Chandler Blvd Annual Holiday Lights
For the sixth year the Foothills Community Association is overseing the holiday lights display along Chandler Boulevard—and last year’s display was amazing!
The Association is the largest financial contributor to the display. However, maintaining the quality and scale of the current display costs considerably more than the HOA’s contribution. Community donations help make this wonderful holiday tradition possible.
Donations will be accepted throughout the holiday season. Any funds remaining after the 2026 display will be applied toward the 2027 holiday lights.
Please consider making a donation to help keep the Foothills holiday lights as spectacular as ever!
Donate online
Visit our GoFundMe page:
https://gofund.me/ad048b740
Donate by check
Make your check payable to: Foothills Community Association
Please write “Donation for Lights” in the memo line and mail it to:
Trestle Management Group
Attn: Cathy Van Galder
450 N. Dobson Road, Suite 201
Mesa, AZ 85201
All donations will be deposited into a separate bank account and used exclusively for the annual holiday lights display. Donations will not be commingled with regular HOA funds, and any excess contributions will be reserved for the following year’s display.
Million Lights 5K Run
We are also pleased to announce that Breanna Bissell will be organizing the fifth annual nighttime Million Lights 5K Run along Chandler Boulevard on the evening of December 19, 2026.
To register or volunteer, please visit:
https://www.millionlights5k.com/
For additional information about the event, contact Breanna at info@mangledmomentum.com.
Thank you for helping us continue this special Foothills holiday tradition!
The Story Behind Ahwatukee’s Million Lights
The Christmas lights that adorn Chandler Boulevard have delighted the residents of the Ahwatukee Foothills for decades. They symbolize the special character that makes the Foothills such a unique and lovely community. Each year, from Thanksgiving night through January 1st, one million white lights illuminate the medians stretching from 24th Street west to Desert Foothills Parkway.
The tradition of stringing millions of lights along Chandler Boulevard in Ahwatukee began in 1986 as a way for homebuilder Del Webb to promote the Foothills to potential buyers in the community. Once all the housing and land were purchased, Del Webb discontinued the promotional festive-season lighting along the medians. Three women, residents of Ahwatukee, felt that the lights were a beautiful landmark and should be present each festive season.
In 1995, this group of volunteers got the party started again when they established the Festival of Lights as a 501(c)(3) charity to implement substantial community events to raise money and fund the annual lighting. A substantial network of energetic and dedicated volunteers has sustained the effort every year since then.
In 2020, the treasured Festival of Lights tradition was threatened by COVID-19 and other problems. The Festival of Lights (FOL) Committee (renamed in 2023 to Light Up Ahwatukee) was not able to hold the annual fundraising Beer and Wine Tasting event or the Kick-off Party in November.
The FOL Committee faced the reality that it could not continue to shoulder this responsibility. Knowing that the lights were very important to the Foothills community, the FCA board worked with the FOL to take over the Annual Holiday Lights permanently. The FCA board set up a separate bank account solely for the holiday lights, and the community came together to make this transition a success. Today, the FCA team manages the vendor contracting, donations, and sponsorship details, with funding support operating as a joint effort between the community, the FCA, and the Club West HOA.
