Once again, the annual Winterhaven Festival of Lights is lighting up midtown Tucson during 6 – 10 p.m. from Saturday, December 10 – Monday, December 26.

It’s also a great opportunity to do something special this holiday season while admiring the twinkling lights. Throughout the Festival of Lights, everyone’s encouraged to bring non-perishable food or monetary donations to the event for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

Sure, lights and decorations that are perfectly placed on the homes in the neighborhood are majestic, but giving back could make any Grinch’s heart twinkle and quadruple in size.

Below you’ll see what the Community Food Bank is in need of and if you can’t donate in person you can give back online.

Most Needed Items Include:

• Peanut butter
• Oatmeal
• Cereal
• Granola bars
• Canned tomato products
• Canned tuna and chicken
• Canned soup
• Canned vegetables
• Canned fruit
• Rice and pasta
• Shelf stable milk

This is one of the Community Food Bank’s biggest food drives of the year. As a matter of fact, last year, the community donated $39,437 and 57,612 pounds of food during the Winterhaven Festival.

That would be a hefty load — even for Santa Claus, himself.

Food & Drinks in the area

If you’re looking for something to eat or drink before strutting around Winterhaven, there are plenty of dining and beverage options in the vicinity.

Take a step back in time at Danny’s Baboquivari Lounge, which usually has a food truck parked outside, PieZano’s has its tasty pizzas comin’ in hot, The Depot has all of your sports bar needs, Shooter’s Steakhouse and Saloon has plenty of pool tables to keep you busy, and the Metal Arts Village has Tucson Hop Shop and Ciao Down to keep your belly’s warm.

Other things to do at the Festival of Lights

If you’re not in a walking mood, there are other ways to get around Winterhaven.

For one, there’s the Winterhaven Trolley Tour. The 30-minute tour around the neighborhood runs nightly and you’ll need to make reservations by calling (850) 261-6311. Follow Winterhaven Trolley Tours on Facebook for more information.

Another option is to hop on a Winterhaven Hayride.

They offer rides nightly and they also operate the Coffee2Cones stand that’ll be onsite in the neighborhood. Visit winterhavenrides.com to make your reservation.

For those looking for a booze cruise, the Arizona Party Bike has your back.

This year, all profits from their 14-passenger party bike, which is a 45-minute ride, will be donated to the Community Food Bank. You’ll also want to reserve your spot ahead of time by visiting arizonapartybike.com.

The Winterhaven neighborhood is bordered by Prince Road, Country Club Road, Fort Lowell Road, and Tucson Road. For more information, visit communityfoodbank.org.