Our board.
Our strength lies in our individuality. Our board has been curated by local community members who donate their time weekly to meet and plan our two epic yearly events.
Morgan Vanderwall
PR/MARKETING/SOCIAL CHAIR
MORGAN@LIGHTUPAHWATUKEE.ORG
Kimberly Bolton
MARKETPLACE/FOOD/RAFFLE CHAIR
KIMBERLY@LIGHTUPAHWATUKEE.ORG
The beginning.
The tradition of stringing millions of lights along Chandler Boulevard in Ahwatukee began in 1986 as a way for home builder, Del Webb to promote the Foothills to potential buyers to the community. Once all the housing and land was purchased, Del Webb discontinued the promotional festive-season lighting along the medians.
Three women, residents of Ahwatukee, felt that the lights were a beautiful landmark and should be present each festive season. In 1995, this group of volunteers got the party started again when they established the Festival of Lights as a 501C3 charity to implement substantial community events to raise money and fund the annual lighting. The one million lights throughtout the medians of the Foothills has become an Ahwatukee tradition ever since. A substantial network of energetic and dedicated volunteers has sustained the effort every year since then.
The now.
As of August 2023, the Festival of Lights Association officially changed our name to better fit our organization. As of August 2023, the Festival of Lights is now newly named, Light Up Ahwatukee.
Light Up Ahwatukee is a 501c3 Non-Profit. Our board consists of a small group of volunteers organized around our community. Our goal is to capture the momentum we had before the pandemic to accelerate our evolution of Ahwatukee as the vibrant, welcoming community we have always been known for. Weaving our surrounding neighborhoods into a seamless unit, raising awareness and money for local charities, and supporting local businesses, sponsors, community leaders, volunteers, and individuals who live in Ahwatukee by providing epic events for all to enjoy.
