Once again, the annual Winterhaven Festival of Lights is lighting up midtown Tucson from 6 – 10 p.m. on Saturday, December 9 – Monday, December 25.
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, in previous years, the community donated nearly $40,000 and more than 55,000 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, there’s even more warmth at Seven Cups, 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, you can 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.
Also, 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.
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.
Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
