Actress, Comedian & Sister of Late Night TV Host Jimmy Kimmel to Perform Standup Set on Friday, December 8, from 4-5:15 p.m. in the Carefree Desert Garden’s Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion.
CAREFREE – The Holiday season means a lot of things to a lot of people. Thanks to Jill Kimmel, there’s one thing the expanded Christmas in Carefree promises to be:
Filled with laughter.
Last December, the proud Arizona resident, and sister of popular late-night television show host Jimmy Kimmel was performing on her fifth tour with Armed Forces Entertainment, spending Christmas and New Year’s Eve with American troops stationed overseas.
This Holiday season, Jill will be in Carefree, performing standup from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. on Friday, December 8, in the Carefree Desert Garden’s Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion. Jill’s entertaining set will be part of an evening in support of the Foothills Food Bank supported by U.S. Armed Forces, Veterans, and First Responders. Immediately following her performance, the Main Event Band will be playing live music honoring all visitors with a concert until 8 p.m. All in attendance are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy to donate to have been identified by the Desert Foothills Foodbank. In partnership with Rural Metro Fire Fighters in Carefree the toys will be delivered to the families before Christmas. Jill’s comedy set will open with fellow performer Gregory Freiler.
Jill’s career has been on the rise recently, with her several Armed Forces Entertainment tours accented by appearances alongside comedy heavyweights like Kevin Hart, Jeffrey Ross, and her Emmy Award-winning brother. Her appearance here is part of the Town of Carefree’s commitment to build upon the decade-long tradition of the Carefree Christmas Festival – and expand the holiday season while also furthering community and business involvement.
Preserving the sense of community for locals while also showcasing all the color and beauty of Carefree to new visitors will be a focal point of the expanded Christmas in Carefree. The seasonal celebration is set to run from Dec. 1 through 23, 2017 – and will include highlights like an official tree lighting at the iconic Carefree Sundial, a new 35-foot Alpine slide, Carefree Snow Village (featuring real snow), an open-air Carefree Christmas Market, and a new daytime community parade.
“The expanded footprint will allow for even more visitors to enjoy the festivities over an extended period,” said Carefree Mayor Les Peterson. “This will complement typical business hours and also provide a platform for non-profits from all over the desert foothills area to engage with the community and showcase their cause.”
Evenings in the enchanting, four-acre Carefree Desert Gardens will be adorned with a professional holiday light display. Meanwhile, the daytime hours will be better positioned for the community parade on Dec. 9 – while also allowing for more community involvement, reduced safety risks, and enhanced exposure of Carefree’s pedestrian-friendly business district. In addition to Jill Kimmel’s show, a performance by singer-songwriter Ryan Sims is scheduled for Friday, December 9th from 5-7 pm before the fireworks.
It all adds up to a truly enchanting expansion of the Carefree Christmas Festival – and the sign of even better, bigger, cooler things to come.
“We anticipate this event becoming one of the most-attended and revered holiday traditions in the North East Valley,” said Peterson. “We look forward to seeing it grow and evolve, year after year.”
For direct inquiries on how to become a sponsor, parade participant, or vendor, contact the Town of Carefree at 480.488.3866. You can also visit ChristmasinCarefree.com for more details.
About Jill Kimmel
Jill Kimmel always had a knack for making people laugh. In the summer of 2006, the divorced mother of two decided to take the plunge into full-time comedic performance and has seen her career blossom over the past decade. Jill has worked with comedic heavyweights like Kevin Hart, Jeffrey Ross, Greg Fitzsimmons, Jim Norton, and her brother Jimmy; the popular Emmy Award-winning host of ABC’s late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! She’s played top comedy clubs like The Laugh Factory, Catch A Rising Star and The Improv. She’s also joined other comedians selected by Armed Forces Entertainment to perform for U.S. military troops. Since 2013, Jill’s traveled to bases in Germany, Belgium, England, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and more. A proud Arizona resident, Jill has been a favorite at the yearly comedy events held by The Jack Morton Foundation, an Arizona-based group that raises money to fund pediatric cancer research.
