On Thursday, November 26, on-site registration opens at 6:30 a.m. at the Arizona Biltmore's Conference Center entrance, just left of the valet stand. At 7:30 the Turkey Trot sets out on a 4K loop through Biltmore Estates. Walkers and runners of all ages are welcome, children 5 and under go free with a registered adult, and leashed dogs can come along. By 9 a.m. it's over. Registration covers a commemorative tee, a race bib and light refreshments, and a portion of the proceeds goes to Paws for Youth, which brings animal-assisted therapy to young people in Arizona's schools, shelters and youth-serving organizations.
The route says a lot about how the Biltmore's season works. The holidays here run on the resort's calendar, and that calendar turns over in just four days. On Thursday morning the trot loops through Biltmore Estates. On Friday the resort starts its holiday shopping nights, and by Sunday afternoon the first Nutcracker Tea has taken place. Each of the dates below falls inside that window or follows from it.
Eight Days Earlier, the Mall Lights Its First Trees
The season gets one early start at Biltmore Fashion Park. On Wednesday, November 18, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Arizona Wishmakers Council holds its first Trees of Joy Tree Lighting Celebration for Make-A-Wish. The evening reveals and lights holiday trees designed around the wishes of wish kids. Tickets cover bites from Fox Restaurant Concepts, custom cookies from Mrs. Claus, photos with Santa and hot cocoa. It's a ticketed fundraiser, and registration goes through the event page.
The mall has two new stops for anyone who arrives early. La La Land Kind Cafe is open at 2502 E. Camelback Road, serving coffee and breakfast. The mall's directory points to the café's program that employs young people from foster care. Vuori, the performance-apparel brand, is also open. InBusiness Phoenix reported that the store fills a 3,952-square-foot space next to Citrine.
The tree lighting is a single evening, and it stands on its own. The resort's long run of holiday programming starts later, and it starts with the trot.
Three Ways Thanksgiving Afternoon Can Go
When the 4K wraps up at 9 a.m., there are still two hours before the resort's own Thanksgiving meal begins. That gap makes the day easy to plan in sequence: the loop in the morning, a stop at home, then dinner. The three main options within a short drive of the Conference Center each set up the afternoon differently.
The Gold Room brunch at the Arizona Biltmore. Brunch runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on November 26. The resort's Thanksgiving page lists turkey, prime rib, seafood, desserts, live music and cocktails, and the football game plays in the Aztec Room next door. Pricing is $198++ for guests 13 and older, $69++ for ages 4 to 12, and free for children 3 and under. A family that walked the loop that morning can return to the same property for lunch.
Geordie's at Wrigley Mansion. Up the hill, Geordie's offers a four-course, limited-choice Thanksgiving menu by Chef Peter Kholer. Diners can add optional wine pairings chosen by Wine Director Daniel Webber. Seatings run from noon to 6 p.m. The price is $175++ per adult and $45++ for children 5 to 12, and children 4 and under eat free. Reservations are on the mansion's Thanksgiving page. The later seatings suit households that want to fit a rest between the trot and dinner.
The resort's take-home dinner. The Arizona Biltmore also sells a Thanksgiving dinner to go for 6 to 8 people at $499. Pickup is in 30-minute slots, either Wednesday, November 25, from noon to 6 p.m. or Thursday, November 26, from 8 a.m. to noon. The Thursday window opens half an hour after the trot starts. One person can finish the loop at 9, and the household can still collect dinner from the same resort that morning.
At the dinner tables, the resort brunch for two adults and one child between 4 and 12 starts at $465 before tax and service. The same table at Geordie's starts at $395 before additions. The $499 take-home dinner feeds 6 to 8 people with no service added. A larger household that wants to host the meal at home will find that the take-home dinner costs about the same as a small family's restaurant bill.
The One Thursday Wrigley's Jazz Takes Off
Thanksgiving also interrupts one of the corridor's weekly routines. The Hormel Jazz Series at Wrigley Mansion runs on Thursday evenings from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Reservations are strongly recommended, and cocktails and menu items are available for purchase. The series' lineup lists no jazz on Thanksgiving.
The music resumes the following week, and the December lineup shows the season in full swing:
- December 3: Nicole Pesce on piano and Andrew Gross on saxophone, with Dwight Kilian on bass and Dom Moio on drums
- December 10: Pesce, Kilian and Moio as a trio
- December 17: Pesce and Gross with Todd Johnson on bass and Robby Carrillo on drums
- December 24 and 31: no jazz
The jazz series page carries the full schedule. The Arizona Biltmore's own holiday page also links to the series, which ties the two properties together on the same seasonal calendar.
Friday Morning, the Resort Changes Calendars
The Arizona Biltmore's holiday page describes live music around the resort, a gingerbread house in the lobby, teas, holiday dining, specialty cocktails and seasonal spa experiences. The resort calls it the Season of Giving. It all starts the day after the trot, and the first weekend looks like this:
- Friday, November 27. Sparkle & Stroll: Sip & Shop begins and continues every Friday and Saturday after that, built around the resort's retail shops.
- Saturday, November 28. The first gingerbread decorating class is held, and Letters to Santa begins.
- Sunday, November 29. The first Nutcracker Tea features a performance by The Arizona Nutcracker. Tickets are $135 per adult and $85 per child.
Gingerbread classes return on December 5, 12 and 19, and the resort's page says more details are on the way. The second Nutcracker Tea is on December 13.
December Fills In Around That Weekend
After that first weekend, the rest of December follows a pattern. Most of what comes next repeats on a weekly or every-other-week rhythm.
The Teddy Bear Tea at Renata's Hearth runs on December 6 and 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $129++ per adult and $70++ per child. For every ticket sold, the resort donates a teddy bear to Phoenix Children's. Those dates fall on the Sundays between the two Nutcracker Teas, so the resort hosts a family tea on four Sundays in a row, from November 29 through December 20.
On Tuesday, December 8, from 4 to 6 p.m., the Biltmore Area Partnership holds its holiday gathering and annual meeting at the Arizona Biltmore, 2400 E. Missouri Avenue. Tickets are $50. The details are on the partnership's event page. It's the one date this season organized by the neighborhood's own business and civic group, not by the resort.
The season wraps up with a meal at home, much as Thanksgiving can. The resort's Christmas Dinner To Go serves 4 to 5 people with a choice of ham or brisket, priced from $270 to $299+, for pickup December 24 or 25. Wrigley's jazz lineup also lists no performances on December 24 and 31.
Putting the Dates on One Calendar
Five dates anchor everything else this season:
- Wednesday, November 18, 6 to 8 p.m.: Trees of Joy at Biltmore Fashion Park
- Thursday, November 26, 7:30 a.m.: Turkey Trot from the Arizona Biltmore Conference Center
- Friday, November 27: Sip & Shop begins at the resort
- Sunday, November 29: first Nutcracker Tea
- Thursday, December 3, 7 p.m.: jazz returns at Wrigley Mansion
Turkey Trot registration is open now through the resort's Eventbrite page. The resort encourages festive attire and recommends real running or walking shoes for the loop.
If your own holiday plans include hosting family in the Biltmore this year, or out-of-town guests are asking which neighborhood to explore before they visit, Merritt Estates is glad to share what we know about this corner of Camelback Road. Book an appointment, and we'll keep the conversation as relaxed as a Thanksgiving morning walk.
