On Saturday, November 14, the Peoria Sports Complex at 16101 N. 83rd Ave. hosts two things on the same day. The Sweet to the Soul Market sets up at 9 a.m. with Arizona vendors and food trucks. At 6 p.m. the gates open again for the Arizona Fall League Championship.
Count what's left on the complex's community events calendar from this Thursday, November 12, on. Three Fall League games remain: two semifinals on Friday the 13th and the championship on the 14th. After the championship come five community events with six calendar dates between them, running through Thanksgiving morning, two December weekends, and a six-day race that starts December 28 and runs into 2027.
Each of those events has its own way in. Some sell tickets, one only takes online registration, one is already sold out, and one mostly needs volunteers.
The whole lineup, sorted by how you get in
| Date | Event | Hours | How you get in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Sweet to the Soul Market | 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | Ticket or confirmation code through Eventeny |
| Thu., Nov. 26 | Thanksgiving Day Classic | Starts 7:30 a.m. | Online registration only |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | 3rd Annual Whoville PJ Party | 9 a.m.–noon | Sold out |
| Fri.–Sat., Dec. 11–12 | Candy Cane Lane | 4–10 p.m. | $5 ticket, free parking |
| Sun., Dec. 20 | A Day of Giving | 7 a.m.–3 p.m. | See the organizer's page |
| Dec. 28–Jan. 3 | Across the Years | Starts 9 a.m. daily | Register to run, or volunteer |
The gates get stricter as the holidays get closer. You can still get a ticket for the mid-November market. By December 5 there are no more spots.
Thanksgiving morning has rules you'll want to know early
The Arizona Road Racers Thanksgiving Day Classic starts and ends at the complex on Thursday, November 26. There are three distances. The 10-mile starts at 7:30 a.m., the 5K at 8:15, and the 1-mile fun run at 8:30.
The rule that catches families off guard is that registration is online only, through RunSignUp. The organizer says there are no paper registrations on race day. If a cousin flying in for the holiday decides over Wednesday dinner that she wants to run, the sign-up happens on a phone, not at a table by the start line.
Price is the second thing to know. The lower club rates ended November 1. The race's RunSignUp page now lists $60 for the 10-mile, $40 for the 5K, and $30 for the 1-mile. Adult 5K and 10-mile entries come with a long-sleeve technical shirt, and so does every 1-mile entry. A shirt for a youth entry costs $20 extra, and the organizer suggests registering early so your size is still available.
The rest of the morning runs on a tight schedule.
- Packet pickup, three chances. Saturday, November 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Runner's Den, 6505 N. 16th Street. Wednesday, November 25, from noon to 6 p.m. at the complex. Or race morning from 6:30 to 7:45 a.m.
- A 10 a.m. course cutoff. That works out to a 15-minute-mile pace for the 10-miler. Anyone who finishes after 10 a.m. can't win an age-group award.
- Strollers welcome, at the back. Strollers and baby joggers have to start behind the pack.
- Pies instead of trophies. The top three in each 5K and 10-mile age group win a pie. The 5K age groups start at 10 and under and go up to 80+. The awards ceremony starts around 9 a.m., and any pies left over go to runners who stayed for the whole ceremony without winning one.
The race also helps local causes. Part of the proceeds goes to the Peoria Diamond Club, which gives grants to local charities including Special Olympics Arizona, and Arizona Road Racers says it has donated more than $72,000 to these efforts so far. Unwrapped toys for the Peoria Toy Drive can be dropped off at any packet pickup or on race morning.
By December 5, one event is already full
The 3rd Annual Whoville PJ Party is on Saturday, December 5. Its organizer lists the hours as 9 a.m. to noon and says it is sold out. As the post goes live, the earliest December event on the complex calendar is already closed to new guests, more than three weeks before the date. The next event gives you two nights to choose from.
Candy Cane Lane runs two nights, and the second one is also downtown's big night
Candy Cane Lane is back for 2026 on Friday and Saturday, December 11 and 12, from 4 to 10 p.m. both nights. The complex's event listing says admission is $5, kids 2 and under get in free, and parking is free. It lists 150+ shopping vendors, food trucks, Santa photos, Dinosaur Land, snow and bubble play, bounce houses, axe throwing, a bar, cookie decorating, a craft corner, and photos with princesses. Some activities cost extra, and the listing also includes a toy drive.
This isn't a first-year event. The Peoria Independent covered Candy Cane Lane at the complex in December 2024.
The date matters for a Peoria household. Saturday, December 12 is also the night of the downtown Peoria Holiday Festival, so two of the city's biggest holiday crowds gather on the same evening at opposite ends of 83rd Avenue. With two nights to pick from, Friday the 11th keeps the Saturday free for downtown. The $5 ticket and free parking make it easy to treat Friday as its own outing.
December 20 hands the complex over to a giveaway
A Day of Giving is on the complex calendar for Sunday, December 20, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The organizer, Purposeful Giving Alliance, describes "A Day of Giving in Peoria" as a holiday celebration for families with gifts and meals, and it lists volunteer opportunities.
Last year's event shows what to expect. In December 2025 the City of Peoria described the event as a free holiday event with gifts for children and teens, food boxes, and activities. That was the 2025 format, and the organizer's page has the 2026 details. Neighbors with a free Sunday morning can help by signing up to volunteer.
The year ends with runners still going around the stadium
Across the Years, run by Aravaipa Running, goes from December 28, 2026 through January 3, 2027. Aravaipa calls it the original fixed-time multi-day running event celebrating the New Year. Races range from 6 hours up to 6 days, alongside 200-mile, 100-mile, 100K, and marathon distances and a Last Person Standing event. Aravaipa announced the complex as the race's new home in 2024.
The course is one loop of about 1.42 miles, or 2.27 kilometers. It winds around the practice fields, past the main stadium, and through nearby parking areas. Runners can be on it for days, and Aravaipa recommends gaiters for the unpaved sections. New races start at 9 a.m. each morning through January 2. The Last Person Standing race starts at noon on New Year's Eve, so some runners will be circling the stadium as 2026 turns into 2027.
You can get involved without running. Aravaipa keeps ten guest bibs near the timing tent so a runner's family and friends can join them for a lap. The organizer is also recruiting volunteers, and volunteers earn Aravaipa race credits and race swag. Quiet hours run from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. every night, so the race stays quiet overnight.
Putting the six weeks on one calendar
Because every event has a different way in, plan the season in order of deadlines rather than dates.
- This weekend: Get your Sweet to the Soul Market ticket for Saturday the 14th. The AFL Championship that evening is the last baseball at the complex until spring.
- Before Thanksgiving week: Register for the Thanksgiving Day Classic on RunSignUp and choose a packet pickup. Saturday the 21st at Runner's Den and Wednesday the 25th at the complex both keep race morning simpler.
- Early December: Choose your Candy Cane Lane night. Friday the 11th keeps Saturday free for the downtown festival.
- Mid-December: Look at Purposeful Giving Alliance's page for December 20 volunteer shifts and Aravaipa's volunteer sign-up for the stretch between Christmas and New Year's.
Plenty of us around here only know the complex from spring training and fall ball. If you'd like to talk about which parts of Peoria are a quick drive or walk to 83rd Avenue and Bell, or what it's like to live near a stadium that stays busy all year, I'm happy to help. Call Robert Today for a Free Home Market Consultation with Robert Tolnai.
