Annual Events in Phoenix: A Month-by-Month Calendar

At a glance

• Where: Venues across the City of Phoenix, from Roosevelt Row and Heard Museum to Papago Park
• Busiest season: Winter and early spring, roughly November through April
• Quietest stretch: High summer: few annual events, so plan around the heat
• Dates: We give the usual month only; confirm exact dates and prices on each official site

The big annual events in Phoenix cluster from November through April, when the weather is kind: ZooLights and Las Noches de las Luminarias light up the winter, Devour Culinary Classic and Arizona Matsuri arrive in February, and the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market takes over Central Avenue in early March. This calendar lists ten recurring events held inside the City of Phoenix, each with its usual month and its official site.

We give the usual month, not this year's dates. Organizers move days around, so check the linked official site before you plan. For more happenings beyond the annual ones, see our Phoenix events page and the this-weekend list.

How we chose

We started from a researched list of Phoenix's headline events and confirmed each one against its own official site. An event made the list only if it recurs, happens inside the City of Phoenix, and had an official page we could read. A few famous events failed the location test or the verification test, and we say so near the end rather than pretend. Months with nothing verified are skipped, not padded.

What happens in Phoenix in January?

In January, Phoenix holds the Arizona MLK Celebration, a commemorative march and a festival. The organizer, Arizona MLK, says the celebration is held annually from January 17 to 25.

Arizona MLK Celebration (Downtown Phoenix)

The commemorative march starts at Eastlake Park and the festival is at Margaret T. Hance Park, both in Phoenix. The organizer's office is at 701 S. Central Ave. The march and festival fall on the same day, so you can do both in one outing. Details and the schedule are on azmlk.org.

What happens in Phoenix in February?

February is the first big month, with two ticketed and free festivals in Phoenix: Devour Culinary Classic and Arizona Matsuri, both usually held in the last days of the month.

Devour Culinary Classic (Papago Park)

Devour Culinary Classic is a two-day food and drink festival at Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. The organizer says it has run since 2008. It is 21 and over, and if you want both days you need a ticket or package for each. The paid early-entry package gets you in before the general crowd, and the price changes by year, so read the official page before you buy. Details at devourgoodfood.com.

Arizona Matsuri (Steele Indian School Park)

Arizona Matsuri, the Japanese festival, is held at Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Rd, Phoenix, and admission is free for everyone. A common mistake is sending people to Heritage Square: the official site lists Steele Indian School Park as the home. The organization dates to 1984. See azmatsuri.org.

What happens in Phoenix in March?

March means the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, held at the Heard Museum, 2301 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, usually on a weekend in early March.

Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market (Central Avenue)

The fair has more than 600 juried Native artists selling their own work, a Best of Show competition, a Youth Art Show & Sale, performances, food vendors and a Family Fun Zone. Children under 12 get in free on Sunday. Typical hours are Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with early entry for members on Saturday. Ticket prices are posted each year on heard.org/fair.

Our tip: buy from the artist when you can, and ask about the piece. Juried means a panel chose the work, so you are talking to the maker, not a reseller.

What happens in Phoenix in April?

April brings the Phoenix Film Festival, run by the nonprofit Phoenix Film Foundation, usually in the middle of the month.

Phoenix Film Festival (north Phoenix)

The Phoenix Film Festival has screened at Harkins Scottsdale 101, 7000 E. Mayo Blvd in north Phoenix, a theater that carries a Scottsdale name but has a Phoenix address. The schedule typically runs across more than one week and mixes features and shorts. Check phoenixfilmfestival.com for the lineup and passes.

What happens in Phoenix in June?

June is the month for Phoenix Fan Fusion, a pop-culture convention held at the Phoenix Convention Center in downtown Phoenix.

Phoenix Fan Fusion (Downtown Phoenix)

The organizer lists Phoenix Fan Fusion for early June at the Phoenix Convention Center, with celebrity panels in the convention center's ballrooms. It is one of the few reasons to be indoors downtown in the heat on purpose. Plan around the downtown Phoenix light rail and parking, and see phoenixfanfusion.com.

What happens in Phoenix in November?

November starts with the Veterans Day parade in central Phoenix and ends with the first nights of the winter light shows.

Phoenix Veterans Day Parade (Central Phoenix)

The Phoenix Veterans Day Parade, organized by Honoring America's Veterans, steps off in central Phoenix at 11 a.m. on Veterans Day, November 11, and usually wraps up around 1 p.m. The organizer notes the parade began in 1997. The route has changed between years, so read the current route at honoringamericasveterans.org before you pick a spot.

What happens in Phoenix from late November through January?

Two winter light events at neighboring Papago Park addresses run from late November into the new year: ZooLights and Las Noches de las Luminarias. Both sit on N. Galvin Parkway, so you can see them as a pair on separate nights.

Phoenix Zoo ZooLights (Papago Park)

ZooLights is held at the Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. The zoo calls it a timeless tradition. It usually starts in late November and runs to mid-January, in the evening from about 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Ticket prices are set each season, with a lower rate for zoo members. See phoenixzoo.org/zoolights.

Las Noches de las Luminarias (Desert Botanical Garden)

Las Noches de las Luminarias is a ticketed evening event at Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. It runs on select nights from late November into early January, typically 5 to 9:30 p.m. Because it is only on select nights, check the calendar first at dbg.org/luminarias. The Garden is in Papago Park, and winter evenings are the cool, pleasant side of Phoenix.

Is there anything every month?

Yes: First Friday A.R.T.S. Market and Art Walk, held on the first Friday of every month on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix.

First Friday A.R.T.S. Market and Art Walk (Roosevelt Row)

The organizers report up to 150 vendors and more than 20,000 visitors a month, with pop-up galleries, food vendors and live music. Hours and details live on rooseveltrow.org and the organizers' social pages. Read about the neighborhood on our Roosevelt Row page. It is the one item on this calendar you can still catch if you miss everything else.

Which famous annual events are not in Phoenix?

Three events people associate with Phoenix are held outside the city limits, and we list them here so you know where to drive.

• WM Phoenix Open is a PGA TOUR golf tournament held in February at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale. The tournament's own site lists only an office address in Phoenix. See wmphoenixopen.com.
• Cactus League Spring Training runs February through March, with 15 Major League Baseball teams at ten ballparks across the Valley. Only one ballpark, American Family Fields of Phoenix, home of the Brewers, is in Phoenix proper. The rest are in Glendale, Goodyear, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale, Surprise and Tempe. See cactusleague.com.
• Fiesta Bowl is a college football game played around New Year's in Glendale. The game's own parade, the Phoenix Children's Fiesta Bowl Parade, does run in Phoenix: a 1.5-mile march along Central Avenue in central Phoenix, usually on a morning in early January. See the parade page for the route map.

If you are planning around heat, our Phoenix weather guide explains why this whole calendar leans toward winter.

The Phoenix event year at a glance

1. January: Arizona MLK Celebration, march and festival
2. February: Devour Culinary Classic and Arizona Matsuri, both usually late month
3. March: Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, early March
4. April: Phoenix Film Festival
5. June: Phoenix Fan Fusion
6. November: Veterans Day parade on November 11
7. Late November to January: ZooLights and Las Noches de las Luminarias
8. Every month: First Friday on Roosevelt Row

Book early for February and March, when hotels and restaurants fill with golf, baseball and festival visitors.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest annual events in Phoenix?

The best-known recurring events are the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament in February, Cactus League Spring Training in February and March, the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market in March, ZooLights in winter and the Fiesta Bowl around New Year's. The golf tournament, most spring training ballparks and the Fiesta Bowl game are held outside the City of Phoenix, in Scottsdale, Glendale and other Valley cities.

What is the best time of year for events in Phoenix?

November through April has the most annual events in Phoenix, and it is also the mild-weather season. Summer has far fewer, so plan indoor options such as Phoenix Fan Fusion in June.

When is the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market?

The fair is usually held on a weekend in early March at the Heard Museum, 2301 N. Central Ave, Phoenix. It features more than 600 juried Native artists, and children under 12 get in free on Sunday. Confirm exact dates and ticket prices at heard.org/fair.

When does ZooLights start at the Phoenix Zoo?

ZooLights usually begins in late November and runs into mid-January, in the evening at the Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Parkway. Check phoenixzoo.org/zoolights for the current season and ticket prices.

Is there a monthly event in Phoenix?

Yes. First Friday A.R.T.S. Market and Art Walk happens on the first Friday of each month on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix, with pop-up galleries, food vendors and live music.

Is the WM Phoenix Open in Phoenix?

No. The WM Phoenix Open is played in February at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, not in the City of Phoenix. The tournament's official site is wmphoenixopen.com.