Loss of city in-kind support puts pressure on Tucson’s Winterhaven Festival

The two-week festival draws more than 200,000 visitors to the Winterhaven neighborhood each Christmas season.

City support has been essential for managing traffic control, police and public safety as streets are partially closed each night of the festival, said Kate Marquez, chair of the Winterhaven Festival of Lights.

“It’s all in-kind support, approximately $100,000 in police and mostly police services,” Marquez said. “With that volume of people coming in, we have to shut down parts of Fort Lowell Road every night for two weeks straight, as well as some other intersections, with a pretty hefty need for just safety in general.”

“We’re going to have to raise some money,” she said. “We’ll have to really turn to the community for support and maybe make some decisions for the festival long term. … We know we’re not the only ones exposed to all these budget cuts that are coming down the line.”

Winterhaven has no admission charge and accepts donations to support the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. This year, organizers set a goal to raise $60,000, doubling what the festival typically raises each year.

“They let us know about the federal cuts they’ve had to face and knowing they’re coming up on higher need during the holidays,” Marquez said. “We decided to try to double the cash donations.”

According to the food bank, one dollar can help provide about three meals through purchasing partnerships with farms and distributors. While the festival still accepts canned goods, Marquez said this year’s message emphasizes the greater impact of monetary donations.

Sponsorships and business donations are also critical to offset infrastructure and safety costs as the festival continues to grow.

“We really need cash sponsorships from businesses, large or small, to help pay for the rising cost of infrastructure,” Marquez said. “With over 200,000 people in the middle of a residential area, it takes a lot of partners to make this run smoothly.”

“After 75 years, it’s become a tradition in people’s homes for generations,” she added. “Everyone here in Winterhaven feels like it’s a gift that the residents give, and if people want to keep it going free, just like we do, please be willing to contribute and help so we can make this tradition last another 75 years.”