DECEMBER 11, 2013
Electric Light Parade and real snow highlight Carefree Christmas Festival Dec. 13 – 15
CAREFREE/CAVE CREEK/N. SCOTTSDALE – Winter arrives in downtown Carefree, Arizona with the 6th Annual Carefree Christmas Festival, set to take place Friday, December 13 – Sunday, December 15.
The holiday event provides three-days and two-nights of free holiday festivities, at the Carefree Desert Gardens and Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion, 101 Easy St., in Carefree.
The signature Electric Light Parade will take place at 6 p.m., Saturday, December 14, along Easy Street. A fireworks display with a special commemorative salute, in cooperation with the 100 Club, will take place to honor the fallen Yarnell 19 firefighters, at 8 p.m., immediately following the parade.
Other activities include a Kid’s Zone with 35 tons of real snow, carriage rides, caroling, dance and singing performances, a Nativity display, a pet parade and pet adoptions, and other activities for the entire family. Santa will be in attendance throughout the weekend for photos.
An outdoor shopping and gift mart with more than 100 exhibitors and a holiday food court, will take place throughout the weekend offering daytime and nighttime, outdoor holiday shopping, amidst the backdrop of holiday music and festivities.
This year’s expanded event includes a live holiday jazz concert by the Kelso Brothers Quintet, dance performances by Adage Dance Company and the 10-piece Affinity Dance Band, plus the Medley of Theatre Classics presented by The Desert Foothills Theatre.
The four-acre Carefree Desert Gardens provide a stunning backdrop for this family-friendly event. Thousands of cacti, many of them rare or unusual specimens, are illuminated in holiday lights for the event.
More than 35,000 people are expected to attend the three-day, two-night event. Parking is free. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early for the parade.
“The festival is for the child in all of us, and it’s become a Christmas tradition for many. The weekend celebrates the beauty and tradition of Christmastime. This year we’ve raised the bar and are extremely honored to welcome the families of the Yarnell 19 firefighters. In addition, we will have more music, dance and live entertainment than in years past,” said event director and founder Jo Gemmill, of Carefree.
“All of the events are free so that everyone can come out and enjoy holiday cheer,” she said.
For more information, visit carefreechristmasfestival.com, or call 480-488-3381.
