What's on in Gilbert, November 2026 to February 2027

Gilbert's calendar fills up the moment the heat breaks. Between now and the end of February there's a parade that dates back to the paving of Gilbert Road, a festival on a bridge that hasn't opened to traffic yet, holiday lights at the water tower and the preserve, and a theater season that runs straight through the winter. Every date below comes from the organizer's own page; check it again before you head out, since details can change.

November: Gilbert Days and the water tower

Gilbert Days Parade, Saturday, November 21. More than 80 floats and entries step off on Gilbert Road between Elliot Road and Juniper Avenue in the morning, rain or shine. The parade began nearly 70 years ago to celebrate the paving of Gilbert Road, and this year's theme is Hollywood in the Heritage District, so expect movie characters with an Arizona twist. Gilbert Road closes through downtown for the morning; the town points drivers to the free Vaughn Avenue and Hearne Way garages.

If you'd like lunch close by once the floats have passed, Joe's Real BBQ sits right on the route at 301 N. Gilbert Road, serving the barbecue it calls made in Gilbert. Across the street, The Porch at 312 N. Gilbert Road has pub food, yard games and a patio for a crowd that wants to stay outside.

Gilbert Days Festival, Saturday, November 21. That evening the celebration moves to the brand-new Ocotillo Bridge, which the town says opens to traffic in December. Before it does, residents get a free evening on the bridge deck with live bands, food trucks and family activities. Admission is free, but the town asks people to RSVP, and parking is at Gilbert Regional Park with free shuttles to the bridge. It's an alcohol-free event, and leashed pets are welcome.

Water Tower Holiday Lighting, Monday, November 30. The season officially starts downtown when the water tower lights up at Water Tower Plaza. Student musicians from a local music school play first, the mayor speaks and the tower lights, then country singer-songwriter Christie Huff performs. Crafts for children run through the evening while supplies last.

December: lights on the trails and a long-running Carol

A Christmas Carol, November 27 to December 26, at Hale Centre Theatre. The theater at 50 W. Page Avenue in the Heritage District calls this production a family holiday tradition now in its 24th year in Gilbert, with carols and period costumes woven through Dickens' story.

Riparian After Dark, December 11 to 22. Thousands of holiday lights and displays line about a mile and a half of paved trails and walkways at the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch, 2757 E. Guadalupe Road. Everyone needs a timed ticket, and the town recommends buying online ahead of time. The entrance is at the north lot at Guadalupe and Greenfield roads, with parking at the Southeast Regional Library. The route is fully accessible for strollers, wheelchairs and walkers, and the town publishes a sensory guide, since some displays flash and music plays along the path. Hot chocolate and coffee are sold near the gate each night.

Nando's Mexican Cafe, at 3519 E. Baseline Road, is about a mile north of the preserve. Gilbert was the first home of this Sonoran-style restaurant, which opened here in 2003, and a plate of tacos before your time slot makes an easy start to the evening.

The Nutcracker, December 18 to 20, at Higley Center for the Performing Arts. Southwest Youth Ballet Theatre dances the holiday ballet at 4132 E. Pecos Road with live music by the Chandler Symphony Orchestra. The venue lists four performances over the three days, two of them on December 19.

Saturdays and Wednesdays all season

Gilbert Art Walk. Local artists bring jewelry, paintings, ceramics, woodwork and photography outdoors on Saturday mornings. Downtown, the tables set up just west of the water tower at Page Avenue and Ash Street; new this season, a second location fills the pavilion and green at Verde at Cooley Station, 3945 E. Williams Field Road. Both locations run on November 14 and 28 and December 5, 12 and 19. After the holidays, downtown follows on January 2 and 16 and February 6 and 20, and Cooley Station on January 9 and 23 and February 13 and 27.

Agritopia Farm Night. On the first and third Wednesday evenings from September through May, except January, local farmers, bakers and makers set up around the Barnone Quonset hut and in front of the Farm Store at 3000 E. Ray Road. It's free, and the farm offers a short walking tour beforehand. Its calendar lists November 18, December 2 and December 16, 2026, and February 3, 2027.

Into the new year at Hale

The holidays aren't the end of the season downtown. Hale Centre Theatre opens the comedy Clue on December 31 and runs it through February 6, then brings Oklahoma! to its stage from February 11 into late March. Between them, the musical comedy Nunsense plays Monday and Tuesday nights from January 19. A show and dinner on Gilbert Road makes a good way to get through the short, cool evenings of January.

Pick one event a month, add a meal at a Gilbert restaurant nearby, and the winter fills itself.