Festival History

In 1949 CB Richards created a cooperative water company and a modern residential development north of what was Tucson at the time. By 1957 all but 19 of the 257 original lots had been developed.

The Festival of Lights began in 1949. Mr. Richards was inspired to create the Festival after visiting a similar display in Beverly Hills, California in the 1930s. He purchased the first set of Christmas lights in 1949 and donated them to the neighborhood. He purchased the Aleppo pines from a local nursery that was going out of business. They were planted at regular intervals throughout the neighborhood and electrical connections were hooked up near each tree for the lights.

For the first few years of the festival Richards personally judged all the displays and the winner was awarded $100.00. After he moved to San Diego, Richards continued to visit Winterhaven for the Festival of Lights.

The Festival has been held continuously since 1949 except for two years: once during the 1970’s energy crisis when the residents of Winterhaven voted to stay dark, and in 2020 due to coronavirus.

76th Annual Festival of Lights

This year is our 76th year of the Winterhaven Festival of Lights – one of the longest running festivals of its kind in the country.

The Festival of Lights celebrates the holiday season in Tucson and is visited by hundreds of thousands of people from all over southern Arizona. Moreover, the Festival is one the most important events for the Community Food Bank in Tucson.

Help Us Reach $60,000 to Feed Southern Arizona Families This Winter

Every year, the Winterhaven Festival of Lights brings joy, connection, and community spirit to Tucson — but behind the sparkle lies a deeper mission: to help feed our neighbors in need.

Across Southern Arizona, 1 in 7 people face hunger, including 1 in 5 children. The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona is on the front lines of that fight — and this year, the need is greater than ever.

Last year alone, the Food Bank distributed 35 million pounds of food through 18 mobile distribution sites across five counties, partnering with over 300 agencies to reach every corner of our community. They delivered over 211,000 miles worth of food to rural families, distributed nearly half a million emergency food boxes, and provided 65,000 after-school snacks and 25,000 summer meals to local children.

But hunger doesn’t stop when the holidays end. Nearly 900,000 neighbors walked through Food Bank doors last year — a number expected to grow as more families struggle to make ends meet. Older adults now account for 22% of those served, and 28% are children — proof that hunger affects every generation.

At last year’s Festival of Lights, this neighborhood raised an incredible $33,774 and collected 34,134 pounds of food. This season, we’re setting our most ambitious goal yet: to raise over $60,000 to help the Community Food Bank provide even more meals to Southern Arizona families.

Because when you give, every single dollar helps provide three meals — healthy, nourishing food that strengthens our schools, neighborhoods, and economy.

A healthy community is a happy one — and the Winterhaven Festival of Lights is where generosity shines brightest.

Let’s light up more than just our streets this year.
Let’s light up lives.

Donate to the Food Bank today