless ballet, performed by Ballet Tucson, is a yearly tradition.  This is the classic version, and there's also a Southwestern Nutcracker that we sometimes attend.  It just wouldn't be Christmas without this event!

I hope you've enjoyed a glimpse into my world at Christmastime.  I'd love to learn about some of your traditions!