Scottsdale Events and Festivals
(Scottsdale, Arizona - AZ, USA)
Scottsdale is known for being the 'West's most westerly town' and it is certainly extremely proud of its extensive Western heritage and related festivals.
Each February, the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show proves to be one of the city's biggest annual events, being staged for the first time in the 1950s and now drawing many thousands to the city. Also held at this time of the year and of a similar age is the popular Scottsdale Jaycees Parada del Sol, which boasts the lengthiest horse-drawn procession in existence, anywhere on the planet.
If you are visiting during the extremely sunny and hot month of July, then the Mighty Mud Mania will provide a rather unusual way to cool down, with its mud-wallowing activities taking place at Chaparral Park on North Hayden Road. And once you've finished playing in the mud, rest assured that there is a very simple way to get cleaned up - courtesy of the local firefighters and their hose pipes. When the weather begins to cool down and autumn makes itself known, the Annual Fall Festival ranks amongst the principal things to do, with its pumpkin carving competitions and Halloween-themed ghostly goings-on.
National Public Holidays
- 1st January - New Year's Day
- Third Monday in January - Martin Luther King Day
- 12th February - Lincoln's Birthday
- Third Monday in February - Washington's Birthday
- Last Monday in May - Memorial Day
- 4th July - Independence Day
- First Monday in September - Labor Day
- Second Monday in October - Columbus Day
- 11th November - Veterans Day
- 4th Thursday in November - Thanksgiving
- 25th December - Christmas Day
Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015
January
- Fiesta Bowl - New Year's Day, a huge parade and annual college football game held at the ASU Sun Devil Stadium
- Fit City - late January, held at various venues in downtown Scottsdale, such as the Kiva Center, the Main Street Plaza, the Stagebrush Theater, and the Brown and Main Street Farmer's Market
- Carefree Fine Art and Wine Festival - late January, the streets are closed for traffic and filled with works by almost 200 local artists covering a wide range of styles, along with the state's largest wine tasting event featuring wines from around the world
- Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction and Exposition - late January, one of the world's most prestigious classic car auctions featuring loads of rare and spectacular cars
February
- Scottsdale Jaycees Parada del Sol - early February to early March, first held in 1954 and lasting an entire month, with rodeo-style events, cowboys and cowgirls, and numerous funraising activities
- Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show - late February, the largest show of its kind in the world, showcasing over 2,000 Arabian and half-Arabian horses along with over 300 commercial exhibits and vendors
- Spring ArtFest of 5th Avenue - mid-February, showcasing local art along with live music, kids activities and fashion parades
- Fine Art and Chocolate Festival - early February, showcasing various works of art along with live entertainment and wine and chocolate tasting
- Fishing and Outdoor Expo - late February, a celebration of the great outdoors, with family oriented entertainment and various games / competitions to enjoy
March
- Rodeo of Rodeos - mid March, held at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, one of the largest rodeos of the year
- Scottsdale Arts Festival - mid-March, held at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts and showcasing the work of nationally-recognized artists, along with live entertainment on three stages, kids activities and food stalls
- Wedge Skatepark Competition - located in Eldorado Park. Held since 2001 the competition has for age group skateboarding categories
April
- Scottsdale Culinary Festival - late April, featuring hundreds of wineries, famous chefs and loads of live entertainment
May
- Scottsdale Symphony Orchestra - as the weather heats up, try cooling off and heading to one of the orchestra's acclaimed concerts
June
- Mighty Mud Mania - running since 1976, this Scottsdale highlight attracts more than 7,000 children. Having first started as a promotional event for a cleaning product, the event now offers freshly-dug pits filled with mud where participants can writhe around for fun
July
- Independence Day - July 4th, celebrations throughout Scottsdale and loads of entertainment
August
- No significant festivals in Scottsdale during August
September
- National Public Lands Day Outdoor Recreation Fair - late September, activities include meeting wild animals, ranger-led hikes, workshops and children's activities
- Way Out West Oktoberfest - late September, held in Tempe, this is Oktoberfest with a Western twist, featuring country music, non-stop polka, German food and beer, and plenty of family entertainment
October
- Arizona State Fair - late October, a huge event with all sorts of stalls, attractions, rides and more
- Fall Art Fest of 5th Avenue - late October, set in charming Old Scottsdale, this event showcases over 100 local contemporary artists and their work as well as food, live music and kids activities
- Fall Festival - last Saturday of the month in Eldorado Park, a free event with entertainment, games, a haunted forest, fireworks and even a pumpkin decorating contest
November
- Thieves Market - early November, a long-running event held in downtown Scottsdale and featuring sidewalk sales, local art displays, gourmet food and musicians
- ArtFest of Scottsdale - mid-November, one of the most popular art festivals in the state featuring hundreds of artists works as well as fashion, gourmet food and live music
December
- Las Noches de las Luminarias - held at the Desert Botanical Gardens, with musical performances and volunteers lining the pathways with over 7,000 luminaries
- Fiesta Bowl ArtWalk - late December, showcasing local art in Scottsdale, along with plenty of food stalls