Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Tempe for 2026, and both of them are parades: one on the street and one on the water. The Fantasy of Lights Street Parade and Tree Lighting fills Mill Avenue on Saturday, November 28, and the Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade lights up Tempe Town Lake on Saturday, December 12. We check every date on the host’s own website and link straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Arizona Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Tempe
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Tempe
- Both are free, and Santa is at both
- Street parade and tree lighting: Saturday, November 28, Mill Avenue
- Boat parade: Saturday, December 12, Tempe Beach Park
- Every date checked on the Downtown Tempe site on Nov 11
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Free Christmas events for kids in Tempe
ParadeFree
Fantasy of Lights Street Parade and Tree Lighting
- When: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 4 to 8 pm (parade 6 pm, tree lighting after)
- Where: Mill Avenue and CenterPoint Plaza, Downtown Tempe, 660 S Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Downtown Tempe opens its holiday season on the Saturday after Thanksgiving with a parade down Mill Avenue. Vendors and live music start at 4 pm, and at 6 pm the floats, performers and holiday characters step off.
After the parade everyone heads to CenterPoint Plaza for the lighting of Downtown Tempe’s 36-foot tree. Kids can get photos with Santa and write letters at a station that sends their wishes on to the North Pole.
Parent tip: Parade viewing on Mill Avenue is first come, first served, so stake out the curb by 5 pm. Valley Metro Rail stops right on Mill, which beats hunting for parking.
- Host
- Downtown Tempe Authority (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Mill Avenue and CenterPoint Plaza, Downtown Tempe, 660 S Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Tempe events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Tempe daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Tempe.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Tempe event researched for you.
- New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Tempe.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Tempe before they fill up.
- Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
- Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
- One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.
Coming up on this page
- 2 Santa
- 2 Lights
- 2 Parades
- 2 Free
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in Tempe every week.
Boat paradeFree
Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 4 to 9 pm
- Where: Tempe Beach Park, 80 W Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe, AZ 85281 (opens in maps)
- Cost: Free
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
Each December, Tempe Town Lake fills with boats of every size decked out in holiday lights and inflatable characters for the Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade. Thousands of families line the shore at Tempe Beach Park to watch them glide past after dark.
While you wait there is a holiday market with local vendors, live entertainment and seasonal food. Kids can write letters to Santa and take a photo with him before the boats set sail.
Parent tip: Bring a blanket and claim a spot on the grass near the water early. The Santa line is shortest in the first hour.
- Host
- Downtown Tempe Authority (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Tempe Beach Park, 80 W Rio Salado Pkwy, Tempe, AZ 85281 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Tempe events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Tempe daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Tempe.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Arizona Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Tempe Christmas event for kids happens
The street parade is the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 28. The boat parade is two weeks later, Saturday, December 12. Both start at 4 pm with the main event after dark.
- Fantasy of Lights Street Parade and Tree LightingTempe · Nov 28
- Fantasy of Lights Boat ParadeTempe · Dec 12
Looking further afield? Our Arizona Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the state, and we have city guides for Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler and Phoenix. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.
A story for the drive home
A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.
A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.
Buy on AmazonKeep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every Arizona city.
Tempe Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Tempe this year?
Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 Christmas events for kids in Tempe for 2026: the Fantasy of Lights Street Parade and Tree Lighting on Mill Avenue on Saturday, November 28, and the Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade at Tempe Beach Park on Saturday, December 12. Both are free.
When is the Tempe Fantasy of Lights parade in 2026?
The street parade is Saturday, November 28, 2026, on Mill Avenue. Festivities start at 4 pm, the parade steps off at 6 pm, and the 36-foot tree at CenterPoint Plaza is lit afterward.
When is the Tempe Town Lake boat parade?
The Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade is Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 4 to 9 pm at Tempe Beach Park, with a holiday market and live entertainment before the boats sail.
Where can kids meet Santa in Tempe?
At both events: after the street parade at CenterPoint Plaza on November 28, and at Tempe Beach Park before the boat parade on December 12.
Are the Fantasy of Lights events free?
Yes. Both the street parade and the boat parade are free to attend.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids in Arizona?
Yes. Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Arizona Christmas train rides page.
How do you confirm these events?
We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked Tempe on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, restrooms and bad-weather plans.
Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.