Glendale Events, November 2026 to February 2027

Glendale's cool season runs on a steady rhythm: lights in Murphy Park, shop walks in the old downtown, free movies rotating through neighborhood parks and a chocolate weekend at the Civic Center in February. Much of it happens around the city's renovated downtown campus, which reopened this summer with a new amphitheatre beside Murphy Park. Here is what's on from now through the end of February, with dates as each organizer publishes them.

November

Friday, November 13: Movies By Moonlight at Rose Lane Park. The city's outdoor movie series opens its 2026-2027 run in central Glendale, then moves to a different park each month (see below).

Saturday, November 14: Holiday Open House. The Historic Downtown Glendale Merchants Association holds its 30th annual open house starting at 10 a.m. across Old Towne and Catlin Court. Expect decorated shop windows, make-and-take stations, handcrafted nutcracker displays and a new charm for the downtown charm bracelet trail. Visitors can also customize an ornament for the Patriotic Community Tree at 58th Drive and Palmaire Avenue.

Friday and Saturday, November 27 and 28: Glendale Glitters kickoff. The city's long-running holiday light display returns to Murphy Park in Historic Downtown Glendale, with a lighting ceremony on the evening of the 27th and kickoff festivities from 5 to 10 p.m. both nights. After the opening weekend, the lights stay on every evening from 5 to 10 p.m. through January 1.

Saturday, November 28: Small Business Saturday. Downtown merchants open from 10 a.m., and the merchants association runs an information booth at the Arizona Information Center, 5836 W. Palmaire Ave., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a free gift for the first 50 visitors. It pairs naturally with an evening under the Glitters lights.

Every Saturday: Arrowhead Farmers Market. The market sets up from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Dream City Church, 21000 N. 75th Ave., near 75th Avenue and the Loop 101. It moved there from its old spot outside Arrowhead Towne Center. Its organizer, Get Local Arizona, lists a Thanksgiving-themed market on November 21 and a Small Business Saturday market on November 28, and it updates each week's vendor list online.

December

Friday, December 11: Movies By Moonlight at Murphy Park. December's screening brings the series downtown, where the Glitters lights will already be glowing.

December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19: Christmas in Catlin Court and Old Towne Holiday Happening. On these Friday and Saturday evenings, from 6 to 8 p.m., the downtown districts host holiday happenings, according to the merchants association's calendar. They make an easy add-on to a walk through the lights.

If you want dinner downtown before or after, the old storefronts along Glendale Avenue hold some of the city's longest-running independent restaurants. Haus Murphy's, at 5739 W. Glendale Ave., has served German food for 26 years, with long tables inside and a Biergarten out back. A few doors west at 5803 W. Glendale Ave., La Piazza Al Forno bakes Neapolitan pizza in a wood-fired brick oven. For something sweet on the walk, Coyote Oaties at 7005 N. 58th Ave. bakes artisan cookies daily and takes holiday orders.

January

Friday, January 22: Movies By Moonlight at Foothills Park South. The series heads to north Glendale, near 57th Avenue and Union Hills Drive.

Saturday, January 30: Downtown Glendale Arts and Culture Fest. The City of Glendale and Art State Arizona bring a full day to Murphy Park and the City Hall Amphitheatre under the theme "Arizona Route 60 Reimagined." The plan includes car exhibits from different eras of travel, food from local chefs inspired by classic roadside stops, up to five bands in rotation, plein air painting, chalk art and mural making, and a Kids Zone.

February

Saturday and Sunday, February 13 and 14: The Chocolate Affaire. Glendale's Valentine's weekend tradition returns to the Glendale Civic Center, 5750 W. Glenn Drive, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The city lists admission and parking as free; the lineup of chocolatiers will be announced closer to the date.

Friday, February 19: Movies By Moonlight at Paseo Sports Complex, the series' last stop of the window. (One more screening, at Glendale Heroes Regional Park on March 12, closes the season.)

Before you go

Dates and details can shift, especially for outdoor events. The City of Glendale keeps its special events page current for Glendale Glitters, Movies By Moonlight and the Chocolate Affaire, and posts start times there as they are confirmed. The Historic Downtown Glendale Merchants Association's events page covers the open house, Small Business Saturday and the December evenings, and Get Local Arizona posts each week's farmers market lineup. Each of those pages is listed in this article's sources.

For the downtown events, the free Palmaire Parking Structure at 5835 W. Palmaire Ave. sits between Murphy Park and the Catlin Court shops, so you can park once and walk to most of what's happening.