Christmas Parade and Courthouse Lighting Ceremony December 6
If you're seeking a small-town, old-fashioned holiday experience this year, with parades, carolers, community performances and holiday arts and crafts, then Prescott is the place for you.
Designated as "Arizona's Christmas City" by former Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in 1989, Prescott lives up to its reputation by hosting several spectacular events for the holidays beginning at the end of November and running through to New Year's Eve.
The main events include the 32nd Annual Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 6, with the theme of "150 Years of Christmas Memories" at 1:00 p.m., followed by the 60th Annual Lighting Ceremony from 4:00-6:30 p.m. at the Yavapai County Courthouse, one of the many structures in town on the National Register of Historic Places.
The lighting ceremony includes a reading of the Christmas Story and Christmas carols performed by students from local schools. At the end of the program, the lights are turned on, which is truly a spectacle to behold. Elm trees around the historic courthouse sparkle with the holiday colors of red, white, green and blue.
Following the lighting ceremony, nearby Sharlot Hall Museum will open its doors to celebrate a "Frontier Christmas" from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., as its Living History interpreters revive the spirit of Christmas past at this annual celebration with reenactments, pioneer crafts, food and hot beverages.