SURPRISE, AZ — A fall-themed festival that launched just last year is returning to Surprise this weekend, with organizers hoping it can become a long-term tradition for families across the West Valley.
The Desert Fall Festival, located across from the Surprise City Hall campus, opens Friday and is entering its second year after attracting visitors from throughout Arizona and beyond.
For some residents, events like the festival help fill a gap in the region's entertainment calendar.
“I’m fairly new to it. The one thing I could tell you about is Spring Training,” said Surprise resident Bryan Hayward when asked about major West Valley events.
Festival co-founder Shanelle Kunz said the idea began with a simple conversation involving her son.
“Our 7-year-old son a few years ago had said he thought it would be cool to operate a real excavator, and we thought so too,” Kunz said.
That concept eventually grew into one of the festival's signature attractions.
The event occupies about 13 acres of land near the Surprise Civic Center and features a range of activities including excavator experiences, zip lines, axe throwing, roller skating and apple cannons.
Kunz said she and her team launched the festival after noticing a shortage of entertainment options geared toward teens, young adults and families in the West Valley.
“We’ve set ourselves as an outdoor festival, providing a space for teenagers, college students, date night,” Kunz said. “I feel like there’s a lack in the West Valley, or perhaps in the Valley in general, for that demographic.”
Organizers say the event has grown quickly since its debut.
According to festival officials, more than 200 local workers are employed during the season, and attendance is expected to reach tens of thousands of visitors this year.
The festival also includes a charitable component. Organizers say proceeds generated through an alcohol sales giveback program have resulted in six-figure donations to local nonprofit organizations.
Visitors are coming from well beyond Surprise, according to Kunz.
“We have guests that come from Scottsdale, Prescott, Mexico, New Mexico because of videos they see go viral on the Internet,” she said.
Festival organizers estimate the event could generate between $3 million and $5 million in economic impact this year through visitor spending at local hotels, restaurants, stores and attractions.
The City of Surprise has also provided tourism funding support for the event. Under the city's program, the festival can receive reimbursements tied to attendance levels, with funding capped at $20,000.
As Surprise continues to grow and attract new residents, organizers hope the festival can become known as an annual fall destination in the West Valley, much like Spring Training has become a staple of the area's tourism economy.
For now, festival leaders are focused on welcoming visitors for another season and building on the momentum from the event's inaugural year.
The Desert Fall Festival officially opens Friday at 5 p.m. and will run for about a month.
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