The lights on the Chandler Boulevard medians go on November 1. That puts them three weeks ahead of the festival that used to pay for them and nearly a month ahead of Thanksgiving. The display started in 1986 as a homebuilder's advertisement. Since then it has passed from that builder to a volunteer charity and then to a homeowners association. In 2026 it costs more than the two HOAs paying for it contribute, so this year's holiday events, the donation drive and a nighttime 5K all trace back to the same budget gap.
A median built to sell houses
According to The Foothills Community Association, the tradition began in 1986 "as a way for homebuilder Del Webb to promote the Foothills to potential buyers in the community." When the housing and land had sold, Del Webb stopped putting up the lights. The display goes back to Ahwatukee's earliest years, and for its first decade it was a sales tool.
Three residents thought the medians should stay lit. Ahwatukee Foothills News names them as Janyce Hazlett, Susan Ballman and Dawn McCraw, who started a grassroots effort to bring the lights back. Since then the display has had three owners:
- Del Webb, from 1986. The builder installed the lights to promote the Foothills to buyers and dropped them once that job was done.
- The Festival of Lights, from 1995. The volunteers set up a 501(c)(3) charity that held community events to raise money for the lights each year. For more than 20 years, its main fundraiser was the Festival of Lights Party, held the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
- The Foothills Community Association, from the early 2020s. In 2020 the committee couldn't hold its Beer and Wine Tasting or its November Kick-off Party, and it concluded it could no longer carry the display. The FCA board then took over the annual lights permanently. 2026 is the sixth year the Association has overseen the display.
The party went its own way. According to Ahwatukee Foothills News, it was canceled in 2020 and 2021, then revived by a new group of volunteers who took the name Light Up Ahwatukee in August 2023. So the lights and the party now run under two separate organizations.
The bill the HOA checks don't cover
The display is the same one million white lights on the medians from 24th Street west to Desert Foothills Parkway. What changed is the way it's paid for.
For 2026, the Foothills HOA is putting in more than $50,000 and the Club West HOA another $25,000, according to Ahwatukee Foothills News. Foothills HOA board member Carrie McNeish told the paper that even so, "our current display exceeds this contribution by far if we are keeping the same quality of lights and display."
The 2026 reporting doesn't give a total, but there is a recent benchmark. In November 2023, Ahwatukee Foothills News reported costs above $125,000 that year, against the same $50,000 and $25,000 HOA contributions. That article listed business sponsors and individual donors as covering the costs above the HOA contributions.
The same 2023 article said the largest cost was city fees, both for permits and for traffic control while crews set up and took down the display. Power and infrastructure maintenance added to the total. The HOA tried to hold down costs that year by signing a multi-year contract with its installer, Christmas Lights Decorators, in exchange for an annual discount.
The 2026 donation drive is aimed at that gap. The Association keeps lights donations in a separate bank account, does not mix them with regular HOA funds, and says any money left over after the 2026 display will go to the 2027 lights. Contributions go through the Association's GoFundMe at gofund.me/ad048b740, or by check payable to the Foothills Community Association with "Donation for Lights" in the memo, mailed to Trestle Management Group, Attn: Cathy Van Galder, 450 N. Dobson Road, Suite 201, Mesa, AZ 85201.
Why the lights now beat the party by three weeks
For years, the lights and the fundraiser that paid for them went together, with the Festival of Lights Party on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Once the HOA took over the display, the schedule moved forward. In the 2023 Ahwatukee Foothills News article, then-Foothills HOA board president Rob Doherty explained the early switch-on: "We like to get the lights going in early November to maximize the amount of time they can be enjoyed." He added, "The HOA puts a lot of time, effort, and money into it, so we want people to get as much enjoyment out of it as possible."
The early start has held. In 2026 the lights go on November 1 and stay on through January 1, which the Association gives as the end of the season. The party has moved too. Light Up Ahwatukee now holds its festival on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
This year's festival also marks the 30th anniversary of the original Festival of Lights Party. It runs from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, at Desert Foothills Park, 1010 E. Marketplace Way, and admission is free. Light Up Ahwatukee lists more than 30 local artisans and small businesses, food trucks, daytime entertainment, a Santa's Village and visits from children's characters. After dark, a Beer Tavern and Cocktail Garden opens for adults. The organizer hasn't posted 2026 parking details or Santa hours yet, so check its site closer to the date.
The 2026 calendar, from Warner Road to Chandler Boulevard
The season starts on Warner Road, at Ahwatukee Park. The Ahwatukee Farmers Market moved to its October-through-May schedule this month, Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 4700 E. Warner Road, according to Visit Phoenix. The same park hosts the 18th annual Tukee Fest next Saturday, October 17. After that, the calendar moves to Chandler Boulevard.
| Date | Event | Where | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sundays, Oct. through May | Ahwatukee Farmers Market | Ahwatukee Park, 4700 E. Warner Road | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | 18th annual Tukee Fest, presenting Witches Brew & Bar | Ahwatukee Park, 4700 E. Warner Road | 5 to 9 p.m., benefits Kiwanis Club of Ahwatukee Foster Youth |
| Sun., Nov. 1 | Chandler Boulevard lights switch on | Medians, 24th Street to Desert Foothills Parkway | Season runs through Jan. 1 |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Light Up Ahwatukee Holiday Festival | Desert Foothills Park, 1010 E. Marketplace Way | 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., free |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Fifth annual Million Lights 5K | Desert Foothills Park and Chandler Boulevard | Kids' run 6:30 p.m., 5K 7 p.m. |
The run that pays the lights back
The last event of the year sends some of its money straight back to the display. Breanna Bissell is organizing the fifth annual nighttime Million Lights 5K on December 19, 2026, and the race registration page lists the Foothills Community Association as this year's beneficiary. The run is part of the same funding cycle, raising money for the group that pays for the lights it runs past.
According to the Million Lights 5K, the 5K is an out-and-back route along Chandler Boulevard through the lights. The kids' course is an untimed three-quarter-mile loop inside Desert Foothills Park. Registration costs less for anyone who signs up this month.
- Adults: $45 from Oct. 1 to 31, rising to $70 on Dec. 18 and 19
- 5K runners 17 and under: $35 now, $55 at the final tier
- Kids' fun run: $20 now, $25 at the final tier
At BVO Luxury, we pay attention to the details that make a community what it is, including who keeps a tradition like the Chandler Boulevard lights going each year. If you have questions about Ahwatukee, or about what local traditions add to a community over time, contact us. We're happy to talk.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
