Prescott Valley's Dec. 5 Puts Two Holiday Lightings at the Same Hour

"Prescott Valley's first-ever Winter Spectacular Drone Show" is how the Town of Prescott Valley bills the main event of this year's Winter Spectacular, set for Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Civic Center on East Skoog Boulevard. The drone show comes right after the Community Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6 p.m. Over in downtown Prescott, the city starts its own Courthouse Lighting and fireworks at 6 p.m. the same evening.

So for anyone living in Stoneridge, the holiday season mostly takes care of itself, except for one evening. The two towns' biggest lightings start at the same minute. Most of the rest of the season either happens in Prescott Valley or lands on days that don't clash. December 5 is the one date that calls for a choice, and the afternoon makes that choice easier than it looks.

How Saturday, Dec. 5, Lines Up by the Hour

Prescott's 44th Annual Christmas Parade starts downtown at 1 p.m. The Winter Spectacular opens at 2 p.m. and runs until 8. That leaves the conflict to the evening.

The table shows one clean way to do both towns. Watch the Prescott parade at 1 p.m., then drive back east for the Civic Center's late afternoon and evening. The Prescott Chamber's summary listing gives 5 p.m. for the Courthouse Lighting, but its detailed schedule shows 5 p.m. as the start of the music and 6 p.m. as the lighting itself. Anyone who wants to see a switch flipped has to pick a side of Glassford Hill by about 5:30.

One more planning detail from the Town: Winter Spectacular events "are subject to day of cancellation depending on weather," and Parks & Recreation takes questions at 928-759-3090.

Why the Prescott Valley Evening Runs Longer

At the Civic Center, the 6 p.m. lighting is the start of the night. The tree lighting leads straight into the drone show, and the drone show leads into the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce's Night Light Parade. The Chamber lists the parade start as 6:15 p.m. or immediately after the lighting and drone show. The route follows Main Street and Lakeshore Drive, circles the Civic Center and ends back at Findlay Toyota Center. Floats and marching groups begin staging at the arena at 3 p.m.

That gives the evening one direction. Everything is at the Civic Center and the parade loops back to where it started, so the whole night happens within walking distance of the ice rink and the food trucks.

Neighbors who want to be in the parade still have time. Through the Prescott Valley Chamber, registration for a float or marching group is $25 through Nov. 15 and goes up to $35 from Nov. 16 to 29.

The 35 Nights That Don't Compete With Anything

Dec. 5 is one night. The longest-running event of the season is the Chamber's Valley of Lights, a one-mile drive through more than 60 lighted and animated displays at Fain Park, 2200 N. 5th St. Signals AZ gives the run as Nov. 26 through Dec. 30, which works out to 35 nights from Thanksgiving to the day before New Year's Eve.

• Sunday through Thursday: 6 to 9 p.m.
• Friday, Saturday and holidays: 6 to 10 p.m.
• Cost: free, with a $5 donation per vehicle appreciated

Thanksgiving is a holiday, so opening night gets the later 10 p.m. close. The Valley of Lights is also a way to get around the Dec. 5 choice. Spend Saturday evening downtown for the courthouse, and you still have 34 other nights to see the Fain Park displays without missing anything at the Civic Center.

The Town posted a Fain Park closure notice on Nov. 1. Before the Thanksgiving opening, check the Town's latest news page for the park's status.

Weeknights and Weekend Afternoons Close to Home

The days just after the Winter Spectacular fill up with smaller events, most of them a short trip from Stoneridge.

The Prescott Valley Public Library's December calendar has a run of holiday programs in the week after the Civic Center night:

1. Holiday Themed Candle Making Workshop, Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 10 a.m.
2. Paint and Sip Hot Cocoa, Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 9 a.m.
3. Handmade Hangout: Fabric Covered Push Pin Ornaments, Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 5:30 p.m.
4. Elf Academy, Saturday, Dec. 12, at 2 p.m.

The library's page has registration details and any costs for each program.

The next afternoon, Findlay Toyota Center hosts Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland on Sunday, Dec. 13. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 6. The arena box office sells a limited family four-pack for $100, and additional fees may apply to ticket purchases. The building that stages the Night Light Parade on Dec. 5 has its own holiday show eight days later.

For a morning before any of these, Salt & Pepper opened in July at 2970 Park Ave. in Prescott Valley Town Center. It serves breakfast and brunch from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday through Monday, and is closed Tuesdays. That puts it open on Saturday, Dec. 5, before the Winter Spectacular starts at 2 p.m., and closed on Tuesday, Dec. 8, the morning of the candle workshop.

The Prescott Dates That Fall Clear of Dec. 5

The bigger Prescott events that are worth the drive west land on days that don't conflict with Prescott Valley's calendar.

Yavapai Yuletide is a new two-day event at Yavapai College's Prescott Campus, with holiday shopping, food, family activities and a drone show on Saturday. According to Signals AZ, it runs Friday, Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 21, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. General admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. With that show on Nov. 21 and Prescott Valley's own drone show on Dec. 5, the area gets two drone shows two weeks apart.

Acker Night is on Friday, Dec. 11, not on parade Saturday. Its official site lists an opening ceremony at 5 p.m., with the event running from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

That leaves Dec. 5 as the only shared date, and the two calendars only overlap after the 5 p.m. courthouse music begins. A Stoneridge household can watch the 44th Annual Christmas Parade downtown in the afternoon and be at the Civic Center in time for the 6 p.m. tree lighting and the drone show above it.

If the holiday drives between Prescott Valley and Prescott have you thinking about which side of Glassford Hill fits your household best, Tim Eastman Group knows both towns well. When you're ready to see what your Stoneridge home is worth today, start with a free home valuation.