Top Things to Do in Phoenix This Fall
Fall is when Phoenix comes back to life. The heat eases, patios reopen, and the trails become a pleasure again rather than an endurance test. Whether you are planning a weekend in the Valley or you live here and want to make the most of the season, here are ten of the best things to do in Phoenix this fall — from desert trails to art walks to a dinner worth booking ahead.
1. Hike Camelback Mountain before the crowds
Camelback is the signature Phoenix hike, and fall is the right time to take it on. Echo Canyon is the steeper, more technical route, with real scrambling near the top; Cholla Trail is longer and a little gentler. Either way, start early, bring more water than you think you need, and expect a full view of the Valley from the summit. If a summit push is more than you are after, Piestewa Peak and the trails at Papago Park offer the same desert light with far less scrambling, and Papago puts you beside the Hole in the Rock, one of the easiest sunset spots in the city.
2. Spend an evening at the Desert Botanical Garden
The garden in Papago Park is at its best once the evenings cool. The Sonoran Desert collection reads differently at golden hour, and the garden runs seasonal evening programming through the cooler months. Check the calendar before you go, as the popular evening events tend to sell out well in advance.
3. Walk Roosevelt Row on First Friday
Downtown’s arts district opens its galleries, studios, and street vendors on the first Friday of each month—one of the largest self-guided art walks in the country. Fall weather makes the walking genuinely pleasant. Park once, wander, and plan on a few hours.
4. Wander Old Town Scottsdale
Ten minutes east of the Camelback Corridor, Old Town Scottsdale is compact, walkable, and made for a fall afternoon: galleries, the Thursday-evening ArtWalk, boutiques, and the Scottsdale Waterfront. It pairs naturally with dinner back in Phoenix, which brings us to the next one.
5. Book a proper fall dinner at Tarbell’s
Fall is the season Phoenix kitchens wait for. At Tarbell’s on Camelback Road, Chef Mark Tarbell has cooked New American food in this neighborhood since 1994, and the menu follows what Arizona actually offers this time of year. The clearest expression of the season right now is the Confit Lobster Mushroom with popcorn polenta, crispy parsnip, and bacon jam—the mushrooms a short-season item from the high country north of Phoenix, around Flagstaff. If you would prefer something with a story behind it, Mark’s Famous Meatball, with pappardelle and organic tomato marinara, came out of some eighteen months of days off spent recreating a New Hampshire grocer’s recipe from memory.
Book your fall table, or see what is on the menu now.
6. Catch the Arizona State Fair
The state fair runs through the fall at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, with rides, livestock barns, concerts, and fair food in full measure. Go on a weekday evening if you would rather avoid the crowds.
7. Shop a Valley farmers market
Fall is peak season for local produce, and the Valley’s markets are worth a Saturday morning. The Uptown Farmers Market in Phoenix and the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market both run through the cooler months, with citrus, dates, local honey, and produce from Arizona growers, many of the same growers whose work turns up on our plates, something we write about in how we source.
8. Take a day trip to Sedona or Tucson
Patio season is much of the reason Phoenix looks forward to fall. The wine side of Tarbell’s is built for it: The Wine Store is a retail shop and tasting spot where you can pick up a bottle or find out what is open, and the Sprinkle Joy Wine Club will keep good bottles coming all season. Ask for a fall red and let the team make the call.
9. Sit on a patio with something local
Fall through early spring is when the Valley does its entertaining, and the calendar fills fast. If you are planning a birthday, a work dinner, or a holiday gathering, private dining and catering at Tarbell’s covers groupfalls of most sizes, and booking early in the season gets you the dates you actually want.
10. Plan a fall gathering while the weather holds
Fall through early spring is when the Valley does most of its entertaining, and the calendar fills quickly. For a birthday, a work dinner, or a holiday gathering, private dining and catering at Tarbell’s accommodates most group sizes—and booking early in the season secures the dates you actually want.
Make Tarbell’s part of your fall
Whatever your version of a Phoenix fall looks like, there is a seat for you somewhere in the family.
Tarbell’s on Camelback Road is the main room, open Monday through Saturday 5pm to 10pm and Sunday 5pm to 9pm, ten minutes from Old Town Scottsdale and built for a proper dinner.
Reserve a table or see the menu.
The Tavern, next door at 3209 E Camelback, is the easier, more casual option when you want good food without making an evening of it.
The Wine Store is where to go when the plan is a bottle on a patio rather than a table — pick something up, taste what is open, or join the Sprinkle Joy Wine Club and let us choose for you
Private dining and catering handles the fall and holiday gatherings, from a work dinner to a family celebration. The December calendar fills by October, so earlier is better.
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More than thirty years on the same block in Phoenix, and fall is still the best time to be here.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to visit Phoenix?
October through April. Fall brings daytime highs in the 70s and 80s, which makes hiking, patios, and outdoor events comfortable.
What are the best things to do in Phoenix besides hiking?
Plenty. Roosevelt Row’s First Friday art walk, the Desert Botanical Garden, the Arizona State Fair, farmers markets, Old Town Scottsdale, and the Valley’s restaurant scene all hit their stride in fall.
How far is Scottsdale from Phoenix?
Old Town Scottsdale is roughly ten minutes from the Camelback Corridor in Phoenix, so you can easily do an afternoon in one and dinner in the other.
Where should I eat in Phoenix in the fall?
Look for kitchens that actually change with the season. Tarbell’s on Camelback Road builds around what Arizona is harvesting, including Flagstaff lobster mushrooms while they are in season.
