This year, resolve to discover some of Chandler’s best events, attractions, and things to do. To get you started, we've put together a list of 20 things to do in Chandler for the New Year!
1. Run with your girlfriends.
Designed to empower women, Arizona’s largest all-female running event, the SHE Power 10K & 5K starts and finishes in Downtown Chandler on Sunday, January 21, 2024.
2. Explore the iconic Chandler Museum.
Offering engaging, community-focused programs as well as renowned traveling exhibits, the Chandler Museum is a unique, cultural destination. Admission is free.
3. Attend the Fine Arts & Wine Festival
Presented by the Thunderbird Artists in partnership with the Downtown Chandler Community Partnership, this fine art and wine festival takes place in Downtown Chandler each February (February 16-18, 2024) and brings together 125 juried fine artists for an array of mediums. Make a weekend of it by booking a stay at one of two Downtown Chandler hotels.
4. Golf on Arizona’s first grass course.
Opened in 1913, the San Marcos Golf Course was the first grass (instead of sand) fairway in Arizona and is still a popular course with its open, tamarisk-lined fairways and easy access to Downtown Chandler restaurants and bars. Rental clubs are available.
5. Hear the best live music.
A hotbed for live music, Downtown Chandler features more than a dozen stages featuring live music at the various restaurants and bars that envelop the historic square for dinner with music, cocktails, or late-night jam sessions.
6. Tour Arizona’s largest brewery and distillery.
Located in Uptown Chandler, tour highlights include tours of the craft beer and spirits labs with tastings along the route. Enjoy a peek into the science and similarities behind the brewing and distilling process and an intimate education about the history and future of SanTan Brewing Company. Purchase tickets online.
7. Experience non-stop thrills at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games
Undoubtedly one of the most challenging indoor karting tracks in the world, the all-new Andretti Indoor Karting & Games opens in early 2024 and will be a premier restaurant and entertainment complex for thrill seekers.
8. Attend the Ostrich Festival.
One of the nation’s most unique festivals, the Ostrich Festival is a one-of-a-kind event that happens each March at Tumbleweed Park. Make plans to celebrate the iconic ostrich, take a whirl on carnival rides, or catch a concert on the main stage. The Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival produces the annual event and details about the entertainment schedule and headliners is coming soon!
9. Take a desert hike.
The 113-acre Veterans Oasis Park offers 4.5 miles of varied trail experiences, including easy trails through the Sonoran Desert landscape and a paved Solar System Walk with a scale representation of the sun and planets. Veterans Oasis is also one of the Valley’s premier birding destinations.
10. Raise a pint of craft beer.
Chandler brewers take their passion for brewing seriously and the community is home to some of the state’s best brews offering a great taste of Arizona.
11. Shop until you drop.
Chandler Fashion Center is the second largest mall in the state with storefronts ranging from Macy’s to Apple and the new one-stop shopping and attraction mega store, Chandler SCHEELS. For trendy, local boutiques head to The Shoppes at Casa Paloma or to Downtown Chandler for the perfect Arizona souvenir at d'Vine Gourmet.
12. Experience a day of hands-on family fun.
Find colorful family fun with 19 one-of-a-kind attractions at Crayola Experience, located at Chandler Fashion Center mall.
13. Board a vintage train.
The Arizona Railway Museum displays four rows of vintage trains, including a steam locomotive engine and a Santa Fe caboose. Admission of $5 per adult, $2 for children aged 2-12 ($15 per family) includes a self-guided tour, access to at least four passenger cars and the caboose, and artifact displays. Comfortable walking shoes are highly recommended.
14. Sip your way through Chandler’s thriving craft cocktail scene.
Chandler is home to many of the best cocktail bars in metro Phoenix and the community is bustling with places sourcing local ingredients, modern renditions, and classic cocktails with a twist.
15. Horseback ride through the Sonoran Desert.
KOLI Equestrian Center isn’t your typical stable. You’re free to ride side-by-side (no nose-to-tail here), and local guides are members of the Gila River Indian Reservation who share stories of their people as you ride through their native lands. Watch for wild horses along the way.
16. Enjoy performing arts, concerts, and more.
The Chandler Center for the Arts entertains with engaging concerts to the vibrant and heart-pounding beat of Bollywood. It’s also the place to catch nationally acclaimed acts like The Wailin' Jennys (March 3, 2024), Disney's Beauty and the Beast: Live in Concert (March 22, 2024), John Cusack (April 20, 2024), GRAMMY-nominated Beth Hart (November 6, 2024) and many more.
17. Drive a race car.
Radford Racing School satisfies your need for speed with courses ranging from advanced teen driving to Formula Mazda racing and high-performance driving in a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. You can also kart race here and take a hot lap.
18. Savor globally-inspired good eats.
From boozy brunch spots to classic hole-in-the-wall eats, Chandler’s diverse and lively culinary scene offers a tasty array of eats. Did you know that Chandler is home to Arizona's only fine-dining Indian restaurant?
19. Must-see murals in Chandler.
Commemorate your Chandler trip with a selfie or family photo in front of one of the many murals that dot the community providing a more personal look at Chandler’s unique civic identity.
20. Watch the Chandler Tumbleweed Tree lighting.
Chandler has one of the most unique holiday trees in the nation: a framework of 1,000 spray-painted tumbleweeds covered in 65 pounds of glitter and 1,200 lights. Be there the first night to see it in all its glory. The 2024 Chandler Tumbleweed Tree Lighting and Parade of Lights takes place in Dr. A.J. Chandler Park on the first Saturday in December (December 7, 2024).
