Scottsdale Quarter will light an all-new holiday tree at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28. The event around it is shorter, later and more polished than the all-afternoon family day the Quarter ran for the past two years. That change shifts the rest of the season around Kierland. Kierland Commons now runs the longest free Santa schedule in the area, and The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa sells the sit-down, ticketed version of the holidays. The three venues sit within walking distance of each other. This year each offers a different kind of outing, so the best plan depends on which kind you want.
The Quarter swapped its long afternoon for a two-hour evening
For two years, the holiday kickoff at Scottsdale Quarter was a six-hour Saturday. In 2024 the Santa Social ran from 2 to 8 p.m., with the tree lighting at 5:45 p.m. and an outdoor showing of Elf afterward. The 2025 version followed the same schedule. From 2 to 5:45 p.m. there were caricature artists, face painters, kids' games and crafts, Christmas characters and a live DJ. The tree was lit at 5:45 p.m., and How the Grinch Stole Christmas played from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Quarter's 2026 Annual Tree Lighting Event bills the evening as "a Starlit Holiday" and runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Quad, 15191 N. Scottsdale Road.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Nov. 30 | Nov. 29 | Nov. 28 |
| Hours | 2 to 8 p.m. | 2 to 8 p.m. | 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. |
| Tree lighting | 5:45 p.m. | 5:45 p.m. | 7 p.m., all-new tree |
| After the lighting | Elf screening | How the Grinch Stole Christmas screening | First snowfall of the season |
| Paid add-on | Santa photos | Santa photos | Santa photos and a Moët & Chandon VIP lounge |
The two hours are packed. The lineup includes a light-up violinist, songs from the Jingle Belles, a ballet performance, dancing toy soldiers and an appearance by the Grinch. The Quarter says it will light the tree "promptly" at 7 p.m., followed by the season's first snowfall. Some favorites from earlier years are back: a gourmet hot chocolate bar, free crafts for kids and professional Santa photos for purchase. Entry is still free. The new piece is an après-ski-inspired VIP lounge sponsored by Moët & Chandon, with tickets sold separately through Eventbrite. The Phoenix Children's raffle continues too, with $5 tickets and prizes valued up to $1,500.
The afternoon of face painting, the DJ and the movie on the lawn isn't on the program anymore. For families who treated the Quarter's kickoff as a whole Saturday, that time now has to come from somewhere else in Kierland.
The Quarter adds one more family evening the following Friday. Fill Santa's Sleigh on Friday, Dec. 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Quad is a toy drive with live music, hot chocolate, crafts, Mrs. Claus and Rudolf, and Santa photos for a fee.
Kierland Commons has the longest free Santa schedule
Across Kierland Boulevard, Santa arrives at Center Plaza in Kierland Commons on Friday, Nov. 20, eight days before the Quarter lights its tree. He stays through Christmas Eve. Visits are free, and photo packages are optional.
The schedule works for people with weekday routines as well as weekend ones:
- Opening weekend, Nov. 20 to 22: Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Thanksgiving week: Monday through Wednesday 2 to 7 p.m., closed Thanksgiving Day, then weekend hours again Friday and Saturday.
- Nov. 30 to Dec. 11: weekdays 2 to 7 p.m. On Saturday, Dec. 5, Santa is there from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Dec. 12 to 17: weekday hours move earlier, to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Final stretch, Dec. 18 to 24: most days start at 9 a.m. and run to 8 p.m., closing at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
On most days Santa takes a break from 3 to 4 p.m., so a mid-afternoon visit needs some planning. Kierland Commons suggests booking a time in advance. Pre-booking also comes with a free personalized digital message from Santa through Portable North Pole.
Two special sessions don't appear on the other venues' calendars. Pet Nights run 4 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and Dec. 14, all Mondays. Sensory Santa runs from 9 to 10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6. For a dog's first Santa photo or a quieter visit for a child, Kierland Commons is the only one of the three listing either.
The Westin kept the ticketed version, and the Santa Social name
The name "Santa Social" hasn't left Kierland. It now belongs to The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa at 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, where it's a ticketed indoor event on three Saturdays, Dec. 5, 12 and 19, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Mariposa Ballroom. Tickets cost $25 per child and $30 per adult. Kids decorate cookies, make ornaments and write letters to Santa, and adults 21 and over get one complimentary glass of wine or beer. The ticket also covers the "S'mores & More" after-party on Windsinger's Lawn, with a family holiday movie under the stars. The outdoor movie the Quarter dropped this year still has a home in Kierland, at the resort, with a ticket.
The rest of the Westin's calendar starts before Thanksgiving and runs through New Year's:
- Kierland Kampfire, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 6 to 9 p.m., on the Grand Vista Lawn, with hayrides, s'mores, live music, food trucks and face painting. It's free for resort guests, and local visitors can pay at the door.
- Thanksgiving buffet at Faro & Brag, Thursday, Nov. 26, 12:30 to 6:30 p.m., at $135 per adult and $65 per child ages 4 to 12, plus tax and service charge. Reservations are required, and parties of eight or more book by calling 480-624-1138.
- Elf Workshop at Windsingers, starting Nov. 28, with ornament decorating, candle making and snow-globe crafts. Sessions run 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon on Sundays, 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays.
- Breakfast with Santa, Dec. 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20, with 9 or 10 a.m. seatings at Faro & Brag–Mariposa, at $80 for adults and $58 for children.
- Noon Year's Eve, Thursday, Dec. 31, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the Ironwood Ballroom.
On Nov. 28, all three fill the same Saturday
The Quarter's shorter kickoff leaves the rest of that Saturday open, and the other two venues have it covered. On Nov. 28, the Westin's first Elf Workshop runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kierland Commons has Santa at Center Plaza from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the usual 3 to 4 p.m. break. The Quarter's program at The Quad starts at 5:30 p.m., and the tree lights at 7. Put together, that's a full day without leaving the Scottsdale Road and Greenway corner, close to the shape the old Santa Social had, spread across three venues.
December weekends, side by side
After the tree lighting, the venues overlap most on weekends. Every Saturday Santa Social at the Westin falls on a day when Kierland Commons also has Santa out until 8 p.m.
| Date | Scottsdale Quarter | Kierland Commons | The Westin Kierland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Fill Santa's Sleigh, 5 to 7 p.m. | Santa, 2 to 7 p.m. | Elf Workshop, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Santa, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Santa Social, 5 to 6:30 p.m. | |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Sensory Santa, 9 to 10 a.m. | Breakfast with Santa, 9 or 10 a.m. | |
| Mon., Dec. 7 | Pet Night, 4 to 7 p.m. | Elf Workshop, 1 to 3 p.m. | |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Santa, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Breakfast with Santa and Santa Social | |
| Mon., Dec. 14 | Pet Night, 4 to 7 p.m. | Elf Workshop, 1 to 3 p.m. | |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Santa, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Breakfast with Santa and Santa Social |
Sunday, Dec. 6, packs two morning options into the same hour. A family can choose the quiet Sensory Santa session at Kierland Commons from 9 to 10 a.m. or a sit-down Breakfast with Santa at the Westin. On Christmas Eve, Santa is at Center Plaza in Kierland Commons from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
If you're planning the season around Kierland and wondering how the new holiday traffic at the Quarter, the Commons and the Westin affects the homes nearby, Hoyt Homes Group is happy to talk it through. We follow these corners year-round, and a quick conversation or an instant home valuation can be a good start before the new year.
