It’s time to eat, drink, and be merry in Tucson.

Once a year, a section of downtown transforms to a winter wonderland and makes your innards feel warm and fuzzy with its healthy dose of holiday spirit. To bring cheer and wintry emotions to all in the Old Pueblo, Miracle on Congress St. is returning for another season of fun from Friday, November 23 – Sunday, December 23.

The name says it all — the magical holiday paradise is pretty miraculous with top to bottom decorations consisting of Christmas ornaments and candy canes. While the day belongs to the younger crowd and families, the evenings belong to the bigger kids that are ideally on Santa’s “nice” list.

Besides, we’ve been caroling and singing “Oh, bring us some figgy pudding” for years, and even though the pudding tastes great, what about bringing us a Figgy Old Fashioned instead? That’s one of the holiday-inspired cocktails you can find on this year’s menu. Some other highlights include creative holiday classics like the house-made Coconut-Nog, Irish Cream, and Pumpkin Spice Mule.

As the big man in the red suit would do, check the list — not once, but twice — because there are some real treasures in this season’s pop-up bar.

Hot Cocktail Menu

• Hot Cocoa – plain or spiked
• Cherry Pie Cider – plain or spiked
• Mulled Wine
• Hot Buttered Rum
• Hot Toddy – pick your favorite spirit and spice
• Irish Coffee – whiskey, hot coffee, and spiked cream

Cold Cocktail Menu

• Housemade Irish Cream
• Coquito – coconut egg nog that’s plain or spiked
• Stuffed Marti – savory herb-infused vodka martini
• Pumpkin Spice Mule – pumpkin pie spice, ginger beer, citrus, and vodka
• Cranberry Cape Cod – housemade cranberry shurb, gin, and rosemary
• Figgy Old Fashioned – bourbon, cinnamon, sugar, figgy pudding bitters, and orange peel-fig
• Tiki Snowball – brandy, lime, pineapple, cinnamon, coconut, and shaved ice
• Barrel-Aged Smoky Negroni – mezcal, campari, and sweet vermouth

There’s plenty of choices, and surely one of the cocktail will suffice, but the pop-up bar will also be serving select beer and wine. The bar hours are 4 – 10 p.m. on Thursday, 4 p.m. – midnight on Friday, 11 a.m. – midnight on Saturday, and 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. on Sunday.

This year will also feature free arts and crafts, adoptable puppies from the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, Christmas music, sweet treats, people impersonating Santa’s elves (or are they really from the North Pole?), and Santa Clause himself. Those seeking a photo and some questions about their Christmas gift demands can meet the jolly fellow three days a week.

Santa’s Visiting Hours

• 4 – 6 p.m. on Fridays
• 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Saturdays
• 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sundays

This year’s Miracle on Congress St. is located at 300 E. Congress St., which is on the corner of Congress St. and 5th Ave. For more information on the hours, location, and any updates to the upcoming holiday events, visit Miracle on Congress Street’s Facebook page. 

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