It is Saint Valentine's Day, 2026. Glendale Glitters is still on To-Do. A Restrospect... Every Christmas Season, the family hunts down the lovely lights of the season. Especially since there's lots less seasons of any kind waiting for our arrival. Glendale puts on a beautiful public display of lighting, businesses in and around the Square/Plaza/Town Center open, families, friends and lovers stroll through town and life is good. Better than the usual Christmas Light Drive-by. Stop in yourself, check it out, and write your own Glendale Glitters chestnuts for others to read. read more

Glendale Glitters - Glendale Glitters 2025 - Festivals Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

The lights in Historic downtown Glendale were all a glitter. The trees and palms were all wrapped With different colored lights. Snowmen, trains and elf twinkled brightly. A very pretty sight. Parking was a challenge unless you arrived early. Still it was with the sights. read more

Glendale Glitters - Snowman - Festivals Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

See all

Glendale Glitters is okay. If you live close to downtown Glendale, it's worth a stop during the season. However, it's not worth driving from the east side to the west side to see it. It WAS worth the drive for the Glendale Glitters and Glows celebration that closed out the holiday season during the first weekend of the New Year. I really wish they had brought that event back after COVID. For those who never had the opportunity to experience it, Glendale Glitters and Glows was a wonderful street festival downtown Glendale. There were a dozen, grounded, hot air balloons and a half dozen bandstands playing music and performances. It was wonderful seeing the glowing hot air balloon light the night sky as the grounded balloonists lit their burners and 8" flames filled the balloons fabric envelope. Local bands played on temporary stages on the downtown streets. That event was the only reason I went to downtown Glendale each year. I hope Glendale choses to bring the event back or another city like Scottsdale or Chandler creates an event like it. read more

Glendale Glitters - Condensed area in 2026 - Festivals Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

Like others have said, this is very different experience from what it used to be. I grew up going here and remember it fondly. I haven't been in probably a decade, so not sure when it started going downhill. My toddler had a great time seeing the light displays, but I personally felt very disappointed in the event as a whole. We expected to get some dinner from a food truck, and a few fun treats. The only food vendors were a few people at tables selling tamales, hot cocoa from a Gatorade jug, and the like. Might've tasted great, idk, but was not what we had in mind. There are no longer interesting booths with Christmas gifts from local artisans, no performances, or any of the special aspects I remember. It really is just a light display now, which I did think was fun and pretty, but definitely not an event. The saving grace was Packer Family Ice Cream, a small business tucked away on the outskirts of Catlin Court. They had an adorable light display all over the historic house and the courtyard. They had charming little activities set up for young kids, and even fake snow from a snow machine that went off occasionally. Their ice cream was great, and we had the most fun letting our toddler run around and enjoy their holiday setup. read more

Glendale Glitters - Main light display area - Festivals Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

See all

Lights are beautiful! It can define a romantic place. You see couples, friends, families walking around and taking photos.

Not what it used to be. I will not be back. There really wasn't anything down there. Just a couple of vendors and some lights. Not much, not enough to call it "Glendale glitters" read more

A ghost of Christmas past is the current Glendale Glitters this year. A meager light display with hardly any businesses participating. The street food had a run-down feel and look to it, so we didn't stay very long bah humbug we got Scrooged! read more

See all

I absolutely love coming here! It's always such an amazing experience when I've gone. Not only are the lights breath taking- they do a great job at having us feel the Christmas spirit! I even witnessed an engagement proposal there two years ago. I've gone every year and it does not disappoint. Great place to take your family and/or great place to take a date! Love that it's free too! read more

IT'S FREE. You can't beat free.99 lol so therefore, it's a small area. I'd say a block of walking. Plus free parking in the parking garage too! There were a lot of vendors and food trucks there when we went on a Saturday. Saw one Santa there for photo ops (picture fee) They had a good amount of lights displayed. Was only there for I'd say 20 minutes but it was enough to get my niece excited and feel the Christmas spirit. read more

Glendale Glitters - Festivals Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

See all

wasn't the same as it seemed when i was 6 or 8. It had a few things, pricey food and toys. Still awesome to visit.

I have been going to Glendale Glitters since I was a kid. The lights, vendors, shows there is so much to look at. We parked at GCC and took the free shuttle to Glendale Glitters. The shuttle drops you off at 59th and Myrtle and there is no fee for parking and no worrying about finding a spot. It was nice to walk through the businesses and enjoy the lights along the way. There was plenty of police so I felt secure. There were lots of different food vendors and things to buy. There was also an area with "snow", there were rides that you could buy tickets for. The lines were ridiculous though. Long to buy the tickets and another long line to stand in to ride the ride. It was very busy tonight and you were pretty much staring at the back of someone's head walking like a herd of cattle through the place. That would be my only complaint for the event. With that being said I know we will be back next year though. :) read more

See all

WHAT did you DO to our wonderful Glendale Glitters?? I have attended for YEARS. probably over 20 years. The library is in the middle of the park, and on all the 45 degree sidewalks around the library are different things. To the north was a TV where my young son found out if "Ralphie would shoot his eye out with a BB gun" or not. To the east was booths, and the last few years some rides on the side street. To the south was various bounce houses and more booths. Booths were all over the place, and they were interesting. Above all the booths were the trees in various colors. This year?? NOTHING is inside the park except the trees! No booths. No rides. No bounce houses. No ANYTHING but GRASS. then, along the outer edge of the park, on the public street and not anywhere in the park, are some vendors selling really cheap stuff (a word well above what I want to call what most are selling) I doubt they have anything to do with the G. G. as they are on a public street so probably just entrepreneurs taking advantage of the lack of booths IN the park. What a disappointment this year. NOTHING but the trees lit up in the park. Shocking! Glendale, you lost me for your show. I'll continue to go to Zoolights, the Parade of Lights in Phoenix, and the RR Park in Scottsdale. But no more Glendale Glitters. Just not worth even the drive. You took it ALL away! Very disappointing. Very! read more

Can I give zero stars? I went last week and it was awful! Barely any lights/decorations. They had a section of vendors all selling the exact same things. Literally EXACT same things. They were all trying to entice people to buy their stuff. Felt like I was walking through a 3rd world market. To top it all off, someone started shooting off fireworks right in the middle of the square and it sounded like gunshots. I went with my boyfriend and our 5 month old baby and we couldn't have escaped any faster. I went about 5 years ago last time and it was exponentially different and better. This was an incredibly awful experience and I will be traveling to Scottsdale for Christmas lights from now on. read more

as others have posted, what a total disappointment!!!!!! I've been several years and even participated in with our scout troop and in all the times spent there, I couldn't find one memory of past calibrations. shame and disappointment were in full display. read more

What happened with glendale glitters??? No vendors no food all equals no fun!!! We would come every year to look at the lights and do some holiday shopping. I loved the fact we were supporting small local businesses who probably did 80-90% of the sales during this time of year. Sadly they screwed these local businesses now. What a shame glendale!!!!!! read more

I have loved going to Glendale glitters over the years honestly this year something seems off, the streets and trees were decorated with lights There were a few photo ops and one or two vendors at most (nothing to eat) The festival is usually full of things to do for adults and kids alike I went twice even on the weekend but it wasn't like the other years All the surrounding stores were closed Really disappointed I hope they do better next year Happy holidays Cheers! read more

Glendale Glitters - Festivals Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

We heard that the city of Glendale was hosting "Glendale glitters", they boasted an "extravaganza " of lights, very little lights, except the ice cram parlor, the streets were lined with street vendors selling glitteringcrap, a waste of time, AGAIN! read more

Returned after a few years and this year things just did not seem the same with the lights. They either lost a few trees or trimmed a few trees because it wasn't as bright as I could recall. Some trees were clearly missing and only a few really were nice. Not much else really go on, but it was crowded on a Saturday night. The antique shops are always an option, but school age dancers were dull, no entertainment and nowhere to grab a quick bite on the streets. read more

See all

What a great event! We came from the Los Angeles area because my daughter asked us to come to this event. BTW, this is the second time in my life I forget that AZ is 1 hour ahead of us in CA. We didn't get here until about 8 PM but 2 hours was enough to get to see and enjoy the event. There were a lot of rides, bouncers, etc for the little kids. We saw 3 band stages; one was great. They went by the name of Vintage Wednesday. They also had lots of food vendors. I think our family had a pork bun, mini donuts and we went to order a funnel cake but the line was 1/4 mile long. We went without the funnel cake. We did get to see the beautiful hot air balloons for about an hour before they started to take them down. It was nice to get out of town for a weekend. Everyone here was very nice and it's clear to see this is a great community. read more

See all

After seeing all the commercials over the years, I finally came to check out the hype. I get what they're trying to do, and while certainly more festive than year-long Glendale, it's alright. I'm not gonna ask for a refund for all $0 I spent to get in. They say 1.6 millions lights, but there's no way that doesn't include the generic white lights on the trees. In fact, even with the impressive square in the center it's still 90% trees, as opposed to free standing lights. You'll recognize where you want to be with all the vendors interspersed throughout, but they do have a side section with inflatable attractions and a Santa photo op. I agree with some of the others, the stands are mostly fair food. There's a clear line with AZ State Fair pricing and menus, but in the square it's mostly some kind of sweets. There's crafts here and there, but nothing that I felt was brought in just for the festival, just for Christmas, etc. I think the stands should be more local or more festive if you're gonna do this. If that's not your thing, you ride your donkey or eat your spirally potato. If you're in the area, I'm sure it's not a bad thing to do with the family for the holidays. But I made basically an hour drive for this, and for me I'm somewhere in between met expectations and over-hyped. I'm just disappointed I didn't get to see Glendale Glitters in its heyday, because it's apparently mediocre now according to the locals. read more

Napped an hour for a 10 minute walk. The breakdancer was the best but still...not feeling so jolly. I know it's due to restrictions so looking forward to next year. read more

Seeing and hearing the adverts enticed us to load up 4 separate branches of our family to make the trek to Glendale for our 1st look at Glendale Glitters. After making the trip, we feel this should only be advertised to the local Glendale area and not valley-wide as it was a true let down. I'm sure lots of time and effort went into it, however I emphasize if you are local enjoy, if you are thinking about a trip to partake, do not or you will be disappointed as well. read more

Unfortunately it was no where near what it was once. Supposedly it was due to some construction in the park so hopefully its better next year: read more

This was a fun little stop while on vacation. The lights were on all the trees in the downtown square. From the description of this event I thought there would be more but it was still worth going. Plus it was free, can't beat that! read more

See all

Went last night. Felt this event is overrated. While they boast 16 blocks of lights, it's really one park with lights and then blocks with trees that have white lights wrapped around them. We were disappointed but glad I at least went once. Not sure I will be back unless I have noting absolutely to do. read more

Glendale Glitters - Festivals Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

I have been going to Glendale Glitters for years and have thoroughly enjoyed it until this year!!! Yes, the lights were absolutely wonderful, beautiful displays, mesmerizing....however...no vendors, no music,no face painting and nothing for the kids to do...I was told that all the things we were accustomed to being their every weekend are now only there opening weekend and the last weekend...so many people were disappointed...we met a few tourists who had heard what a wonderful experience it was and they too were let down. Besides this, so many of the stores that were staples in the area are now closed....Glendale what is going on! I hear that you are driving business away because of the high Tax Rate...Shame on you! read more

This is our first year in the valley and when we heard about this event ,I bookmarked it and made it a must visit in my list. We went there by 6 in the evening and it took us a couple of rounds to all the free parking lots first and we are lucky enough to get one space. There are two public parking lots available which you can easily get parked if you reach by their start time. Otherwise it is just $10 parking . There are Christmas lights decorated all the way on the downtown and there are numerous kids rides which is the reason the total place is mostly kids running and cheering(Of course that is all about holiday time). Also they have some local truck vendors offering hot food and all I recommend this event for people who wish a clean family fun and a evening well spent in middle of the crowd .Once an year - So MUST TRY!!! read more

Glendale Glitters - Festivals Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

Don't go, unless you want to up your chances to contract COVID. Body to body and almost half were not wearing masks and NO ONE was enforcing the required Glendale mask rule. So disappointed I will never go again. Glendale does not care about people's well being, their health, or spreading the virus at an alarming rate. Last placed I'd ever go. read more

Its Cool Very Lit Hahaha But The Tree Is On the Other Side Kinda Hidden But Still Cool read more

Glendale Glitters - Festivals Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

It's changed a lot. Not a big fan anymore! Wish it were more like before! Honestly wouldn't recommend it.

Glitters is proof that people share many traits with species such as moths or crows--you put a bunch of shiny lights somewhere, and we'll come flocking without a game plan. I mean, just what is there to do here? It's not like the Historic District of Glendale is the most happening place. Mostly, it'll just be a bunch of kids walking around. If you take anyone under the age of 12 here, they'll have a blast. I know I did when I was a little one. While there are many attractions for them, it's a bit lacking for the adult crowd. Yeah, it's a little romantic in the sense that for a brief moment, you feel as though you're in an actual winter wonderland. Other than that, it's the same vendors that show up for every Glendale event. On the last day, the hot air balloon show is amazing, however. Go there. Every year. This isn't necessarily a festival for me, but I have to bump it from 3 to 4 stars because of what a nice gig it can be for a young family. That, and all the restaurants and bars extend their hours. You know how I feel about that. ;-) read more

The weather was just a bit chilly, but it was an enjoyable experience. The park tends to experience a bit of gridlock occasionally, and people seem to forget how to keep it moving. There needs to be a few more porta potties around the park, but otherwise the city does a pretty decent job with this event. read more

Always a pleasure coming here‼Thanks to everyone that's makes it possible AMAZING DAYS ‼ AWESOME NIGHT'S ‼ Perfect family time

1 star for lovely lights, 1 star for awesome balloons, 1 star for free entry and 1 star for $1 hot chocolate (vs. $5 at the lemonade stand). As I'm new to the area I am happy to do all of the "touristy" stuff some locals may not appreciate. As the posters advertise, it's a lovely display of holiday lights strewn about various types of trees and it's a "block party" so be prepared to walk and see lots of kiddies enjoying the few carnival rides and games. The hot air balloons were my favorite, for a free event it's definitely worth checking out, and we arrived at 7pm on the last night and found lots of free nearby parking. Thanks Glendale :) read more

Glendale Glitters - The flames provided warmth and an awesome display ;) - Festivals Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

The lights are so pretty, nice for a post-dinner walk. They did a good job decorating old town Glendale and putting lights up on the trees! It doesn't get too crowded because it's an outdoor park read more

Glendale Glitters - Festivals Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

See all

Some notes in no particular order: -Get here early to park. Like at least a half hour early. Maybe come even earlier and eat dinner nearby. -The lights are lovely. -They have a movie playing on a big screen - we saw The Santa Clause. Very cool. -You're paying for tickets if the kiddo wants to ride any rides. -There are a ton of festival foods here, including kettle corn, chocolate dipped strawberries, noodles, pizza, frozen cheesecake, strawberry lemonade, cotton candy, and candy apples. -Vendor booths and booths to donate to organizations like Boy Scouts. -The Christmas large tree lit up is quite a sight. There are a lot of people. Crazy busy. I thought it was weird how people think this is the sort of place where you can dress up in full random furry animal costumes and superhero costumes. Did I miss the pseudo-ComiCon memo? read more

I re-visited the annual Glendale Glitters event last Thursday since it was a very long time since I first visited- back in 1998. Especially since I found out about the large lLED ornament house and just had to go and take a look and bask in its architectural beauty (what a cute engineering wonder). It's a very popular draw (and gimmick ;) ). My, have times changed and was I ever so smart that I went on a weekday. No rowdy or packing crowds, bright detracting spotlights, ugly vendor tents, and best of all, you could ride on the horse carriage ;) They advertised that they bedecked 1.5 million LED lights on many trees that covered 16 blocks, beginning with Murphy Park and including some at Catlin Court. I was only interested in viewing the lights on the trees and seeing the tall Christmas tree, meeting the horses, and getting my caricature drawn and not the vendors, music/dancers, and other form of entertainment (weekends only) necessarily. And, I already met Santa Claus for this year @ Scottsdale Quarter. So, I was already caught up ;) I enjoyed taking great photos of the event without those tents (or balloons) in the way. Besides, if you miss or regret something, there is always next year and the next and the next. This (free) event is a nice place to walk around with your significant other or out-of-town families or friends. I like the slight laidback vibe that the park influenced on me and other visitors, who were polite and all-around a joy to be at the event with. I'm sure it's because of the weekday ;) Make sure that you not only visit the main square (where tall vintage-y clock is at), do venture a bit north to Catlin Court and take in the lights that bedecked the lovely and preserved cottages & bungalows that were staying open after their normal hours for the event. I didn't ride the horse carriage ($25 up to 6 people- eek) and instead, chose to spend $10 on a b/w caricature of my ego self wearing a Santa hat by caricaturist Gary Drysdale. To me, it's like a postcard ;) The (small) event will stay lit 'til January 7 from 5 PM - 10 PM. I advise that you go before it gets pitch-black out and before the crowd turns up and so you can get beautiful dusk shots. And, don't forgot to take a whiff of the leaves on the ground, which reminded me of home back east... I may visit again in the future- especially if they decided to add SNOW :) read more

See all

I really don't understand how Glendale Glitters has such low ratings. Let's dispense with the ridiculous expectations and accept it for what it is - a free viewing of Christmas lights. I'm grateful to the City of Glendale for taking the time to put up all these lights and incurring the electric expense at no cost to me. I think the lights are beautiful, it's nice to walk around and feel the spirit of the season. During the weekends they usually have carriage rides and other vendors selling food and light up toys. Or sometimes it's a huge event with live music, a bunch of kiddie rides and hot air balloons. Regardless of what is going on, it's still free, you don't have to pay for anything. read more

I hate to say I was a little disappointed when I got to downtown Glendale. I was expecting so much, much more. The downtown area, basically only the trees and light posts, are decorated with lights. The main square area is pretty. I was just expecting so much more like moving parts and cute scenes. The only real light decoration worth taking pictures with was a gigantic Christmas ornaments and the line was long for that. I was also thinking there would be booths and such selling holiday themed items and food. It could be that I came on a Tuesday and that's a weekend thing? I know they have singing and dancing on the weekends, but who knows. If you live nearby it would be worth it to go downtown for a quick stroll around. I drove 30 minutes and it was not worth it at all. read more

This year was a huge disappointment. I have been going to Glendale Glitters for years and enjoyed it. This year the city decided to scale back the full event and it was abysmal. This year, the event took place ONLY two weekends per month whereas in the past it was every weekend. There are less lights this year. I showed up on a Friday night to a near empty lake with not many lights. The City of Glendale's website was not clear what nights the full event would be taking place. I spoke to a local vendor who told me that the event takes places every two weeks. What a shame. This was a great place to take your family. Guessing the City wasted a lot of money fighting the new casino. What a shame. read more