Phoenix Events Calendar: Late October Through the 2026 Holidays

Happy Wednesday, neighbors. The season is shifting fast: the State Fair is on its final swing, Halloween is right around the corner, and the Valley is about to turn into one long holiday celebration from Thanksgiving straight through New Year’s. I have verified every date, venue, and ticket link below from official sources so you and your family can plan with confidence. I want to be your Realtor for Life, and part of that is helping you enjoy the community you call home, not just the house.

Previously Listed: October 21 through 25 (These Events Have Passed)

The events originally listed in this section have come and gone: the final State Fair concerts, Billy Moore Days in Avondale, the Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival at Salt River Fields, the Peoria Halloween Monster Bash, the MIKIZTLI Dia de los Muertos festival, and last weekend’s big concerts all wrapped up the weekend of October 23 through 25. Halloween weekend and Dia de los Muertos on November 1 have now passed as well. For what is happening right now and through the holidays, my November 2026 events calendar is freshly updated and re-verified as of November 4, and the December lineup below remains on the schedule for the weeks ahead.

Halloween and Dia de los Muertos: October 29 through November 1

Downtown Phoenix kicks off the holiday with DTPHX Hallows’ Eve on Thursday, October 29, and Doja Cat brings her tour to Footprint Center the same night.

Halloween weekend in Glendale gets a high-tech twist: the DroneArt Show: Harry Potter lights up the South Lawn at State Farm Stadium on Friday, October 30 at 7:45 p.m., with a second show October 31. About 1,200 synchronized drones recreate iconic moments from the films with a live electric violinist. Tickets are at feverup.com.

Downtown Chandler hosts its annual Halloween Spooktacular on Friday, October 30 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park’s Stage Plaza, with trick-or-treating, a costume parade, trunk-or-treat, crafts, and prizes. It is free. In Scottsdale, the family fun Halloween Bash at OdySea in the Desert runs Saturday, October 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and BOO Arizona at WestWorld of Scottsdale continues through November 1. For more family Halloween picks across both valleys, my Halloween guide has you covered.

The State Fair celebrates Halloween night in style, then closes its 2026 season on Sunday, November 1. That same day is Dia de los Muertos across the Valley: the Phoenix Zoo celebrates from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., included with general admission; the 13th annual Dia de los Muertos Festival at St. Mary’s Basilica (231 N. 3rd St.) runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with mariachi, folklorico, food trucks, and an artisan market; and the 27th annual Chandler Mariachi and Folklorico Festival takes the stage at 4 p.m. at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Tickets are at chandlercenter.org.

November: Festivals, Football, and Live Music

November opens with one of downtown Phoenix’s favorite free traditions. First Fridays Art Walk, run by Artlink, returns Friday, November 6 from 6 to 10 p.m. along Roosevelt Row and beyond, with 70-plus galleries, vendors, live music, and food trucks. See artlinkphx.org/firstfridays.

Canal Convergence, Scottsdale Arts’ free outdoor art festival along the Scottsdale Waterfront, runs November 6 through 15, with glowing installations free to enjoy every night, weather permitting. The Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships bring the horses and tailgates to WestWorld of Scottsdale on Saturday, November 7, with general admission starting around $45 at thepoloparty.com. Runners can take on the Phoenix 10K and Half Marathon on Sunday, November 8; register at phoenix10k.com.

The headline act of the month is the Hondo Rodeo Fest at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix, November 13 through 15. Each night pairs a full pro rodeo with a major concert: Friday, November 13 features Tim McGraw and Miranda Lambert; Saturday, November 14 brings Blake Shelton and Turnpike Troubadours; and Sunday, November 15 closes with Parker McCollum. Tickets are at thehondorodeofest.com/phoenix.

Football fills our weekends too. The Sun Devils host two home games at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe: Saturday, November 7 against Colorado (Salute to Service and Family Weekend) and Saturday, November 21 against Oklahoma State. The Cardinals host the Rams on Sunday, November 15 and the Commanders on Sunday, November 29 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. Tickets are on thesundevils.com and azcardinals.com. And the Suns keep the home court busy: home games on November 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 15, and 27 at Footprint Center, including the Dallas Mavericks in NBA Cup group play on the 27th.

The concert calendar stays stacked through the month: Dan + Shay at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre on November 5, Cristian Castro on November 6 and the 90s Corridos Tour with Lupillo Rivera on November 7 at Desert Diamond Arena, Usher at Footprint Center November 23 and 24, Jonas Brothers at Desert Diamond Arena on November 27, and The Neighbourhood at Footprint Center on November 30. The Phoenix Symphony’s Music of the Knights, celebrating Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John, and Paul McCartney, plays Symphony Hall November 13 through 15.

Over in the West Valley, the Wigwam Holiday Festival of Arts at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park runs November 20 through 22, and Desert Lights at Desert Farm Lights (14629 W. Peoria Ave.) opens November 20 for the season with millions of lights, an ice rink, and train and carriage rides. Tickets at desertfarmlights.com.

Thanksgiving Weekend: The Valley Lights Up

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26 this year, and the weekend after brings the lights on across the Valley:

• ZooLights at the Phoenix Zoo opens November 25 and runs nightly through January 15, 2027, from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., with millions of lights and holiday activities. Tickets at phoenixzoo.org.
• Glendale Glitters begins its 33rd year in Historic Downtown Glendale on Friday, November 27 with the official lighting ceremony at Murphy Park at 5:45 p.m., then glows through January 1, 2027. Details at visitdowntownglendale.com.
• Merry Main Street in downtown Mesa kicks off Friday, November 27 from 5 to 10 p.m. with the lighting of the city’s 40-foot tree, an ice rink, and holiday fun. See mesaaz.gov.
• Las Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden returns Friday, November 27 for 26 nights of glowing luminarias among the cacti, running into early January. Tickets at dbg.org.
• Christmas at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek opens November 27 and runs Thursdays through Sundays through December 27, 5 to 10 p.m. Tickets at schnepfchristmas.com.
• Holiday Lights at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale runs November 27 through December 30, nightly 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., with train and carousel rides through the lights. See therailroadpark.com.
• Christmas at the Princess at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is already open and runs through January 2, 2027. Tickets at christmasattheprincess.com.

The East and West Valley light up their own way. Tempe’s Fantasy of Lights celebrates Saturday, November 28 from 4 to 8 p.m. with the street parade and tree lighting at Centerpoint on Mill, and the boat parade on Tempe Town Lake follows December 12. Cotton Fest on 4th brings a holiday street fair to Downtown Buckeye on Saturday, November 28 from 3 to 8 p.m., and the city’s walk-through holiday lights display stays lit through January 1, 2027.

December: Parades, Nutcrackers, and New Year’s Eve

The first weekend of December is the busiest of the season. Avondale’s WinterFest is Saturday, December 5 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Avondale Civic Center (11465 W. Civic Center Dr.) with Santa, the tree lighting, and the premiere of the city’s holiday light show, plus the Avondazzle light display running December 6 through January 1. The Surprise Party returns to Surprise Community Park on Friday and Saturday, December 4 and 5, from 5 to 9 p.m., with live entertainment, fireworks, a foam snow party, and Santa, and the Sparkling Surprise light display opens the same weekend. Queen Creek’s Hometown Christmas lights the tree Friday, December 4 and holds the parade Saturday, December 5. Litchfield Park’s tree lighting is Friday, December 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Litchfield Square Park, and Peoria’s Christmas in the Village returns to the Peoria Riverfront Museum the same day.

The 39th annual APS Electric Light Parade rolls down Central Avenue in Phoenix on Saturday, December 5 at 7 p.m., free to watch, and Chandler lights its Tumbleweed Tree the same evening with the Parade of Lights down Arizona Avenue starting at 6:45 p.m. Music fans have Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Footprint Center on Sunday, December 6, and the Phoenix Symphony’s Holiday Pops plays Symphony Hall December 4 through 6. The Hot Chocolate Run is Sunday, December 6, and Peoria keeps the season rolling with the Mele Kalikimaka Market on December 5 and Candy Cane Lane at the Peoria Sports Complex on December 11 and 12.

Mid-month is made for the arts. Ballet Arizona’s Nutcracker, with the Phoenix Symphony playing live, runs December 11 through 27 at Symphony Hall, and Phoenix Ballet presents its own Nutcracker at Arizona Financial Theatre December 12 through 20. Christmas in the Park fills Litchfield Square Park with 60-plus vendors on Saturday, December 12 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Phoenix Marathon returns the same morning at 7 a.m.; register at phxmarathon.com. Buckeye’s Glow on Monroe lights up Downtown Buckeye on Saturday, December 12 from 6 to 9 p.m., with the holiday parade at 6:30, and the Litchfield Park Holiday Light Parade rides Wigwam Boulevard on Saturday, December 19 at 6 p.m.

Then the big finish: the Fiesta Bowl returns to State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Wednesday, December 30 at 5:30 p.m. as a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, one of the biggest games of the year in our own backyard, and the Phoenix Symphony’s New Year’s Eve Celebration rings in 2027 on December 31. My holiday calendar has even more November and December picks across both valleys.

A Quick Word on the Market

I have been a full-time Realtor here since 2002, and I have watched our market move through every season you can name. What I see today is balance and opportunity: more inventory, more time to tour, and more room to negotiate than buyers have had in years. If you have been waiting on the sidelines, this is a genuinely good time to start your search. And one gentle reminder: if you are eyeing a new construction home, please contact me before you visit a builder on your own. I have resources that can help you get the best deal possible on a new build, and a five-minute call can save you thousands.

I am always available to answer your questions, from "Can I really buy with less than $1,500 out of pocket?" to "What happens to my loan if my credit score is not perfect?" Call or text me at (623) 640-8840 or reach out online. I want you to have a smooth process and experience from start to finish. That is what it means to be Your Realtor for Life. Have a wonderful fall week, enjoy everything this beautiful Valley has to offer, and talk to you soon!