Festivals & Fairs in Arizona – Spring 2025

Springtime in Arizona means festival season is in full swing. From medieval faires to county fairs and cultural festivals, there’s no shortage of lively events for all ages. Mark your calendars for these major festivals and fairs happening in March, April, and May 2025:

Arizona Renaissance Festival (Feb 1 – Mar 30 2025)

• When & Where: Weekends from early February through March at the 50-acre Village of Fairhaven in Gold Canyon, AZ​. Open Saturdays & Sundays, 10am–6pm.
• What to Expect: A sprawling 16th-century medieval faire with costumed characters, jousting tournaments, endless entertainment on 16 stages, artisan shops, and feasts of hearty food. Each weekend has a special theme (Pirates, Vikings, etc.) adding new excitement​.
• Highlights: Don’t miss the jousting matches, comedy shows, and medieval rides. The Pirates Invasion & Brew Fest weekend (March 1–2, 2025) invites everyone to dress like pirates and even features a craft beer tasting garden for adults​. Later in the season, Viking Invasion Weekend (March 22–23, 2025) brings Viking costume contests and living history demos (blacksmiths, open-fire cooking, etc.) for an authentic Norse takeover​. Every themed weekend adds unique shows and activities, so there’s always something new each visit.

The Arizona Ren Fest is a beloved annual tradition, combining a Renaissance fair, circus, and arts & crafts market into one. You’ll encounter merrymakers at every turn – knights, jesters, pirates, princesses – as you wander through a faux-historic village bursting with music and laughter. Indulge in giant roasted turkey legs, frothy ales, and sweet mead as you cheer on jousters or sing along with bawdy tavern tunes. Families love the interactive fun: kids can go on a festival-wide treasure hunt, meet mermaids in the Kid’s Cove, and learn ye olde skills like archery. It’s truly an immersive trip back in time, so “eat, drink and be merry” at one of Arizona’s biggest fairs​!

Chandler Ostrich Festival (March 14–16 & 21–23, 2025)

• When & Where: Two big weekends – March 14–16 and March 21–23, 2025 – at Tumbleweed Park in Chandler, AZ​. Gates typically open midday Friday and early morning on weekends.
• What to Expect: A family-friendly festival featuring carnival rides, live music from national headliners, delicious fair food, and of course, ostriches! This annual event celebrates Chandler’s quirky history with ostrich ranching.
• Highlights: Ostrich races are a must-see – watch jockeys ride the big birds in hilarious sprinting contests. There are also petting zoos, animal exhibits, and ostrich-themed merchandise. Big-name bands and artists perform each night on the main stage (previous years have featured pop, country, and rock acts)​. Fireworks often cap off the festivities on Saturday. It’s a rare chance to see an ostrich up close and enjoy a classic fair atmosphere over two weekends of fun.

The Ostrich Festival is an Arizona classic that blends a state-fair vibe with a unique local twist. You can spend the day spinning on thrill rides or trying your luck at midway games, then sample treats like fry bread, kettle corn, and yes, ostrich burgers. Kids will love the carnival midway and meet-and-greets with animals (beyond ostriches, there may be pony rides or exotic creatures on display). In the evenings, the main stage comes alive with concerts – so you might ride a Ferris wheel by day and rock out to live music by night. The event has grown so popular that it now spans two weekends, drawing tens of thousands of attendees. Get there early to avoid traffic, and bring sunscreen for daytime fun (March weather is lovely but sunny). Whether you’re there for the music, the rides, or the ostrich antics, this festival promises a “biggest bird” bonanza you won’t forget!

County Fairs – Maricopa & Pima County Fairs (April 2025)

• Maricopa County Fair (Phoenix): April 4–13, 2025 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds​ (open Thursdays–Sundays). This is the largest county fair in the Phoenix area, with the biggest carnival in Arizona​. Expect thrilling rides, fried food galore, 4-H livestock exhibits, live music, and family entertainment. Highlights: nightly concerts (often free with admission), demolition derby and monster truck shows, and countless competitions from baking to animal showmanship. It’s an old-fashioned fair fun for the whole family.
• Pima County Fair (Tucson): April 17–27, 2025 at the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson​. Southern Arizona’s biggest fair, drawing huge crowds for its concerts and carnival. Highlights: A huge midway of rides and games, dozens of food vendors (try local favorites like Sonoran hot dogs), livestock barns, and a concert series on the Budweiser Main Stage​. Past years have featured popular rock and country acts. Don’t miss the vendor expo halls showcasing gadgets, crafts, and local products, or the adorable pygmy goat and pig races that kids love.

Nothing says spring in Arizona like a trip to the county fair. Stroll the midway with a cotton candy in hand as you hear shrieks from the giant spinning rides above. By day, check out 4-H animals (prized cattle, goats, chickens, and more) and prize-winning pies and jams in the exhibit halls. As the sun sets, neon lights flash on the carnival rides — maybe you’ll dare to ride the towering Ferris wheel or the spinning Starship. Fair food is its own attraction: indulge in funnel cakes piled with toppings, giant turkey legs, fry bread tacos, and novel treats like deep-fried Oreos. On weekends, stick around for the headline concerts under the stars (entry usually included with fair admission) – rock bands, country stars, and tribute acts keep the party going. With games, petting zoos, magicians, and more, both the Maricopa and Pima fairs serve up that nostalgic fairground magic that brings out the kid in everyone.

Tempe Festival of the Arts (March 7–9, 2025)

• When & Where: March 7–9, 2025 (Friday through Sunday) in Downtown Tempe along Mill Avenue​. Open 10am–5:30pm Fri/Sat and until 4:30pm Sun​.
• What to Expect: One of the top art fairs in the nation, this juried arts festival features over 250 artists selling paintings, sculptures, jewelry, ceramics, and more​. The streets of Tempe turn into an open-air gallery and craft market. Live music and street performers entertain visitors, and there are hands-on art activities for kids.
• Highlights: Check out Artists’ booths displaying everything from fine art to quirky handmade crafts – you might find that perfect painting or a unique piece of jewelry. Don’t miss the chalk art on the pavement and community art project areas where you can contribute creatively. There’s also a local food court and beer/wine gardens, making it easy to spend all day browsing and snacking. Best of all, admission is free for the whole family.

This spring arts festival has been a beloved tradition for over 50 years​. It consistently ranks among the top arts and craft shows in the U.S., and you’ll see why when you wander the booths: artists come from across Arizona and beyond, eager to chat about their work. The atmosphere is relaxed and festive – acoustic musicians strumming guitars on street corners, the smell of kettle corn and roasted nuts in the air, downtown’s shops and eateries buzzing with activity. If you have kids, stop by the Kids Block where young artists can create their own masterpieces. And if you’re an art aficionado, bring a tote bag – you’re likely to leave with a few new treasures. The Tempe Festival of the Arts is the perfect outing on a sunny March day, celebrating creativity in the heart of the city.

More Spring 2025 Festivals to Note

• Tucson Festival of Books (March 15–16, 2025): A massive book fair on University of Arizona campus in Tucson​. Hundreds of authors, panel discussions, book signings, and family literacy activities make this one of the largest book festivals in the country. If you’re a bookworm, it’s a must-visit – and it’s free to attend on the beautiful UA Mall.
• Arizona Aloha Festival (Mid-March 2025, Tempe Beach Park): Celebrate Hawaiian and Polynesian culture with a weekend of ohana (family) fun. Enjoy island food (poke bowls, shave ice), live hula and Tahitian dance performances, and shops selling Polynesian crafts. This free festival brings the spirit of Aloha to the desert with continuous music and dance on multiple stages. Don’t miss the drum performances and the spontaneous hula lessons!
• Country Thunder Arizona (April 10–13, 2025): Arizona’s biggest country music festival returns to Canyon Moon Ranch in Florence​. Headliners include country superstars Keith Urban, HARDY, Riley Green, and Bailey Zimmerman​. Thousands of fans camp out for four days of live country music, tailgating, and partying under the stars. From up-and-coming artists in the afternoon to chart-topping headliners each night, it’s a boot-stomping good time. (Tickets required; camping passes sold separately.)
• Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market (April 25–27, 2025): A huge pop-up vintage shopping market at WestWorld of Scottsdale that has grown into a semiannual phenomenon. Since 2011, it’s attracted over 100,000 shoppers hunting for antique furniture, retro décor, clothing, and handmade artisan goods​. Dozens of vendors fill the pavilion with curated treasures – imagine an Etsy marketplace come to life. Live music and food trucks add to the fun. If you love thrifting or farmhouse-style finds, this is your paradise (early bird tickets available for preview night).

Arizona’s spring calendar is packed with fairs and festivals beyond this list – from small-town events to cultural celebrations. Whether you’re clinking glasses at a craft brew fest, browsing a farmers’ market pop-up, or dancing at a music festival, you’re sure to find an event that suits your interests each weekend. 

Tip: Spring weather is gorgeous, but festivals can get crowded, so buy tickets in advance when possible and consider using public transit or ride-shares to big events to avoid parking hassles. Now get out there and enjoy Arizona’s spring festivities!

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140th Annual Arizona State Fair – Rides, Food & Fun

Arizona State Fair – Rides, Food & Fun at the 140th Annual Fair

Fall is on the horizon, and in Arizona that means it’s State Fair time! The 2024 Arizona State Fair is celebrating its 140th year, bringing weeks of fun to Phoenix this autumn. If you love thrilling rides, indulgent fair foods, live music, and family-friendly entertainment, mark your calendar for this iconic event in September 2024.

When & Where: Fair Dates and Location

When: The Arizona State Fair runs from September 20 through October 27, 2024, open Thursdays through Sundays each week. (The fair is closed Monday–Wednesday.) That gives you multiple weekends to choose from to get your fair fix. Gates typically open around noon on weekdays (a bit earlier on weekends) and the fun goes until about 11 p.m. or later, so you have plenty of hours to play.

Where: The fair takes place at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in central Phoenix (1826 W. McDowell Rd, near 19th Ave). It’s the same site as always, easily accessible from I-17. Parking is available in fairground lots for a fee (usually cashless, so have a card), and there are also nearby private lots. On busy days, consider the park-and-ride or a rideshare to avoid parking hassle.

What to Expect: Classic Fair Attractions

The State Fair is a sensory overload in the best way possible. Here are the highlights you won’t want to miss:

• Thrilling Rides: With over 60 rides on the midway, there’s something for every level of thrill-seeker. Adrenaline junkies can spin and flip on extreme attractions like the Insanity or plunge from the sky on the Sky Diver drop tower. Prefer a tamer thrill? Take a relaxing whirl on the classic Ferris wheel (one of three Ferris wheels at the fair this year!) or let the kiddos hop on the carousel and Wacky Worm coaster in Kiddie Land. For one price, unlimited ride wristbands are usually offered during certain hours/days (such as on Thursdays) – a great deal if you plan on hopping from ride to ride.
• Fair Food: Diets, abandon hope all ye who enter here! The fair is famous for its over-the-top food indulgences. Stroll the food row and you’ll smell roasted turkey legs, sizzling frybread, and sweet cotton candy on the breeze. Must-tries include: giant turkey legs (smoked and delicious), funnel cakes loaded with toppings (do you want powdered sugar, strawberries and whipped cream, or maybe chocolate sauce and nuts?), and the ever-popular fried Oreos (warm, gooey, and surprisingly delightful). Each year brings new wacky creations too – perhaps Flamin’ Hot Cheetos elote (corn), unicorn cotton candy burritos, or donut cheeseburgers. Our advice: go with a group and share items so you can sample a little of everything. And wash it down with a fresh-squeezed lemonade or a cold prickly pear iced tea for that Arizona twist.
• Games & Midway Fun: Can you throw a ring on a bottle or pop enough balloons with darts to win a prize? The carnival games are a fair staple – challenging but addicting! Test your skills and maybe, just maybe, you’ll take home a giant plush Pikachu or stuffed giraffe. It’s all about fun, so set a budget for games and enjoy the playful competition. If you have little ones, many game booths offer smaller prizes for participation, so everyone walks away happy. Beyond games, the midway also has side shows and vendors – perhaps try your hand at the ladder climb or gawk at the world’s smallest horse (yes, those quirky attractions still exist!).
• Live Music & Shows: One of the best parts of the fair is the concert series at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Major musical acts spanning rock, country, pop, and Latin genres perform on select nights – and general admission seating is free with your fair ticket! (There’s usually an option to buy reserved floor seats if you want to be closer.) The 2024 lineup hasn’t been fully announced yet, but past fairs have seen acts like Trace Adkins, Gin Blossoms, and Ramon Ayala, so expect some crowd-pleasers. Besides concerts, entertainment is everywhere: the outdoor Coca-Cola stage features local bands and dance troupes daily; roving performers like stilt walkers or breakdancers might surprise you; and classic attractions like the demolition derby, rodeo nights, or a hypnotist show add to the fun (check the daily schedule so you don’t miss your favorite kind of mayhem).
• Exhibits & Animals: A trip to the fair isn’t complete without checking out the exhibit halls and livestock barn. Marvel at the blue-ribbon winners in categories like baking, photography, painting, quilting, and Lego building – you’ll see everything from elaborate homemade wedding cakes to the state’s biggest pumpkins proudly on display. In the livestock barn, you can meet farm animals up close: prize dairy cows, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, even llamas and rabbits. The 4-H kids are often there tending to their animals and happy to answer questions. Kids can also enjoy pony rides or the petting zoo (usually set up outside the barn) with friendly goats and sheep. It’s a great way to remind us city folk about Arizona’s agricultural roots. And don’t miss fun extras like the hatching chicks exhibit or the bee observation hive in the agriculture hall – educational and adorable!

Tips for a Great State Fair Outing

• Plan Ahead for Deals: Check the State Fair’s website or social media for promotions. Common deals include $3 Thursdays (where admission or select foods/rides are $3), or free admission days for certain groups (like educators or military) or with certain donations (bring canned food on a specific day, for example). If you’re taking the whole family, these deals can add up to big savings. Also, consider buying admission online in advance to skip the ticket booth line – plus some online bundles include a ride wristband at a discount.
• Best Times to Go: Weekends are busiest, especially evenings when the concerts and date nights swell the crowd. If you can swing a weekday evening or a Friday afternoon visit, you’ll find shorter lines for rides and food. Alternatively, go early on a weekend day (right at opening); enjoy a few hours of fun, then maybe take a break in mid-afternoon when it’s hottest and most crowded, and come back in the evening for the lights and concerts. Remember, your handstamp or ticket usually allows same-day re-entry if you need to step out.
• Dress & Gear: Wear comfortable shoes – you’ll be walking and standing a lot on asphalt, dirt, and grass. September/October nights can be warm in Phoenix, but bring a light jacket or hoodie if you stay late, as it can get breezy. A small backpack or tote is handy to carry essentials: water bottle (you can refill at fountains), hand sanitizer, sunscreen (if you go daytime), and maybe a picnic blanket if you plan to relax on the lawn by the stage. Pack some cash too; while many vendors take cards, some smaller ones (or game booths) might be cash-only.
• Family Considerations: If you’ve got kids, locate the Kid Zone when you arrive – they usually have a map/brochure at the gate. There you’ll find the kiddie rides and often a family services tent where lost and found or nursing stations are. Write your phone number on a small card and tuck it in your child’s pocket (or use a safety tattoo) in case you get separated in the crowd. Strollers are welcome, but navigating peak times can be tough with one – try to visit the barn and exhibits (where a stroller is easier to maneuver) earlier, and perhaps use a carrier for little ones during crowded evening midways. The fair is loud and stimulating, so plan some breaks – the indoor exhibit halls can be a nice, air-conditioned cooldown period for overstimulated kids (and adults!).

The Arizona State Fair comes just once a year, bringing together people from all over the state for a celebration of community, culture, and fun. Whether you’re there to scream on a carnival ride, devour a plate of deep-fried goodies, sing along at a concert, or see a prize-winning pig, the fair offers a little something for everyone.

So throw on your favorite fair-going outfit, grab your friends or family, and head to the fairgrounds this September. We’ll be roaming the midway (likely with cotton candy in hand) and soaking up every moment – and you can bet we’ll share our adventures. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for a peek at our State Fair fun (and all the crazy foods we try) and tag us in your own fair photos! Here’s to 140 years of tradition – see you under the neon lights of the midway!