Once the temperatures drop below 95 degrees in Phoenix, the events and festivals move right in.
Between August and November, there are more than 70 food and drink, music, art and family festivals happening throughout the Valley whether you live in the East Valley or West Valley.
From mac & cheese to bacon and beer, Lost Lake Festival and Oktoberfest, there is a lot of eating, drinking and singing (in whatever order you choose) to be had. Scroll down to check out our list of fun!
Did we miss one? Send an email to Josh.Frigerio@abc15.com and let him know.
AUGUST
25-27 Hell City Tattoo Festival - A tattoo convention and competition with education seminars mixed in.
SEPTEMBER
1-4 | Saboten Con - A four-day convention for anime and manga enthusiasts at the Phoenix Sheraton in downtown Phoenix. There will be panels and cosplay demos.
2 | Wickenburg’s Fiesta de Septiembre - The festival celebrates the start of Hispanic Heritage Month with mariachi, folkorico, music, arts and crafts, and salsa and guacamole contests.
2 | Phoenix Cooks - An inclusive food and drink showcase with unlimited samples of food, wine, beer and spirits from the Valley’s top chefs and restaurants. The event benefits Special Olympics Arizona.
8 | The Good, The Bad and The Weird - A kick-off festival for Mesa Art Center's 2017-2018 season. Event includes the opening of five art exhibitions at Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, live music performances, a custom car show, and a film screening.
9 |Teddy Bear Day - An annual event that brings Teddy Bears to downtown Glendale. From 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., people can display their bear collections, make crafts and buy a bear to donate to local first responders and emergency rooms.
9 | Children’s Learning & Play Festival - A free children’s festival at WestWorld of Scottsdale with games and activities for kids and authors and speakers focused on S.T.E.M. ideas.
15-24 | Arizona Restaurant Week - Restaurants throughout the state offer special three-course dinners for $33 or $44 per person.
15-17 | Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market - Dozens of vendors set up shop in Scottsdale and showcase their vintage and vintage-inspired goods.
16 | Rockin’ Taco Street Fest - A food festival in downtown Chandler. Local food vendors will serve tacos and salsas. There will also be a salsa competition and taco eating competition.
16 | Messy Fest - A family-friendly festival where the goal is to make a mess. There will be a mud pit, life-sized finger painting, and mashed potato tug-of-war.
22-23 | Old World Oktoberfest - Peoria’s Oktoberfest event with German music, food and competitions.
23 | Brazilian Day Festival - The 8th annual Brazilian Day Festival is celebrating 100 years of Samba in 2017. There will be Samba, Afro, and Coco dance performances, traditional Brazilian food and workshops.
23 | Queen Creek Founders’ Day Festival - The annual festival celebrates the founding of Queen Creek with pig races, inflatables, and a cornhole tournament between MCSO and Queen Creek Fire.
23 | Global Dance Festival - Relentless Beats’ 18+ dance festival at Rawhide Western Town with Flosstradamus, Showtek, Yellow Claw, Gareth Emery, Slander and SNBRN.
29-Oct 1 | A Taste of Greece Greek Food Festival - An annual festival put on by Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church in Chandler. There will be Greek food, dancing and music.
30 | Roosevelt Row Chile Pepper Festival - A chile pepper-inspired food, music and dance festival in downtown Phoenix. The event benefits Roosevelt Row CDC.
30 |Summer End Margarita & Mojito Festival - Sip and sample margaritas, mojitos and craft cocktails at Rawhide Western Town. The festival benefits Calling All Angels Foundation.
30 | SanTan Brewing Oktoberfest - Local brewery, SanTan Brewing, will host its 10th annual Oktoberfest event. There will be lederhosen, dirndls, live music, beer, a brat-eating contest and polka.
30 | Mariachi and Folklorico Festival - September is Hispanic Heritage Month. Local mariachi and folkorico troupes will perform at Chandler Center for the Arts.
30 | Somos Peoria - A food and music festival with Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys.
30-Oct. 1 | Garlic Fest - Queen Creek Olive Mill sells the garlic it has grown along with garlic-infused products in its market like garlic olives, barbecue sauce or olive oil.
OCTOBER
1-Nov. 5 | Tolmachoff Farms Corn Maze & Pumpkin Days - Venture through the Glendale farm’s six-acre corn maze or the “mini” maze for the tiny tots; you can buy a pumpkin and play at the petting zoo. At night, there is the haunted corn maze.
6 | Rocker & Farms' Fall Festival - The Buckeye farm opens with a pumpkin patch, sunflower garden, petting zoo, crop maze and hayrides.
2-Nov. 4 | Vertuccio Farms Corn Maze & Fall Festival - Family-owned farm in Mesa with a 7-acre corn maze, giant jump pad, mini zip line and other kids activities. Of course, pumpkins are also for sale.
5-19 | Schnepf Farms Pumpkin & Chili Party - The family-owned Queen Creek’s annual fall festival includes a 10-acre corn maze, petting zoo, bakery, pig races and more than a dozen kids activities.
5-7 | Phoenix Fashion Week - Designers from the Southwest, including Arizona, will showcase their clothing lines down the runway during this three-day event.
6-29 | Arizona State Fair - You know the fair is in town when the air smells like deep-fried goodness...and giant turkey legs. Besides carnival rides and games, Snoop Dogg, Billy Currington and Halestorm are among the artists set to perform at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Related: View full list of performers coming to the Arizona State Fair
6 - Nov. 10 | Music in the Desert Botanical Garden - throughout the fall, bands and singers will perform at the Desert Botanical Garden.
7 | Arizona Mac and Cheese Fest - In its inaugural year, some 30 chefs and local restaurants will showcase their mac-and-cheese inspired dishes that attendees can purchase sample tickets to taste and try.
7 | Tempe Tour de Fat - New Belgium Brewery’s annual bike, beer and food festival returns to Tempe Beach Park. Michael Franti and Spearhead are scheduled to attend Tempe’s event.
7 | Bacon and Beer Classic - Can you really say no to bacon...or beer? Foodies will be able to try more than 25 bacon-infused dishes and 50 craft beers at Scottsdale Stadium.
7 | Uncorked Wine Festival - Making a return to Phoenix, wine lovers will be able to sample 100 wines from around the world. Food trucks, lawn games and music will be at Civic Space Park in downtown Phoenix. The event benefits Downtown Phoenix Inc.
7 | Oktoberfest Buckeye - There will be a carnival at Bayless Park, a classic car show at Buckeye City Hall, and live music and sangria at 6th Street Plaza.
8-9 | Chandler Indian Art Market - Native American artworks and food will be on display and for sale at A.J. Chandler Park.
13-15 | Phoenix Greek Festival - In its 57th year, the festival celebrates Greek culture with traditional food and dance, and a Greek market.
13-14 | Queen Creek Vintage & Vino - More than 100 vendors will sell vintage items and repurposed furniture at Queen Creek’s Horseshoe Park & Equestrian Center.
13-15 |Four Peak’s Tempe Oktoberfest - A three-day German festival at Tempe Town Lake with music, food, and beer. The event supports Tempe Sister Cities, and Tempe’s sister city, Regensburg, Germany.
14-15 | Arizona Taco Festival - A two-day food festival at Salt River Fields. More than 50 restaurants and food trucks will have $2 tacos for sale. There is also music, Lucha Libre wrestling, eating contests and a kids area.
14 | Wickenburg Fly-in & Classic Car Show - 75 classic automobiles and at least 30 private planes will be on display at Wickenburg’s Municipal Airport.
18-19 | The Taste of Cave Creek - a two-day food festival showcasing Cave Creek restaurants, bars and musicians.
20-22 | Lost Lake Festival - The inaugural three-day music and food festival at Steele Indian School Park from Superfly. Chance the Rapper, The Killers, Major Lazer and Odesza are scheduled to attend.
RELATED: View full list of artists coming to Phoenix's inaugural Lost Lake Festival
20 | Cooks & Corks - A high-end, all-inclusive food and drink event featuring food and wine pairings by local chefs and restaurants. The event benefits the Scottsdale League for the Arts.
20-22 | Maricopa Home & Garden Show - A convention with home-improvement vendors, speakers and demos.
21 | Goodyear Fall Festival - Goodyear’s annual fall festival at Goodyear Ballpark with a pumpkin patch, rock wall, inflatables, trick-or-treating and costume contest.
21-22 | Rainbows Festival - A street art fair at Phoenix’s Heritage Square that celebrates Phoenix’s LGBTQ community.
21-22 | Autumnfest Arts & Crafts Fair - Anthem’s annual fall festival and carnival with rides, pumpkins, inflatables, hayrides and art vendors.
27 | Chandler Halloween Spooktacular - A free Halloween festival in Chandler with themed games, haunted house, costume contest and food.
27-28 | Gilbert Off The Street Art & Music Festival - An inaugural community festival in downtown Gilbert’s Heritage District.
27-28 | Salt River Fields Spooktacular Balloon Festival - See dozens of lighted hot air balloons and visit each for trick-or-treating.
28 | Phoenix Zombie Walk - Thousands of people dressed as zombies walk around downtown Phoenix to benefit the Arizona Hemophilia Association.
28-29 | Dia de Los Muertos Festival at Mesa Arts Center - A free two-day celebration with music and dance performances, altar, and marketplace with jewelry and crafts for sale.
29 | Dia de los Muertos Phoenix Festival - Also known as “Day of the Dead,” it’s a multicultural festival that honors the death through dance, music and traditional customs. In the evening, there is a candlelight procession.
NOVEMBER
1-5 | Cave Creek Wild West Days - one of Cave Creek’s signature Western events with re-enacted gunfights, a parade, sheep-riding (think bull riding) and a pie-eating contest.
2-6 | Scottsdale International Film Festival - Five days of film screenings from award-winning and independent filmmakers, local and international.
3-5 | Carefree Fine Art & Wine Festival - Attendees can taste domestic and imported wines while looking at artworks from more than 160 selected artists.
4 | Queen Creek Bacon, Blues & Brews - A food and music festival with beer, blues music and bacon.
4 |Arizona Fall Fest - Aa local food and art festival that showcases Arizona businesses, restaurants and bars.
4-5 | Dia de Los Muertos celebration at Desert Botanical Garden - Traditional Mexican celebration honoring those who’ve passed with performances, music, a community altar, and an evening procession.
4-5 | AZCentral Food & Wine Experience - a food, drink and wine showcase at Salt River Fields that brings together chefs, mixologists, distilleries and vineyards.
5 | Grand Prix of Scottsdale - A free 1920s themed event with vintage box car races, themed cocktail events and Jazz music.
6 | Desert Gathering Jewish Music Fest - A free Jewish music festival.
9-12 | Gilbert Days Rodeo - Gilbert Days celebrates the city’s heritage and history. The rodeo is part of the celebration.
9-11 | Mesa Music Festival - A free music festival in Mesa showcasing emerging bands and solo artists.
10-11 | Chandler Chuck Wagon Cook-Off - A free Western food festival in Chandler where food is cooked in 1880s chuck wagons. Don’t forget your cowboy hat.
10 | Wickenburg Bluegrass Festival - A weekend music festival with bluegrass bands and fiddlers in Wickenburg.
10-12 | Fountain Hills Festival of Fine Arts and Crafts - More than 500 selected artists will showcase their works in photography, sculpture, jewelry, and painting.
10-12 | Chiles & Chocolate Festival at Desert Botanical Garden - Sample chocolates, sauces and spices from businesses throughout the garden.
11 | Grand Avenue Festival - A unique arts festival along Phoenix’s historic Grand Avenue.
11-12 | Phoenix Fan Fest - A sister convention to Phoenix ComicCon, Fan Fest focuses on comic book characters, creators and collectors.
11-12 | Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championships - Club polo teams from around the world come to Scottsdale to compete for the title.
12 | Arizona Harvest Fest & Open Air Market - A fall themed festival in downtown Chandler with pumpkin-themed activities, seasonal beers and treats, and a market.
12 | West Valley Island Cultural Festival - A multi-cultural festival with dance performances, hula demonstrations, live music and food.
17-18 | Main Street Prototyping Festival - 20 temporary prototypes made by artists, students and designers will be put on display along Mesa's Main Street during this free event.
18 |American Heritage Festival- Actors re-enact colonial American life with battle demonstrations from the American Revolution and Civil War.
18 | Phoenix Pizza Festival - A food festival focused on pizza.
18 | WoofStock 2017 - A free dog-friendly festival in Chandler with dog-themed activities, games and demonstrations.
18 | Gilbert Days Parade - A community parade through downtown Gilbert that celebrates the town’s history.
18-19 | Goldrush Music Festival - A Relentless Beats music festival at Rawhide Western Town.
18-19 | ArtFest of Scottsdale - A two-day fine art festival at Scottsdale’s Civic Center with 175 artists with their work on display and for sale.
22-26 | Arizona International Auto Show - See and step inside the latest models and vehicle concepts from the automakers.
