){kind=icon}
Tucson might be best known for its hiking trails and gastronomy, but I’d argue that events should be high on the list, too.
The year typically kicks off with dozens of white tents across town, each housing gems, jewelry and fossils. When February rolls around, it’s time for the rodeo, which includes the largest non-motorized parade in the country. Then comes March and its two-day literacy festival, followed by artisan markets, a car-free block party and a carnival packed with deep-fried Oreos and nauseating rides.
And that’s just the spring season.
You can find some kind of event happening in Tucson every single day, from late-night walks around Reid Park Zoo to smaller-scale vintage pop-ups. But today we’re talking about the BIG events — the ones Tucsonans have come to expect, the ones that happen year after year that maybe require extra security or street closures amid attendances that go above 10,000 people.
Whether you’re new to Tucson or a lifelong resident of the Old Pueblo, here are the signature events to mark on your calendar each year. All of these are featured on Tucson Love Letter’s calendar, plus the many many MANY other events that take place every week — we update our event calendar daily, check it out here!
Tucson Jazz Festival
This jazz festival got its start a decade ago and has brought musicians like Sheila E., Paquito D’Rivera and Trombone Shorty to Tucson. Dozens of individual concerts are part of the annual festival, which is held across Tucson venues over about a week’s span.
One highlight is the jazz fiesta, where an outdoor venue is transformed into a hub for jazz. It’s free and typically attended by thousands.
When to expect it: Mid-January. Visit the Tucson Jazz Festival’s website for details.
Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase
People travel from around the globe to Tucson’s massive gem showcase, which started in 1955 as a small event held at an elementary school. The showcase now includes 50-plus individual shows spread across the city, popping up in dirt lots or convention center floors. The showcase attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each winter.
While some shows are open to wholesalers only, most are open to the public. You can find budget-friendly rocks, jewelry and trinkets — or lavish treasures like human-sized geodes.
When to expect it: Late January, early February. A smaller showcase happens each September. Visit Visit Tucson’s website for details.
La Fiesta de los Vaqueros
La Fiesta de los Vaqueros — the Tucson Rodeo — has been an Old Pueblo tradition for 100 years with its week-plus of steer wrestling, barrel racing and mutton bustin’. Back in 1925, Leighton Kramer wanted to showcase Tucson’s Wild West charm as a way to attract winter visitors. By 1932, the rodeo had moved from midtown to its current home, which at the time held seating for 3,000 spectators. Now, the Tucson Rodeo Grounds can fit 11,000.
As part of the annual rodeo is the accompanying Tucson Rodeo Parade, which is said to the longest non-motorized parade in the country.
When to expect it: Mid-February. Visit the rodeo’s website for details.
Pets of Pima Parade
Sit along the sidewalk and watch as sheep, ponies and dogs in tutus waltz through the street. The Pets of Pima Parade, started in 2022, is run by Friends of PACC, the nonprofit sister of the Pima Animal Care Center. Pets (and their humans) take to the roadway to help raise money for shelter pets in a mile-long parade. Spectators will spot countless dogs, of course, but also reptiles, cats and maybe even a chicken or two.
The parade usually ends with a festival featuring music, vendors and adoptable pets.
When to expect it: Late February or early March. Visit Pets of Pima Parade’s website for details.
Tucson Festival of Books
This is one of the largest nonprofit book festivals in the country, welcoming tens of thousands of people to celebrate their love of literacy.
The two-day festival, which began in 2009, brings hundreds of authors to the University of Arizona campus for panels, workshops and signings. Previous authors have included R. L. Stine, Bernie Sanders and Veronica Roth. You’ll find countless books to shop, plus exhibitors, food trucks and performances — and the festival is free to attend!
When to expect it: Early March. Visit the Tucson Festival of Books website for details.
Fourth Avenue Street Fair
Twice a year, Tucson’s iconic Fourth Avenue is shut down to cars and filled with tents and hordes of people. It’s all part of the biannual Fourth Avenue Street Fair, which features 350-plus vendors from around the world selling everything from wind chimes to bonsai trees. Live music is part of the fun, as is classic fair food — funnel cake, brownies on a stick and lemonade served in giant baby bottles.
The three-day street fair is hosted by the Fourth Avenue Merchants Association and has been a staple on Tucson’s calendars since the ‘70s.
When to expect it: Mid-March and mid-December. Visit the Fourth Avenue Merchants Association’s website for details.
Made in Tucson
Every spring and fall, white tents line Seventh Street for the biannual Made in Tucson market. Every tent is filled with items created by local makers — you might find earrings shaped like monsoon clouds, focaccia decorated like a fairy garden or stained glass in the shape of a saguaro.
The market, hosted by the Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition, began in 2018 with about 50 vendors — now there are more than 250.
When to expect it: One Sunday every spring and fall; typically late March or early April, then the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Visit Made in Tucson’s website for details.
Tucson Folk Festival
Since its inception in 1986, the Tucson Folk Festival has brought free music to Tucson. It’s said to be the largest free music festival in Arizona. The fest comes courtesy the Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association, which in its early days was simply a group of friends throwing pot lucks and jam seshes in the kitchen.
Now, the festival features 150-plus performances among several outdoor stages in downtown Tucson. Headliners have included Orkesta Mendoza, The Brother Brothers and Steve Poltz.
When to expect it: Early April. Visit the Tucson Folk Festival website for details.
Cyclovia
Every spring and fall, we break out our bikes and roller skates for the car-free block party Cyclovia. The miles-long route is closed to cars, transforming into a free festival filled with food trucks and activity hubs including yard games, clothing swaps, bike repair stations, craft tables and more. The experience allows you to walk, roll or bike through otherwise busy streets and neighborhoods.
Cyclovia is organized by Living Streets Alliance, a nonprofit that “envisions streets as living public spaces that connect people to places and to each other.” The first Cyclovia was hosted in 2010.
When to expect it: Early April and late October. Visit Cyclovia’s website for details.
Pima County Fair
Every spring we make our way east for pickle-covered pizza and the stomach-turning G Force at the Pima County Fair. It’s where it’s normal to bite into corn dogs doused in Hot Cheetos and even more normal to stand in line for a ride as thrilling as The Titan, all while carrying around a giant stuffie that probably cost you way too much money to win.
The Pima County Fair technically began in 1911 — not with any extreme rides but with a poultry show.
When to expect it: Mid-to-late April. Visit the Pima County Fair’s website for details.
Tucson International Mariachi Conference
Since 1982, the Tucson International Mariachi Conference has held weeklong celebrations of mariachi and folklorico through workshops, concerts and a showcase featuring elementary, middle and high school students.
The conference usually closes with two concerts, followed by a Sunday morning mariachi Catholic Mass. The goal of the festival is to educate the community while championing the values of mariachi and folklorico.
When to expect it: Late April through early May. Visit the Tucson International Mariachi Conference’s website for details.
Mexican Baseball Fiesta
As the event organizers say — come for the baseball, stay for the fiesta. Though the Mexican Baseball Fiesta has been a tradition for more than a decade, the four-day event is now part of The Liga Arco Mexicana del Pacifico’s version of spring training. Teams from Mexico, and the University of Arizona, compete in the fiesta that’s hosted by Vamos a Tucson, Visit Tucson’s Spanish counterpart.
Beyond baseball, you can usually find music, vendors and maybe even a firework show.
When to expect it: Late September or early October. Visit the Mexican Baseball Fiesta’s website for details.
Tucson Meet Yourself
The biggest problem at Tucson Meet Yourself is that you can’t eat everything. This three-day folk-life festival has brought Tucson’s cultures together for a big warm hug since the 1970s, courtesy the late folklorist and anthropologist James “Big Jim” Griffith.
Tucson Meet Yourself is where you can find stages filled with fiddlers, Bollywood dancers, Taiko drummers and Chinese folk singers amid tents of vendors selling Turkish ceramics, Navajo beadwork and Arabic calligraphy. The festival is also lovingly nicknamed “Tucson Eat Yourself” because of the dozens of food vendors — think empanadas, Taiwanese-style chicken, lumpia, jerk chicken and Syrian sweets.
When to expect it: Mid-October. Visit Tucson Meet Yourself’s website for details.
Marana Pumpkin Patch
Thousands flock to Marana each year for its annual pumpkin patch and festival where you can take a ride out to the 50-plus acres to pick your own pumpkin to carve during spooky season. You can stop there — or you can stay to explore the very kid-friendly festival that features a corn maze, jumping pillows, amusement rides and a zip line.
The best part: Most of the attractions are included in the admission price.
When to expect it: Throughout October. Visit the Marana Pumpkin Patch website for details.
All Souls Procession
Each November, thousands walk through west-side streets to remember lost loved ones. The procession, now run by Many Mouths One Stomach, started in 1990 when artist Susan Johnson was grieving her late father and wanted a way to celebrate him.
Today, 200,000 people pack the streets with larger-than-life signs, spirited attire and sometimes calavera face paintings. Along the way, a giant urn is pulled, allowing spectators to toss in their notes of remembrance, wishes and prayers. Following the procession, the urn is burned in a ceremony that also includes performances.
When to expect it: Early November. Visit the All Souls Procession website for details.
DUSK Music Festival
This two-day music festival has brought headliners like DJ Snake, Jimmy Eat World, Diplo and Young the Giant to Tucson. DUSK, which primarily centers around EDM and indie music, made its debut in 2016 and has since grown to a festival featuring three stages alongside art and food vendors.
DUSK was founded by University of Arizona alumni and has been held at two other Tucson venues before making its way to its current home of Jácome Plaza.
When to expect it: Mid-November. Visit DUSK Music Festival’s website for details.
El Tour de Tucson
For more than 40 years, Tucsonans — and folks from around the globe — have participated in El Tour de Tucson, a 102-mile bicycle route that shuts down city streets as it winds its way through and around town. Shorter routes are part of the annual tour, too, including ones that stretch 63 miles, 32 miles and the three- and one-mile “fun rides.”
Hosted by Perimeter Bicycling, part of El Tour de Tucson’s mission is to help raise money for nonprofits who ride in support of worthy causes.
When to expect it: Mid-November. Visit El Tour de Tucson’s website for details.
Winterhaven Festival of Lights
Each year, we walk through Winterhaven with hot cocoa in our hands, looping construction paper wishes onto a giant tree and standing in awe of the extravagant light displays created by neighbors. Winterhaven is Tucson’s most festive neighborhood and it has thrown the free Festival of Lights every year — minus two — since 1949.
The festival was started by CB Richards, who saw a similar display in Beverly Hills decades prior.
When to expect it: Mid-December. Visit Winterhaven’s website for details.
Downtown Parade of Lights
Kids and adults alike sit patiently along downtown streets as they eagerly await the Downtown Parade of Lights amid the bustling holiday season. The free-to-watch parade usually includes appearances by Santa and the Grinch, dancers, fake snow and countless vehicles covered in twinkling lights and Christmas inflatables.
The Downtown Parade of Lights has been part of Tucson’s holiday traditions for 30-plus years.
When to expect it: Mid-December. Visit the Downtown Parade of Lights website for details.
This is an ad :)