With the town of Queen Creek taking over, the annual holiday parade residents enjoy will now be part of a two-day celebration.
Now known as QC Hometown Christmas, the festival and parade have been split into two events on separate days — a Christmas tree lighting ceremony and a parade.
The tree lighting takes place from 6 to 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 6 at 21802 S. Ellsworth Road. The parade will run from 10 a.m. to noon, Dec. 7 along South Ellsworth Road.
Along with becoming a two-day event, the parade route has been changed and Santa’s Village and community group performances have been moved to the Dec. 6 tree lighting ceremony. Carnival rides are out this year.
“We’re going back to (the event’s) roots, focusing on more of the seasonal-focused items like the actual tree lighting, like Santa, like our local groups that are doing their holiday performances at the event,” said Queen Creek Parks & Recreation Director Adam Robinson. “It’s the same thing with the parade. We simplified this year. We want to refocus the event on those holiday specific, hometown-feel type activities.”
At the tree lighting ceremony, along with performances from local groups, there will be a scavenger hunt and food trucks, kids can have their photos taken with Santa and families can decorate ornaments and garlands at Santa’s Workshop.
“The kickoff to the Christmas season really is Friday night,” Robinson said.
The parade takes place the next morning and this year, in the interest of public safety, the parade route has been flipped.
The parade will start at Maya Road and head south on Ellsworth Road, ending at Aldecoa Drive.
“By flipping the parade route … there’s room for a little bit of growth and, again, it’s mobilized in a very safe and organized manner,” Robinson said.
The theme of the parade is “A Storybook Christmas,” with floats and walking groups bringing to life such classic stories as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” and “The Polar Express.”
With thousands of people expected to attend the tree lighting and parade, the town will be offering shuttles from off-site parking areas.
Shuttles will be available both days from Desert Mountain Park, 22201 Hawes Road. The drop-off location on Friday will be at the Banner Medical Center and on Saturday at the Queen Creek Library.
Temporary road closures and parking restrictions will be in place before and during the parade. Closures from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. include:
Ellsworth Road from Rittenhouse Road to Ocotillo Road
Maya Road west of Ellsworth Road
Victoria Lane west of Ellsworth Road
Closures from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. include:
Ellsworth Road from Ocotillo Road to Aldecoa Drive
Over the summer, the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club of Queen Creek announced that production of their one-day Queen Creek Holiday Festival and Parade was being turned over to the town.
We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org.
Janet Perez News Editor | Queen Creek &
San Tan Valley
Meet Janet Janet Perez joined Independent Newsmedia as editor of the Queen Creek Independent and Florence Independent in 2020. She started her career in 1989 with the Gannett-owned El Paso Times. In 1992, she moved to Tempe and has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. She left Arizona for three years to work at New Mexico State University and Baylor University before returning to work at Arizona State University. Missing the business, she went back to journalism in 2017.
Community: A long-time pet owner, she supports animal welfare causes.
Education: University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in journalism and a minor in political science.
Random Fact: She had a head full of random facts.
Hobbies: Reading, watching documentaries, cooking and playing with her dogs.
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