Tumbleweed Tree Lighting & Parade of Lights kicks off the holidays in Chandler
Music of the season. A festive and glittery parade. A visit by a jolly old elf from the North. A holiday tradition with a
distinctive Southwestern flavor. These are just some of the sights and sounds you will experience when you come to Downtown Chandler on Saturday, Dec. 6, for Chandler’s annual holiday Parade of Lights and 69th Annual Tumbleweed Tree Lighting.
The activities start in Dr. A.J. Chandler Park at 4:30 p.m. with musical performances, craft and food vendors, photos with Santa and other family entertainment. At 6:45 p.m., the Parade of Lights moves north along Arizona Avenue from Frye Road to Erie Street.
Every vehicle and group in the parade will be creatively decorated and lit up with holiday lights. Immediately after the parade at 8 p.m. will be the annual lighting of Chandler’s Tumbleweed Tree, the only one of its kind in the Southwest.
Chandler Fire to hold annual toy drive event, plus more ways to donate through Dec. 14
The Chandler Fire Department will hold its annual toy drive on Sunday, Dec. 7 from 12-6 p.m. All donations will be distributed to Chandler children in need. The event takes place at the Chandler Fashion Center, in front of the south-facing entry point in the valet parking area near the food court.
Anyone who donates new and unwrapped toys will get to ride on the fire truck. Drive up, drop-off only toy donations will also be accepted by following the signs in the valet parking area.
Chandler Fire will also be trying to “Stuff the Fire Truck” with donated toys at the Tumbleweed Tree Lighting on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 5-8:30 p.m.
In addition, toys can be dropped off from Nov. 8 through Dec. 14 at all Chandler Fire Stations and the Fire Administration Building located at 151 E. Boston St. Gift cards will only be accepted at the Fire Administration Building.
You can also purchase gifts via the Amazon Wish List to make an online donation.
Choose Chandler this holiday season
This holiday season, make memories and support the community by choosing Chandler businesses for all of your shopping, dining and entertainment.
One of the easiest (and most rewarding) ways to do this is by signing up for a Choose Chandler Pass to unlock festive deals, discover hidden gems, and try new experiences.
Every time you make a purchase at a Chandler business, you’re doing more than just checking off your holiday list ... you’re giving back to your community. How much is the impact? Every $100 spent at a Chandler business keeps around $48 recirculating in our local community fueling jobs, boosting community infrastructure and making our city thrive.
Choose your Chandler experience for the holidays and get your free pass from Visit Chandler! Follow @VisitChandler on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok for more information on holiday passes and giveaways, local spotlights and holiday inspiration.
ChangeUp: Change a life by changing the way you give
Have you seen our ChangeUp signs around Chandler? The signs are placed along city streets to promote the ChangeUp program that offers residents another way to give to people experiencing homelessness.
Instead of giving spare change to a panhandler, you can make real, long-term change through ChangeUp. All proceeds go directly to services to help end homelessness in our city. Getting people off the streets as soon as possible makes a huge difference to their long-term success.
Donating is easy. Text “ChangeUp” to 44-321 to make a one-time or monthly donation of any amount — even a $1 helps.
By donating to ChangeUp, be assured that your contribution is working directly to support long-term solutions to end homelessness in Chandler.
Flood zones in Chandler
Several small areas in Chandler are located in what is commonly referred to as the 100-year floodplain. These areas are generally adjacent to canal banks, regional retention basins and railroad track embankments where water ponds can develop during periods of heavy rainfall.
Determine whether your property is located in a floodplain and find a link to the Maricopa County Flood Control District website. This site provides the current effective floodplain map and additional resources including available Elevation Certificates and Flood Hazard Identification Studies. Currently, there are two active studies, the City of Chandler Stormwater Management Master Plan Study, and the Gilbert-Chandler Drainage Master Study (ADMS), in which east Chandler is included, to assess flooding in this region. Once complete, these studies will inform future improvements to flood protection infrastructure within the city.
The City of Chandler participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As a participant of the NFIP, the city adopted Floodplain Management Resolution 5004 and has established development requirements consistent with federal criteria.
Flood insurance is available to almost everyone from the federal government’s NFIP. Most homeowners’ policies do not cover flood losses. Contact your insurance agent concerning such coverage. More information regarding flood protection is available from FEMA at fema.gov or floodsmart.gov. Construction within flood zones is tightly regulated. Permits are required for any building or site alterations to ensure maximum protection against flooding is maintained.
The Downtown Chandler Library has a reference collection that includes several FEMA publications, which are available for public review; many are available for public distribution, and some are available in e-book format. Also, the Library has current FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps and Studies for Maricopa County and incorporated areas. Call the Chandler Public Library at 480-782-2800.
To report illegal dumping/discharges into streets or storm drains, or standing water or flooding issues in Chandler, please call 480-782-3503. Staff can provide property assistance visits to assist you to evaluate and mitigate ponding and flooding issues. Visit Foodplains to download the Property Owner’s Manual for Stormwater Management for information and requirements for stormwater collection systems.
For more information on flood zones including floodways, flood studies and depths and historic flooding, call 480-782-3300 or visit Public Works & Utilities, located at 215 E. Buffalo St.
- City offices will be closed Tuesday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day; Thursday and Friday Nov. 27-28 for Thanksgiving; Thursday, Dec. 25 for Christmas Day; Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026 for New Year’s Day. Please visit chandleraz.gov for additional details.
- There WILL be changes to the collection schedule the week of Thanksgiving:
- Trash and recycling will be picked up as normal on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Trash and recycling are NOT collected on Thanksgiving Day.
- If your regular collection day is Thursday, place your container out on Friday.
- If your regular collection day is Friday, place your container out on Saturday.
- Trash and recycling collection are not collected on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day which fall on Thursdays this year.
- Trash and recycling will be picked up as usual on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for those two weeks.
- If your regular collection day is Thursday, place your container out on Friday
- If your regular collection day is Friday, place your container out on Saturday.
- To ensure trash and recycling pick-up, please remember to place your can at the curb by 6 a.m. on your day of collection or after 6 p.m. the evening before.
Chandler’s Water Conservation Division offers everything from advice on water-saving fixtures to tips on installing a water-efficient landscape.
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