PHOENIX — The weekend is here! Check out these fun events happening around the Valley on March 7-9.
Friday, March 7
When: 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Where: Downtown Phoenix
Cost: Free Admission
First Friday is one of the nation's largest, self-guided art walks on the first Friday of every month from 6 to 10 p.m. Tour more than 70 galleries, venues and art-related spaces throughout the Roosevelt Row and Grand Avenue arts districts.

Free First Friday Night at Children’s Museum of Phoenix
When: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Where: Children’s Museum of Phoenix
Cost: Free admission
Join Children's Museum of Phoenix on the first Friday of each month when they open to the public free of charge.

When: 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix
Cost: Free admission/pay as you wish
The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix is happy to continue to support the arts and our local community on First Fridays with free admission/pay as you wish admission each month. We welcome guests in on the first Friday of each month. Just beside Roosevelt Row, in the heart of Downtown Phoenix, the natural oasis welcomes you to enjoy a tranquil stroll through the living art and transport yourself to Japan. No registration is required. Please come to the gate any time from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

First Friday at Phoenix Art Museum
When: 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Where: Phoenix Art Museum
Cost: Free admission/voluntary donations
PhxArt First Fridays are officially back! Join us for free general admission to the Museum which includes access to in-gallery sketching, live music, unique books and resources at the library pop-up, delicious food and drinks from local vendors, and docent-led art tours.

When: Friday - Sunday
Where: ASU Gammage
Cost: Tickets start at $150
WICKED, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”

When: Friday - Saturday
Where: Steele Indian School Park
Cost: Tickets start at $110
The M3F Festival, formerly the McDowell Mountain Music Festival, returns this Friday and Saturday at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix. As a nonprofit event, M3F donates 100% of its proceeds to charity, contributing $2 million since 2022 and raising a total of $5.2 million since its launch in 2004. Featuring three stages, the festival showcases a diverse lineup spanning EDM, indie, pop, and R&B. This year's headliners include LCD Soundsystem, Justice, Sylvan Esso, Alvvays, and more!
Rodeo Scottsdale / Parada del Sol Rodeo
When: Friday - Sunday
Where: WestWorld of Scottsdale
Cost: Tickets start at $35 | $10 for kids 12 and under
Yeehaw! Get ready for the 72nd Annual Rodeo Scottsdale this weekend! Also known as the Parada del Sol Rodeo, the action kicks off at WestWorld of Scottsdale with rodeo performances at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Get your tickets early!

When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Arizona Financial Theatre
Cost: Tickets start around $80

Spring Fling: Made with Love Market
When: Friday - Sunday | 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Where: Gilbert Civic Center
Cost: Free Admission
The Made with Love Market’s Spring Fling kicks off Friday through Sunday at the Gilbert Civic Center. This free event features 100+ local vendors, food trucks, free spring activities, raffles, Easter egg hunts, photo ops, and more.

Saturday, March 8
Spring Swing: Merchantile Market
When: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Where: Scottsdale Civic Center
Cost: Free
Immerse yourself in a bustling atmosphere with 150+ vendors, engage in hands-on make and take experiences, sip on your favorite beer or cocktail while you groove to live music, eat delicious food, and let the kids in your life partake in our free activities tailored especially for them!
When: 6 p.m.
Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe
Cost: Tickets start at $5
Arizona State will host No. 9 Texas Tech in the last home game of the regular season.
Gabriel Iglesias Don't Worry Be Fluffy Tour
When: 8 p.m.
Where: Phoenix Arena
Cost: Tickets start at $60
Gabriel Iglesias is performing his ‘Don't Worry Be Fluffy’ comedy tour at Phoenix Arena on Saturday night at 8 p.m.

- Richard Shotwell/Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Sunday, March 9
2025 March NASCAR Weekend: Shriners Children’s 500
When: Friday - Sunday | NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
Where: Phoenix Raceway
Cost: Tickets start at $50 | $11 for children 17 and under
Join us as the stars of NASCAR battle it out for 500 miles at Phoenix Raceway! Experience the thrill of the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday with races and events happening all weekend long.

When: Saturday - Sunday
Where: Arizona Renaissance Festival 12601 East US Highway 60, Gold Canyon, AZ
Cost: Tickets start at $36
Time travel to the greatest party since Camelot! Take a stroll through the colorful Village of Fairhaven where history comes alive with non-stop, day-long, immersive and interactive entertainment like no place else! Shop an abundance of arts and crafts in the village open-air artisan market with games and rides, valiant jousting knights on horseback, majestic falconry, beautiful mermaids and fairies, friendly dragons, delicious feasting, and so much more.

When: Friday - Sunday
Where: Symphony Hall, Phoenix
Cost: Tickets start at $80
Shen Yun is a brilliant artistic revival and celebration of China’s rich cultural heritage. But after decades of communist rule, much of this divinely inspired culture has been lost. Now, ancient legends and timeless virtues come alive on stage, preserving the essence of a civilization that has endured for millennia. With every performance, Shen Yun conveys the extraordinary depth and breadth of genuine Chinese culture, bringing the magnificence of 5,000 years of civilization vividly back to life.
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