What’s new in Scottsdale this week?
The free Scottsdale Fall Festival returns to the Scottsdale Civic Center on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 5 to 9 p.m. This year the city says it expanded the event space and added an extra hour, and the lineup includes trick-or-treating, carnival games, food trucks, a cocktail garden, and a live band and DJ.
By Dr. Kevin Shufford | October 4, 2026
Mark your calendar, because this one is only thirteen days out. The City of Scottsdale lists the 2026 Fall Festival as a free event on Saturday, October 17, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Scottsdale Civic Center, and Scottsdale Arts confirms the October 17 date and the 5 p.m. start. The Visit Phoenix October calendar lists it too.
What’s new this year
The headline change is room to roam. Organizers say they have expanded the event space and added an extra hour of fun compared to previous years. Last year’s festival ran 5 to 8 p.m., so you now get a full four hours instead of three, according to the City of Scottsdale’s 2025 announcement.
The city’s 2026 listing highlights a live band and DJ, local food trucks, a cocktail garden, trick-or-treating, carnival games, hands-on arts and crafts, and booths from City of Scottsdale departments. Costumes are encouraged.
Tips for going
Admission is free, so the budget is whatever you spend on food trucks and drinks. Arrive early if you have little ones, since trick-or-treating and the carnival games tend to be the first lines to fill. The festival is at the Civic Center, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd., right in the walkable heart of Old Town, so plan to park once and wander.
If you want to make it a double, the same Civic Center hosts the free Scottsdale Día de los Muertos Fiestas a week later on October 24. Details can shift, so check the city page before you head out.
Why locals keep coming back
Free, close to home, and built for neighbors is a hard combination to beat. Events like this are one more reason Scottsdale keeps drawing buyers. If you’re curious what it’s like to live near all of this, that’s my world, and you can work with me here.
Sources: City of Scottsdale event page, Scottsdale Arts, Visit Phoenix.
Dr. Kevin Shufford holds a PhD in Communication and is a professor who teaches how to have healthy relationships, skills he brings to his real estate practice. As a licensed real estate agent and mortgage loan officer serving the Phoenix metro and Southern California, Kevin operates as The Property Professor under Real Broker and One Real Mortgage. Work with Kevin at thepropertyprofessor.blog or call 480-725-4658.
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