When it comes to living in metro Phoenix, there's no shortage of fun things to do and festivals to attend once the weather finally begins to drop below the triple digits.
And what's better than an arts festival in the lovely Arizona fall weather? A free arts festival in the beautiful fall weather, of course. Yes, you can go and enjoy a free arts festival and support local artists and establishments while you do it. It's a win, win situation.
Here are a few of the amazing arts festivals you can attend across metro Phoenix this fall for free.
Ballet Arizona's Ballet Under the Stars
Ballet Arizona's annual "Ballet Under the Stars" free event runs from Sept. 24-Oct. 3 for 2026 and audiences across the Valley will be able to enjoy free public performances from Ballet Arizona.
This year's performances
will feature excerpts from both classical and contemporary ballets including "Romeo & Juliet," "Concerto Six Twenty-Two (first movement) and "Don Quixote." This year's schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, Sept. 24: Fountain Park, 12925 N. Saguaro Blvd., Fountain Hills.
- Friday, Sept. 25: Estrella Lakeside Amphitheater, 10300 Estrella Parkway, Goodyear.
- Saturday, Sept. 26: Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix.
- Thursday, Oct. 1: Sahuaro Ranch Historic Park, 9802 N. 59th Ave., Glendale.
- Friday, Oct. 2: Tumbleweed Park, 2250 S. McQueen Road, Chandler.
- Saturday, Oct. 3: Centennial Plaza Park, 9875 N. 85th Ave., Peoria.
Details: 7 p.m., various locations. Free. balletaz.org.
Scottsdale Quarter's Fall Concert Series
Scottsdale Quarter's annual Fall Concert Series returns Sept. 26 for seven weeks of free live music in The Quad where guests can bring blankets and chairs to find a spot on the lawn for an evening of music in the heart of the Scottsdale Quarter. This year's schedule is as follows:
- Sept. 26: The PiPES (rock).
- Oct. 3: Sandra Bassett (jazz/R&B/blues).
- Oct. 10: Dirty Yachtin' Scoundrels (yacht rock).
- Oct. 17: Desert Dixie Band (country rock).
- Oct. 24: Rock Lobster (80s pop/rock).
- Oct. 31: Chad Freeman & Redline (country).
- Nov. 7: Thatgirlband (rock).
Details: 5-7 p.m., Saturdays Sept. 26-Nov. 7. The Quad at Scottsdale Quarter, 15191 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale. Free. scottsdalequarter.com.
Chandler Center for the Arts' Concert Truck
Chandler Center for the Arts' unique experience "The Concert Truck" is rolling through multiple cities Oct. 7-11 to bring free live music to the community. Led by acclaimed pianist and Concert Truck co-founder Susan Zhang, The Concert Truck is a "musical Transformer on wheels".
It's a 16-foot box truck that opens up to become a fully equipped mobile concert hall complete with a grand piano, lights and a sound system. Zhang will be joined by violinist Alena Hove for a series of pop-up performances at various locations throughout Chandler. The schedule is as follows:
- Friday, Oct. 9: Chandler Nature Center, 4050 E. Chandler Heights Road. 6-7 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 10: Downtown Chandler Farmers Market at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 3 S. Arizona Ave. 9-11 a.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 11: Chandler Museum, 300 S. Chandler Village Drive. 3-4 p.m.
Details: Various times, Oct. 9-11. Various locations. Free. chandlercenter.org.
Canal Convergence at the Scottsdale Waterfront
Scottsdale Arts' 15th annual Canal Convergence is returning to the Scottsdale Waterfront with a totally Arizona theme: "Western Nature." This free, 10-night display features large-scale public art created by artists from all over the world along with live music, dance performances, educational tours and more.
Details: Nov. 6-15. Scottsdale Waterfront, 7135 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Free. scottsdalearts.org.
Meredith G. White covers entertainment, art and culture for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. She writes the latest news about video games, television and best things to do in metro Phoenix.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 4 fun and completely free fall arts events happening in metro Phoenix
