The Southwest welcomes the holiday season with candlelight celebrations and novel ways to welcome St. Nick.

Southern Arizona

During the holidays, southern Arizona lights up with luminarias and centuries-old festivals.

See Light in the Valley of the Sun

Taking up 140 acres in the heart of Phoenix, the Desert Botanical Garden serves as a home to more than 50,000 plants, including many indigenous cacti and agave. During the holidays, the landscape basks in the soft glow of hundreds of luminarias — along with electric holiday lights. Known as Las Noches de las Luminarias, the event guides guests through a desert wonderland that will make you see nature in a whole new way.

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Enjoy LightsUp! A Festival of Illumination at Tucson Botanical Gardens

During this event, the city’s Botanical Gardens put on an eclectic lighting display with more than 3,000 luminaries. Designed by Tres Fromme, a nationally known public garden landscape architect, over a million lights are placed throughout the property’s diverse gardens in six connected thematic zones with unique color palettes. Each zone features custom-built, oversized installations and pieces by local artisans. Food, drink and entertainment keep the holiday spirit alive during the event.

Watch Yuma Light Up for Christmas

On the banks of the Colorado River, Yuma has long been a favorite spot for winter snowbirds. During the holidays, revelers gather in the heart of the city for the lighting of the Main Street Christmas Tree in front of the Yuma Art Center. The Old Town Christmas Festival features treats, free photos with Santas, and live performances.

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Griffith Park Observatory Los Angeles. Getty Images

Southern California

See how Californians welcome the holidays with unique celebrations.

Visit an Iconic Light Show in Riverside

In Riverside, locals throw the brightest party around. Started in 1992, the Mission Inn Festival of Lights features thousands of sparkling lights adorning a mission-style structure. It’s no wonder that USA Today called this America’s “Best Public Lights Display.”

Take the Griffith Park Holiday Train Ride

Enjoy a longstanding Holiday tradition that is uniquely LA. Ride a beloved choo-choo through a holiday wonderland in LA’s big backyard, Griffith Park. The route takes visitors over one mile of track, across a bridge, through a forest and an Old Western town — all festooned with holiday decorations.

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Bask in the Holiday Glow of Christmas Town in Bakersfield

In Bakersfield, Christmas Town is open every night from late November to January. Attractions include a Jingle Bell Sledding Hill, an Under the Mistletoe Skating Rink and a Holly Jolly Train Ride. St. Nick’s Lighting Spectacular dazzles visitors with an array of illumination under the canopy of a 40-foot lit Christmas tree.

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Nevada

Nevada might win the prize for some of the quirkiest holiday celebrations around. Go on a pub crawl with St. Nick or marvel at lights draped over a cactus.

Lift a Few With Santa in Reno

Every year, partygoers don Santa hats and gather in Reno’s downtown for an epic night of drinking. The Santa Pub Crawl raises money for local schools but also boosts business in area watering holes. It’s the ultimate win-win!

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Ride the Rails in Boulder City

Take a train ride through beautiful desert landscapes aboard the Santa Express, which departs boulder city for 30-minute rides throughout December. The train cars are heated and one car is open-air.

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Look (But Don’t Touch) a Holiday Cactus Garden in Henderson

The largest botanical cactus garden in Nevada becomes aglow with beautiful lights during the holidays. Henderson’s Annual Holiday Cactus Garden gets decorated with colorful illumination throughout December.

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