Ultimate guide to fall in Scottsdale
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We survived summer. Now comes a glorious stretch of patio dinners, desert hikes and packed weekends.
Why it matters: It sure feels like fall this week — even if we're not totally done with the 90s yet — so make the most of it.
Here's a list of events I marked on my calendar for October.
🥕 Shop the fall harvest: The Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market returns 8am–1pm Saturday at the new location: 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd.
🎃 Pick a pumpkin, Scottsdale-style: MacDonald's Ranch opens its annual pumpkin patch Saturday. Expect a hay-bale maze, petting zoo, gold panning, pedal cars, yard games and plenty of Western-themed photo ops.
🥾 Take a hike: Pick a cool morning and head for the McDowell Sonoran Preserve or the 90-minute Sunset Desert Hike, which returns to Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West for the weekends starting Saturday.
- Bonus points for finishing with patio brunch, like The Vig at McDowell Mountain or OHSO Brewery + Distillery in North Scottsdale.
👻 Costume up at Civic Center: Scottsdale's free Fall Festival is Oct. 17, with trick-or-treating, carnival games, live music, food trucks and a cocktail garden.
🎬 Go see a "uniquely Scottsdale" rom-com: "Underneath the Glittery Moon" premieres Oct. 15 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, followed by a cast and crew reception.
🎈 Trick-or-treat from a hot air balloon: The Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival returns Oct. 23-25 to Salt River Fields, with glowing balloons serving as trick-or-treat stations.
🎨 Paint the desert: An abstract watercolor workshop Oct. 24 inspired by Sonoran Desert shapes, plus a brief Taliesin West tour.
🌵 Eat the desert: The free Prickly Pear Festival at the Holland Center in Cave Creek on Oct. 31 has prickly pear foods, juicing demos, mesquite-flour demonstrations and a guided desert walk.