The Tumbleweed Tree Goes Up Inside a Park Chandler Is Still Rebuilding
November 12, 2026
November 12, 2026
In 1957, a Chandler resident named Earle Barnum suggested building a version of a tree he had seen in Indiana out of tumbleweeds. The first one, 30 feet tall, was finished in the town square on Nov. 27 of that year. The tree has been a December fixture downtown ever since. This year it goes up in a park that is partway through its first renovation since 1986.
The Tumbleweed Tree Lighting and the Parade of Lights both fall on Saturday, Dec. 5. Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, the space that hosts them, is about halfway through a rebuild. One parking lot is closed, a few restaurant spaces on Arizona Avenue have changed hands, and the city's construction schedule runs right up to the event. The evening goes most smoothly for people who plan around the unfinished parts.
Construction started in February 2026, and ABC15 described it as a $20 million project. YourValley reported that the City Council approved a $17.98 million construction contract with Willmeng. Separate contracts for design services from Dig Studio and construction management from Dibble CM brought the total to almost $20 million.
The city explains why the park needs the work. It was last renovated in 1986. Since then, downtown has added apartments, offices, shops and restaurants, and the park now hosts more than 100 events a year. The work covers both sides of Arizona Avenue between Buffalo and Boston streets, and the two sides are on different schedules.
| Side of Arizona Avenue | Work on the city's fall schedule | Expected finish |
|---|---|---|
| West | Lighting and a metal skin on the west canopy; wood ceilings and metal louvers on the south canopy into mid-November; tile and paint in the new west restroom; sidewalks on the south end; landscaping through the end of November | Before the 2026 holiday season |
| East | Remaining steel trusses on the east canopy into early November; Arizona Place limited to northbound traffic between Boston and Buffalo streets | Early spring 2027 |
According to that schedule, the southbound bike lane on Arizona Avenue stays closed for sidewalk work through about Dec. 5, the night of the event. So the tree lighting is set for the same weekend the west side's last stretch of work is due to wrap up.
The renovation was designed for nights like Dec. 5. The city's project page lists what Phase 1 delivers:
The full build-out goes further. The 2024 master design book shows civic and flexible lawns, an event plaza, a temporary stage, social and park pavilions, "innovation canopies," an interactive water and light plaza, a pedestrian promenade, a bosque and a children's garden. The canopies and restroom going up on the west side are the first pieces of that plan.
The tree hasn't changed. Chandler's Parks Operations staff collect more than 1,000 tumbleweeds every year. It takes about 10 Parks Maintenance workers roughly 13 working days to build it. The city puts the average finished tree at 33 feet tall and 18 feet wide at the base, a little taller than Barnum's first one.
Ahead of this year's lighting, the city's event page thanks four members of the crew by name: Guillermo Valenzuela, Gorge Cazares, Eddie Rodriguez and Alvaro Cervantes. This year they are building a 13-day project in a park where contractors are still finishing their own work.
The Tumbleweed Tree Lighting is free and runs from 4:30 to 9 p.m. at 3 S. Arizona Ave. The Parade of Lights is the same night. Both the parade entries and the vendor spaces reached capacity this year, and the city closed applications early. Here is the city's schedule in order:
All vendor booths will be on the east side of Arizona Avenue, along Arizona Place or Commonwealth Place. That's the side where the east canopy is still under construction and where Arizona Place has been limited to northbound traffic between Boston and Buffalo streets.
The city's parking plan for the night lists 11 numbered locations, and one is closed. P2, the street-parking lot reached from Boston Street and San Marcos Place, is marked closed due to construction. During the park work, parking along Arizona Avenue has also been limited, and a few angled spaces on San Marcos Place and Arizona Place have been unavailable. The other locations on the city's list are below.
Arizona Avenue closes at 2 p.m. and Chandler Boulevard is restricted starting at 6 p.m., so it helps to pick a garage you can reach from a side street before you set out. The city's parking map suggests a route to each lot.
Downtown's restaurants have changed this fall too. On Aug. 29, The Uncommon closed at the southeast corner of Arizona Avenue and Boston Street, along with its sister restaurants Tipsy Egg and Recreo Cantina. The corner sits next to the toy-drive fire engine and the south edge of the park. A manager told Mouth by Southwest that new concepts are planned for the three spaces, on a timeline of late 2026 into early 2027.
New places have opened on both ends of the parade route:
Lomas is at the corner where the evening's Chandler Boulevard restriction begins. Tap N Taco is a short walk south of Boston Street, toward the Frye Road end where the parade lines up. Both are useful spots for a dinner before the parade, depending on which end of the route you plan to watch from.
Another downtown tradition is marking a milestone this season. Ballet Etudes' The Nutcracker is in its 40th production year, with performances at Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., from Nov. 27 through Dec. 6, YourValley reported. The company has staged it at the arts center since the venue opened in 1989. The run opens the day after Thanksgiving and closes Sunday, Dec. 6, the day after the tree lighting. Tickets in Chandler start at $42.50. On Dec. 5, the ballet and the tree lighting share the same stretch of Arizona Avenue on the same day.
Lisa Zaklan is happy to talk through what the Dr. A.J. Chandler Park project and its spring 2027 east-side finish could mean for homes near downtown, and to share how her Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty platform presents those homes to buyers.
With over 25 years of sales & marketing knowledge and experience, Lisa has built her reputation on integrity & service and believes in using her experience in contract negotiations, sales and marketing to your advantage.