Fall in Southern Arizona brings cooler days and a packed calendar of festivals celebrating the region’s food, art, music, culture, and history. From Tucson’s cultural celebrations to small-town traditions in Bisbee, Patagonia, and Tombstone, these fall festivals offer plenty of reasons to explore Southern Arizona throughout the season.
Sept. 24: Moonlight Vines: A Celestial Jazz & Wine Experience
Tucson
The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa pairs wine, jazz, and stargazing during Moonlight Vines: A Celestial Jazz & Wine Experience. Set against the Santa Catalina Mountains, the elegant evening invites guests to enjoy curated wines and chef-prepared sweet and savory bites while listening to live jazz. As the sun sets, the focus turns to Southern Arizona’s night sky with guided stargazing, adding an astronomy component to the resort’s outdoor culinary experience. The event is part of The Westin La Paloma’s seasonal lineup of experience-driven programming that highlights the region’s food, landscape, and dark skies. Moonlight Vines runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and is open exclusively to guests ages 21 and older. Reservations are required and can be made in advance through OpenTable.Cost: $40 per person; ages 21 and older.Reservations:www.opentable.com.
Oct. 2 to Nov. 28, Select Dates: Jazz Under the Stars
Tucson
Oct. 8 to Oct. 11: Bisbee Plein Air Festival
Bisbee
Oct. 8 to Oct. 11: Graham County Fair
Safford
The Graham County Fair celebrates its 100th anniversary with four days of carnival rides, games, entertainment, 4-H exhibits, food vendors, and community traditions at the Graham County Fairgrounds. This year’s centennial celebration will also highlight counties from across Arizona, showcasing points of interest and attractions throughout the state. One of the weekend’s signature traditions, the Graham County Fair Parade, steps off at 10 a.m. on Friday along Main Street in Safford with colorful floats, marching bands, and decorated vehicles. Fair hours are Thursday, 6 to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 1 to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Carnival-goers can purchase individual ride tickets or unlimited-ride wristbands, which are valid during designated hours each day. Friday also features a special Kiddies Day wristband available on-site.Cost: Carnival ride tickets start at $1. Unlimited-ride wristbands are $27 in advance or $30 on-site; Friday Kiddies Day wristbands are $15 on-site.Tickets:fraziershows.com.
Oct. 9 to Oct. 11: Tucson Film Festival
Tucson
The Tucson Film Festival rings in its 22nd year with three days of independent cinema, filmmaker conversations, and live performances in Downtown Tucson. The annual fall festival in Southern Arizona showcases independent and music-related films, with a particular focus on projects and filmmakers connected to the state and the desert Southwest. Programming includes Arizona premiere screenings, giving audiences opportunities to discover new films while hearing directly from the people who made them. Select screenings are followed by in-depth Q&As with filmmakers, actors, and other talent, while rare live musical performances add another dimension to the weekend. The festival runs Friday, from 5 to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 10 p.m. Individual screening schedules, participating filmmakers, and other programming vary throughout the three-day event.Cost: Tickets start at $10.Tickets:www.tucsonfilmfestival.net.
Oct. 10 and Oct. 11: Patagonia Fall Festival
Patagonia
Oct. 16 to Oct. 18: Helldorado Days
Tombstone
Oct. 17: Bisbee 1000 The Great Stair Climb
Bisbee
Runners and walkers take on more than 1,000 steps through the hills of Old Bisbee during the 35th-annual Bisbee 1000 The Great Stair Climb. The challenging 4.5-mile course connects nine historic staircases with winding roadways and includes approximately 1,175 feet of total elevation gain and loss. Participants can race for time or approach the event as a fitness walk while taking in views of Bisbee’s historic neighborhoods, colorful homes, and surrounding landscape. The stairways trace routes once used as mule paths during the community’s copper-mining era, with many later constructed by the Works Progress Administration. The chip-timed event begins at 9 a.m., followed by food and beverages, a costume contest, and an awards ceremony at Higgins Hill Park. Finishers receive a commemorative medallion.Cost: $154.05 per adult; $45.58 per child, for ages 7 to 17.Registration: www.bisbee1000.org.
Oct. 17 to Oct. 19: Tucson Meet Yourself
Tucson
Oct. 23 to Oct. 25: Tucson Celtic Festival & Scottish Highland Games
Tucson…