PHOENIX — Pick a pumpkin and enjoy October's exciting activities. From pumpkin patches to food festivals—it's a month packed with fun!
Watch the ABC15 Things To Do monthly special, sponsored by Visit Sonora, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 8 p.m. on your favorite streaming devices, abc15.com, and the ABC15 mobile app!
ABC15's Nicole Gutierrez is helping you make exciting plans for the family with this month's Things To Do roundup!
Check out the fun lineup below:
- Fall fun dates: September 27 – November 2
- Monday – Sunday, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
- Admission includes a Wizard of Oz pumpkin to take home, a hayride, a straw bale maze, animals, and more.
- Cost: $17 per person; Concessions and food for the animals are cash only.
- Address: 1663 E. Baseline Rd., Gilbert
LIST: 2025 pumpkin patches, corn mazes, festivals, and more seasonal fun in Arizona
Tianyu Lights Festival Phoenix
Prepare to be dazzled - the nighttime walkthrough illuminates Camelback Ranch with its larger-than-life lanterns!
- Dates to save: October 24, 2025 - January 4, 2026
- Wednesday to Sunday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Four themed areas: Bugs Aglow, Color of Holidays, Rainforest, and Prehistoric Animals.
- Address: Camelback Ranch [10710 W Camelback Rd., Glendale]
Celebrate the history of Avondale at Billy Moore Days, a four-day festival. Activities include live entertainment, carnival rides, a parade, food vendors, cornhole, and more!
- Dates: October 16–19
- Address: Festival Fields Park [101 E. Lower Buckeye Road, Avondale]
Phoenix Children's Spooktacular Sprint & 5K
Participants can select a care area to fundraise for, with the Hope Fund serving as a recommended option that supports over 170 programs at Phoenix Children’s.
- Date to save: The race is on Saturday, October 25, 2025, with check-in at 7:00 a.m. and the 5K starting at 8:15 a.m.
- You can sign up for the race online to view registration prices. On race day, registration is $45 for adults and $5 for kids.
- Start of the race: Wesley Bolin Plaza [1700 W Washington St, Phoenix]
Honor the memory of those we've lost at this year's Día de Los Muertos Festival in the East Valley. The two-day event will feature performances, a community altar, family-friendly activities, and more.
- Admission is free.
- Dates to save: October 25 & 26
- Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Address: Mesa Arts Center [1 East Main Street]
The two-day event in Scottsdale will feature two stages for musicians to perform, restaurant vendors, merchant vendors, The Street of Wine, and more!
- View general admission and special wine tasting tickets here.
- Dates to save: October 25 & 26
- Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Address: Scottsdale Waterfront - Old Town Scottsdale
‘The Original Phoenix Greek Festival’
OPA! Immerse yourself in Greek culture this month as the 64th annual Valley festival brings three days of food, music, and dancing to the Valley!
- Admission is $5, with children under 12 free every day and seniors over 60 free on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Save the dates: October 10, 11, and 12
- Friday 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Need a weekend filled with beer, bräts, and family fun? Four Peaks Brewing is bringing the German celebration to Tempe!
- View presale and gate admission prices here.
- Save the dates: The festival runs from October 10-12
- Friday 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.
- Saturday 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.
- Sunday 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Address: Tempe Town Lake [550 E Tempe Town Lake]. View the event map here.
Waddle into some fun this fall with the family, the penguin party at OdySea Aquarium returns for a week of fun and up-close encounters with their African penguins! Activities include kids' waddle races, rubber penguin water table races, ‘Penguin 101’ with a live exhibit and Q&A, penguin appearances, ‘Penguin Picasso’ paintings, and more.
- General admission ticket costs can be viewed here.
- Dates to save: October 4 – 12
- Address: OdySea Aquarium [9500 East Vía de Ventura Suite A-100, Scottsdale]
The Desert Botanical Garden’s Mariposas experience invites visitors to wander a magical pavilion where they can see more than 1,000 Southwestern butterflies in the ‘Cohn Family Butterfly Pavilion.’
- Venue location: Desert Botanical Garden [1201 N Galvin Pkwy., Phoenix]
- Event dates: The experience runs from September 27 to November 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Enjoy this experience as part of your membership or general-admission visit.
VISIT SONORA: Visit Sonora is an ABC15 Arizona sponsor.
Looking to get out of the Valley for some adventure? Here's a short list of what the state of Sonora in Mexico has to offer:
- Aconchi and its thermal waters.
- Tour: Alamos Magical Town
- Tour: Cheese Route in Cajeme, Mexico
- Tour: Magdalena de Kino
- Tour: “Rocky Point at its best”
- For more tours and experiences in Sonora, Mexico, click here.
