The Scottsdazzle tree-lighting page makes a short promise. This year's kickoff, it says, "includes a few special surprises to honor Scottsdale's 75th anniversary." If you lay the 2026 Scottsdazzle calendar next to the City of Scottsdale's anniversary calendar, the 75th doesn't spread evenly across the holidays. It lands on four Saturdays: November 28 and December 5, 12 and 19.
Scottsdale incorporated in 1951. The City has spent 2026 marking that with history talks, a photo scavenger hunt and a book of resident reflections. The holiday season is where that year-long effort runs into Old Town's busiest weeks, and the overlap is tight enough to plan around.
The Same Saturday, With a Birthday Added
Start with what stayed the same. Last year's "Jingle & Jazz: Tree Lighting Spectacular" was held at Scottsdale Waterfront on Saturday, November 29, 2025, 7 to 9 p.m., and lit a 36-foot Scottsdazzle tree. This year's Tree Lighting Spectacular is on Saturday, November 28, 7 to 9 p.m., at Scottsdale Waterfront Canal Bank, 7135 E. Camelback Road. It's free, and the tree is again 36 feet. The date moved by one day only because Thanksgiving did. In both years the lighting falls on the Saturday after the holiday.
The new part is the anniversary programming. Kira Peters, a community and city leader, hosts the evening. The 10-piece band Phat Cat Swinger plays. There's a hands-on Toyland for younger kids, sweets from Old Town vendors, and Santa and Mrs. Claus. The Merchantile Market hosts a pop-up market of local makers. The tree lighting itself comes "along with special festivities honoring Scottsdale's 75th anniversary."
Parking in Old Town is free. On-street spaces have time limits but no meters, and the event page links to the Old Town parking map for the nearest free public garage or lot.
A $75 Receipt for a 75th Year
The tree lighting sets the date pattern for the rest of the season. Last year's shopping hook was different. The 2025 Stroll & Shop listing called its Stetson Plaza pop-up boutiques "New this year." AZFamily's 2025 coverage described the Tinsel Trail as the program's "new twist," with local artists painting storefront windows and rideables that let visitors tour the displays and vote.
For 2026, Scottsdazzle has added the Scottsdale 75th Shopper Appreciation Days. Spend $75 in Old Town between November 28 and December 19, bring your receipts to an Old Town Information Cart, and pick up a commemorative souvenir while supplies last. There are two carts:
- Brown Avenue and Main Street
- Fifth Avenue and Stetson Drive
Souvenirs are handed out 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on four days. The Scottsdazzle events calendar lists them as November 28 and December 5, 12 and 19, all Saturdays. One line of the program description says December 6, which is a Sunday. The event's own date field and the calendar both say Saturday, December 5. If you're planning to shop for the souvenir that first December weekend, check with the cart staff on November 28.
So the anniversary souvenir runs on the same Saturday rhythm the tree lighting started.
Santa Follows the Market to City Hall
Saturday mornings follow the same pattern. "Meet Santa at the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market" runs free from 9 a.m. to noon on November 28 and December 5, 12 and 19, the same four Saturdays as the souvenir handouts.
The market isn't where it was last December. The Scottsdale Independent reported that it would leave the city-owned parking structure at First Street and Brown Avenue for the City Hall surface lot at 75th Street and Bennie Gonzales Way, starting with the 2026–27 season. The market operator now lists it at 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd., open Saturdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The new location opened October 3, and the season runs through June 2027.
If your Saturday photo with Santa used to start at First and Brown, it starts at City Hall this year.
The History Talks Get There First
The anniversary's quieter events come before Scottsdazzle and continue alongside it. The City's Celebrate 75 page lists these for the rest of the year:
| Date | Program | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7, 1 p.m. | Scottsdale Heritage Connection Saturdays | Civic Center Library |
| Mon., Nov. 9, 1 p.m. | The Grand Ladies and Gentlemen of Scottsdale: Big personalities. Bigger stories. | Scottsdale Community Design Studio, 7506 E. Indian School Road |
| Wed., Nov. 18, 5:30 p.m. | Before Silverstone: The History Of Curry's Corner And Rawhide In Scottsdale | Appaloosa Library |
| Sat., Dec. 12, 1 p.m. | Scottsdale Heritage Connection Saturdays | Civic Center Library |
Heritage Connection Saturdays is a drop-in introduction to the library's local-history collections, open to ages 12 and up. The December 12 session is the only anniversary history program in December, and it falls on one of the four Scottsdazzle Saturdays.
The Scottsdale 75 Picture Scavenger Hunt runs the whole season. It has 75 stops, including public art, historic sites, local businesses, parks and city facilities. Players take selfies for points, collect Western-themed stickers for each decade since the 1950s, and unlock prizes at milestone levels. Anyone who finishes all 75 stops and the bonus activities is entered for grand prizes. Sign-up is free through the City's scavenger hunt page.
Four Saturdays, Stacked
Put the calendars together and each Saturday has its own mix. All four share the morning Santa visit and the midday souvenir window. What changes is the afternoon and evening.
November 28
- 9 a.m. to noon: Santa at the farmers market, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd.
- 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: first souvenir handout
- 7 to 9 p.m.: Tree Lighting Spectacular at Scottsdale Waterfront Canal Bank
December 5
This is the fullest Saturday on the calendar. Holiday Morning Magic runs at 9 and 11 a.m. at $20 a session. The free Ultimate Family Play Date runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on December 5 and 6. The Reindeer Dash and The Jingle Belles: An Old Town Holiday Showcase both run 1 to 3 p.m. Winter at the Waterfront follows from 6 to 9 p.m., and Starlight Movie Night starts at 6:30 p.m.
December 12
Pancakes & Pajamas with Santa starts the day at 9 a.m. at $30 per person, alongside the Santa visit at the farmers market. Holly Jolly DIY Décor runs 1 to 4 p.m., the Jingle Belles perform again 1 to 3 p.m., and Winter at the Waterfront closes the night from 6 to 9 p.m. This is also the date of the Heritage Connection session at Civic Center Library at 1 p.m.
December 19
Holiday Harmony runs 10 a.m. to noon, and the last souvenir handout runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Holiday Dueling Pianos on the Bridge plays from 1 to 4 p.m., the Jingle Belles perform a final time 1 to 3 p.m., and the last Winter at the Waterfront starts at 6 p.m.
Scottsdazzle runs from November 28 through December 31, and some programs fall on other days. The Gold Palette ArtWalk is on Thursday, December 10, 7 to 9 p.m. Of the four Saturdays, December 12 is the only one with all three anniversary pieces: the Santa morning at the market's new City Hall location, the souvenir handout, and the City's last 75th-anniversary history program of the year.
Holiday weekends bring family and friends into town, and Old Town's calendar is a good thing to know when you're hosting. The team at Templeton Walker follows Scottsdale's civic calendar as closely as its housing market. If you'd like a local read on either this season, Request a Private Consultation.
