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Arizona's Christmas City

Arizona’s Christmas City Attracting Thousands

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 Prescott’s reputation as one of the best communities to celebrate the Christmas holidays continues to grow. In November, Prescott was named “…one of America’s best small towns for Christmas” by the national publication Country Living.

Thousands of visitors are expected to join locals as they participate in the ever-expanding schedule of activities that caused then-Governor Rose Mofford in 1989 to name Prescott as “Arizona’s Christmas City.”

 

Concerts, Parade, Courthouse Lighting

People have a choice of two concerts on Friday, Dec. 1. One is “In the Christmas Mood” at 7 p.m. at the Elks Theatre in downtown Prescott; the other is “Let the Season Begin” at 7:30 p.m. in the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center (PAC).

Christmas celebrations continue Saturday, Dec. 2, when the streets surrounding Courthouse Square are packed with spectators for the 35th annual Christmas Parade. Beginning at 1 p.m., The “Cowboy Christmas”-themed parade will feature dozens of floats, bands, horses, decorated vehicles and scores of marching groups and organizations.

Later that evening, at 6 p.m., the switch will be turned on for 63rd annual lighting of the 101-year old Courthouse. That will be followed by caroling.

That same evening, Sharlot Hall Museum has a 6 p.m. open house, “Frontier Christmas,” featuring Living History interpreters sharing tales of Frontier Prescott.

 

Acker Night Tradition in 29th Year                                                                                  

More than 100 community musicians will perform in various businesses and shops in downtown Prescott beginning at 5:30 p.m., Friday Dec. 8. The event begins with a community sing-along of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” Acker Night, made possible because of a bequest from the estate of pioneer Prescott businessman James Acker, is a fundraiser for art and music scholarships for qualified students.

That same weekend, Sunday, Dec. 10, the Prescott POPS Symphony Orchestra will perform traditional seasonal favorites during a 3 p.m. concert at the Yavapai College PAC.

Just a few days later, the heartwarming Irving Berlin “White Christmas, The Musical” will be performed at 7 p.m., Dec. 14-17, in the Yavapai College PAC.

Many other programs and performances will be ongoing during the holidays, especially in the many churches throughout the community. Those can be found by looking online or by checking local calendars.

 

New Year’s Eve Boot Drop

Thousands of revelers will gather in downtown’s Historic Whiskey Row for the 7th annual Boot Drop. The six-foot illuminated boot is slowly lowered down a 40-foot flagpole from atop the Palace Saloon and Restaurant. One participant said last year, “Even though it isn’t New York City and Times Square, I’ll bet we have more fun than they do.” QCBN

 

For more holiday event information, contact the Prescott Chamber of Commerce at 928-445-6000 or visit Prescott.org.

 

By Ray Newton, QCBN

 

Photo by Ray Newton

 

 

           

 

 

Arizona’s Christmas City Glistening for the Holidays

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Prescott, known as “Arizona’s Christmas City” for the past 27 years, is decorated for what local planners say will be the best holiday season yet.

“Our judgment is that this year will likely be a record breaker for visitors who enjoy what has become a premier holiday event in Arizona. We can’t even begin to estimate the positive economic impact of having locals and visitors involved in several days of holiday activities. It will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Kendall Jaspers, executive director for Prescott Downtown Partnership (PDP).

Organizers have been planning for months for the major attractions of Christmas City, decorating the historic Courthouse and wrapping lights on the almost 200 trees of the Courthouse Plaza.

“All this was preparation for what has been called the signature event in Prescott’s long history of celebrating Christmas,” he said.

The festivities officially begin at 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3, with the 34th annual Christmas Parade and the 6 p.m. Courthouse lighting of the 100-year-old, four-story Neo-classsic granite Yavapai Courthouse.

This year, the parade has the theme of “All I Want for Christmas,” said Harold Viehweg, a parade organizer and a Prescott Chamber of Commerce staff member.

Jaspers praises local leaders and organizations for raising almost $80,000 to support the Courthouse Lighting. “Without the help of Tommy Meredith and the Friends of Jersey Lilly [a Whiskey Row saloon], we wouldn’t come close to funding the lighting. They annually have been the biggest contributors to the event because they solicit donations for live and silent auctions.”

Jaspers also appreciates ongoing support from Arizona Public Service, Unisource, Cable One, the Prescott Fire Department and the City of Prescott, Prescott Unified School District and Yavapai County officials.

“Every year, people and organizations in Prescott step up and make sure we keep our title as ‘Arizona’s Christmas City,’” said City of Prescott Tourism Director Don Prince. “From the iconic Courthouse Lighting and the Christmas Parade to Acker Night and some of the newer attractions like the Boot Drop New Year’s Eve, Prescott pulls out all the stops to make each holiday season better than the one before.”

Chamber of Commerce CEO David Maurer has estimated that more than 600,000 lights will be sparkling in the downtown area during the holidays.

Another event to note on calendars is the 28th Annual Acker Night on Friday, Dec. 9, which will feature musicians from throughout the region in downtown businesses. The music begins at 5:15 p.m. across the street from the Courthouse with a public sing-along of the famed Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” Following that, more than 100 musicians will be performing in shops.

The event is named after James S. Acker (1865-1955), a generous Prescott developer and merchant who contributed property and other resources for recreational parks and to support music for children. Acker Night is a fundraiser for school music programs in Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley.

In other holiday news, the “World’s Largest Gingerbread Village” at the Prescott Resort on Highway 69 will be open seven days a week until the New Year. The village features more than 100 hand-made gingerbread houses and other structures created by local residents and businesses. “Builders” pay for “lots” on the display streets so they can place their houses and other items for viewing. The village is used as a fundraising project to help support Yavapai Big Brothers, Big Sisters. It is estimated that more than 50,000 people will wander the long lobby corridor to see the colorful and creative village, which has a model train chugging through the community.

Also ongoing through Dec. 30 is the Village of Lights in Prescott Valley. Located south of 6th Street, the drive-through Village of Lights greets visitors with an oversized animated toy soldier pointing the way toward dozens of sparkling holiday decorations, many in motion. Organized by the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce, the display features millions of lights and has become a traditional favorite in the Quad Cities area. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

For more information about holiday events, visit prescott-az.gov/events, prescottdowntown.com/events, prescott.org/events1, pvaz.net/calendar.aspx or pvchamber.org/events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arizona’s Christmas City Offering Sleigh Full of Events

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This vividly lighted float is typical of the entries that entertain viewers during the annual Holiday Light Parade around the Courthouse Square
This vividly lighted float is typical of the entries that entertain viewers during the annual Holiday Light Parade around the Courthouse Square

“Bigger and better than ever!”

That is what Kendall Jaspers, executive director of the Prescott Downtown Partnership, says about upcoming events, which have brought worldwide recognition to Prescott as “Arizona’s Christmas City.”

Jaspers, with considerable pride, cited a recent article published in USA Today ranking Prescott as a “must see” community in Arizona, especially during the exuberant Christmas season.

“I am more and more impressed every year with how many people and organizations work together to make the celebration so successful,” said Margo Christensen, Ponderosa Hotel Management vice president and marketing director.

She praised the Prescott Downtown Partnership (PDP), the Prescott Chamber of Commerce, the Tourism Advisory Committee, Tommy Meredith of Jersey Lilly Saloon, Matt and Marco with the Enchanted Christmas and other supporters.

“I hope residents and visitors will realize the tremendous amount of time it takes to produce all the events we sponsor to maintain our official ‘Christmas City’ status,” she said.

More than just local residents will know about “Arizona’s Christmas City,” when the Cox TV “Arizona Weekend Explorer” show is broadcast throughout the Valley of the Sun. City of Prescott Tourism Director Don Prince says TV crews shot a 30-minute travel program about Prescott in October. The show is airing this month.

Acknowledgement of Prescott as a community that celebrates Christmas in a unique way goes back 53 years. In 1962, then Gov. Paul Fannin declared Prescott to be the official Arizona “Christmas Town.”

It was 27 years later that the more recent name, “Christmas City,” came to be when then Gov. Rose Mofford issued an official proclamation to that effect, according to Prescott Chamber of Commerce CEO David Maurer.

The economic impact of having thousands of residents and visitors involved in eating out, spending money on lodging and, of course, shopping throughout a month-long period is incalculable, Jaspers says.

A Holiday Light Parade on Saturday, Nov. 28, signaled the beginning of more than a month of Christmas celebrations. For the first time, the Memorial Island Triangle at the intersection of Gurley and Sheldon will be decorated.

 

Christmas Parade, Courthouse Lighting Attract Thousands

Thousands of people will line downtown streets at 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 5, to view more than 100 parade entries, including 10 marching bands.

“The Chamber of Commerce coordinates the parade,” said Maurer. “We’re pleased to have Marlin Kuykendall, the retiring Prescott mayor, as Grand Marshal,” Maurer said.

Later, at 6 p.m. that day, streets around the iconic Courthouse Square will be jam-packed at opening ceremonies marking the 61st annual Courthouse Lighting. For the 25th consecutive year, Prescott native Ken Bennett, former Arizona state legislator, secretary of state and now a Congressional candidate, will read the Christmas story. Afterward, a kaleidoscope of colors will brighten the courthouse and adjacent trees when the switch is turned on.

Those lights will remain on during nighttime all the way through Martin Luther King weekend in January 2016, Maurer said.

The cumulative cost for the various celebrations amount to “…$75,000 to $85,000 annually. The city contributes $30,000; the Chamber of Commerce, $5,000; and the PDP, $5,000.

Jaspers and Maurer both praised Jersey Lilly Saloon owner Tommy Meredith and the Friends of Jersey Lilly for setting a goal of an additional $30,000 to be collected from the private sector as support for the Courthouse Lighting.

 

Acker Music Night Showcases Quad Cities Performing Groups

Acker Music Night is another Prescott tradition that brings thousands of people together.

Following the opening ceremony at 5:15 p.m., Friday, Dec. 11, in front of Bashford Court on Gurley Street, the public can wander streets to hear performers entertain from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

“Acker Night has become so popular that we’ve expanded the venues to include the Depot Marketplace and SpringHill Suites on Sheldon,” said J.S. Acker Music Park Association President Scotty Currey. “More than 110 performing groups will be scattered throughout downtown Prescott at virtually every business along the way.”

The festive Wells Fargo stagecoach will be parked downtown for those who want a photo opportunity.

A special event is planned for 7:15 p.m. near the platform at Bashford Court. “We’re inviting everyone from throughout the community to join together and fill the evening air with the joyous sound of the ‘Hallelujah’ Chorus’ from Handel’s Messiah,” said Currey.

He added that a rumor – not yet confirmed but fairly reliable, was “…that some aliens, possibly from Star Wars, were going to visit Prescott to get the feel of the Christmas season. We want people to be aware of this possibility,” he warned.

 

Many More Entertainment Activities

The popular Prescott POPS Symphony Orchestra is presenting “Home for the Holidays” at 3 p.m., Sunday Dec. 13, at the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center (YCPAC).

The Texas Tenors will perform “Deep in the Heart of Christmas” at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 19 at the YCPAC.

Several other programs are scheduled at the YCPAC. Visit www.ycpac.com for a complete listing.

 

Boot Drop Welcomes 2016

The city invites all to close out the Christmas festivities and ring in the New Year by attending the traditional Boot Drop scheduled for 10 p.m. and midnight on Thursday, Dec. 31. Hundreds are expected to celebrate with the lowering of the illuminated custom-made cowboy boot across the street from the Courthouse Square. A carnival, ferris wheel and fireworks will be part of the festivities. QCBN

 

 

By Ray Newton, QCBN