☕️ Free coffee & all the holiday events 🎄

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Welcome back, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday & weekend.

In this week’s Scoop:

• Sun City Christmas Light contest registration is open 🎄

• December is full of holiday events 🎅

• Free coffee at the new Dunkin’ Donuts ☕️

• And so much more!

COMMUNITY NEWS

~ This holiday season, help Valley View Community Food Bank provide to those in need by making a food donation to the Recreation Centers of Sun City West’s holiday food drive.

The collection period for this year’s holiday food drive runs from Saturday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, Dec. 7. Community members can make donations of non-perishable food items to the following locations:

Monitor stations at each rec centers’ pool/fitness center R.H. Johnson Social Hall Sports Pavilion Palm Ridge Activities Building The Recreation Centers of Sun City West and Valley View Community Food Bank thank everyone that provides a donation this holiday season as every contribution helps to make a difference! (link)

~ Dunkin’ opened a drive-thru location at 14031 W. Grand Ave., northwest of Bell Road, in Surprise over the weekend and is offering limited-time specials.

Visitors can get a free medium hot or iced coffee with any purchase through Jan. 5. (link)

~ Check your lottery tickets. Did you buy a lottery ticket at Safeway at Peoria Ave & The 303? If so, you better check to see if you won over $1 million!! (link)

~ The Sun City HOA is hosting their 2nd Annual Sun City Christmas Lights Contest. Registration for the contest is now open, and ends on December 4th. Learn more about the contest and see all of the rules at the SCHOA website. (link)

~ Maricopa County is seeking input from Sun City & Sun City West residents, to help identify transportation needs and challenges for Sun City and Sun City West. Residents are asked to complete a new survey regarding the future of transportation in the area.

The Sun Cities on the Move project is sponsored by the Maricopa Association of Governments, a regional agency that plans and studies transportation, and conducted in partnership with transit authority Valley Metro and with Maricopa County.

Learn more here or complete the survey.

~ Sun City West’s Holiday Card Drive is back! Residents are invited to help spread cheer to local care-facility residents by writing simple, heartfelt holiday cards. You can join the community card-writing party on Thursday, December 4th, from 10 a.m. to noon at the R.H. Johnson Library, where supplies will be provided, or you can write cards at home.

Completed cards may be dropped off Nov.=ember 17th through noon on November 26th at multiple Rec Centers locations, including the R.H. Johnson, Beardsley, Kuentz, Palm Ridge centers, and the R.H. Johnson Library. Please leave envelopes unsealed and include a short, friendly message inside and a festive greeting on the front. This small gesture goes a long way in brightening the holidays for our neighbors in care facilities. (link)

ARIZONA TRIVIA

Last week’s trivia question was ‘What was the original name of the Central Arizona Project?’

As popular as Fred The Canal was, the correct answer was: Granite Reef

The main canal of the Central Arizona Project was originally called the Granite Reef Aqueduct.

This was the project’s early name during planning and engineering stages, referring to the canal’s path beginning near the Granite Reef Diversion Dam on the Salt River.
When the system was finalized and branded under the broader CAP program, the Granite Reef Aqueduct became known simply as the Central Arizona Project Canal (or CAP Canal).

EVENTS

This Week

[Sun City West] Movie Night at the Stardust Theatre is back! Join them for a showing of THE BEE KEEPER on Tuesday, December 2nd at 6pm. (link)

[Sun City] This week’s movie is ‘REDEEMING LOVE’. Showtimes are Wednesday 12/3 at 2pm & 7pm at the Marinette Rec Center & Saturday 12/6 at 2pm & 7pm at the Mountain View Center

[Sun City] The annual Lighted Boat Parade, in partnership with the Viewpoint Lake Homeowners Association, is a point of pride for RCSC! Come experience the magic of the season on Saturday, December 6, 2025, starting at 4:00 pm at the Lakeview Recreation Center. There will also be an "Ugly Sweater" get together for the event. Be sure to join us! (link)

[Sun City] As part of the Fall Ticketed Mini-Series, STONE SOUL will be held on Wednesday, DECEMBER 3RD, at 6pm at the Sundial Recreation Center. (link)

Stone Soul is an 8-piece horn-blowing, foot-stomping Classic Soul and Motown tribute band that has built a reputation as one of the hardest-working, most entertaining bands you’ll ever see! With their snazzy suits and spot-on renditions of classic hits and pioneering sounds, they’ll have you dancing to “The Jerk”, “The Mashed Potato”, “The Twist” and  swooning to music by Smokey Robinson, Otis Redding and more. You’ll feel like you’ve just been smack dab in the middle of one authentic revue!

[Sun City] St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church is hosting their Holiday Bazaar on December 6th & 7th. (link & map)

Upcoming Events 

The holidays are in full swing, and that means a full line up of fun & exciting holiday themed events are happening all across the Valley.

This link is a curated list of local & valleywide events you may be interested in this holiday season.

[Sun City West] Join Sun City West favorite HiFi Allstars this December for the Christmas Dance on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the Palm Ridge Rec Center! Starting at 6 p.m. dance the night away with friends and other members of the community. Tickets are $20 and available online and at the RHJ Box Office (link)

[Sun City West] Christmas in the Park When the grandkids visit this holiday season, make sure to set aside time for the Rec Centers’ Christmas in the Park! From 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Dec. 13, this annual free event returns to Beardsley Park and features plenty of activities for you and your family to enjoy. (link)

[Sun City] The Handbell Ringers of Sun City, under director Libbie Randels and associate director Michele Southerland, present their holiday concert, “Christmas Is…,” 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at American Lutheran Church, 17200 Del Webb Blvd. (link)

Weekly Events 

[Sun City West] The Sun City West Friday Farmers Market is BACK!!! The market is every Friday from 10am-2pm at the Lord of Life Lutherans Church. (link)

[Sun City] The Sun City Farmers Market is back at the Bell Center, on 99th Ave just south of Bell Road. The market will be held every Thursday from 9am-1pm. (link)

[Sun City] Desert Glow Farmers Markets is hosting their market, from 8am-12pm on Thursdays, at Desert Episcopal Church. (link & map)

[Surprise] Surprise Farmer’s Market, every Sunday from 3-7pm. A weekly market featuring fresh local ingredients, homemade goods, and artisanal crafts from nearby farms and ranches. (link & map)

[Sun City West] The Sun City West Desert Garden Club hosts weekly PLANT SALES from 9:00am to noon each Thursday, except for Christmas. Club members will be on hand during sales to answer questions and offer gardening advice. Visitors are encouraged to tour the adjacent botanical garden during their visit to the greenhouse. The plant sales are open to the public and payments can be made by cash, check, or credit card. Supporting Education and the Community.

Have an event you want listed here? Please reach out!

CLUBS

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Thank you for reading, have a great week!