Tonight was supposed to be Movie in the Park. The town had it on the calendar for Saturday, October 10, at Four Peaks Park, and then moved it because of weather concerns. The new date is Friday, November 6, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the same park. The movie is Toy Story 5, and the Fountain Hills Times says to bring a blanket or chairs.
That postponement explains a lot about how fall works here. Early in the season the events happen in open parks in the evening, while the desert is still deciding whether it's done with summer. By mid-November most of the calendar has moved to the Avenue of the Fountains and Fountain Park, and it stays there through December. Several businesses that opened or expanded this year are on that same downtown route. If you know the pattern, you can plan the whole season around a few addresses.
Here's how it unfolds, in order.
October: Evenings at the Parks
Two places hold the early part of the season.
The first is Centennial Pavilion at 13001 N. La Montana Drive. The free 3rd Thursday Concert Series is back there for fall, and every show runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, October 15: New Destiny
- Thursday, November 19: Znora
- Thursday, December 17: The Sugar Thieves
The lineup is posted on Experience Fountain Hills as part of the 2026-2027 schedule.
The second is Four Peaks Park at 14789–14827 N. Del Cambre Ave. The town's free Spooky Blast happens there on Saturday, October 24, from 5 to 8 p.m. It has trick-or-treating, games, inflatables, food trucks and a costume contest, according to the event listing. Two weeks later, Four Peaks Park hosts the rescheduled Movie in the Park on November 6, which makes it the last big outdoor evening of the season away from downtown.
Early November: The Farmers Market Restarts
The Wednesday Farmers Market and Art on the Avenue season begins on November 4, 2026, and runs every Wednesday through April 28, 2027, according to Experience Fountain Hills. The Fountain Hills Farmers Market runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Art on the Avenue runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the east median of the Avenue of the Fountains, and the listing gives the event's location as 16858 Avenue of the Fountains. So the farmers market is already on the Avenue, a few weeks before the rest of the calendar moves there. The season covers almost six months, which means you'll have a weekday market well into spring.
If you liked the Saturday morning market the town ran at Tractor Supply, 17130 E. Shea Blvd., that one was a September series. It ran Saturdays from 8 to 11:30 a.m. starting September 5, so it's over for this year.
Mid-November: The Calendar Moves to the Avenue
The Fountain Festival of Fine Arts & Crafts is where the season settles downtown. It's on the Avenue of the Fountains from Friday, November 13, through Sunday, November 15. The hours are shorter on the last day.
| Day | Date | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | November 13 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Saturday | November 14 | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Sunday | November 15 | 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
Those hours come from the Fountain Hills Times, and the dates are confirmed on the town's official festival listing.
Good Living Greens is open on the Avenue that weekend in a much bigger space than before. It relocated and expanded to 16845 E. Avenue of the Fountains, Suite D104. The Town of Fountain Hills announced in June that the shop had nearly tripled its floor space, and its hours are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Because of those hours, it's open during Friday and Saturday of the festival and closed on Sunday.
Thanksgiving Morning: Two Start Times, One Neighborhood
Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, has two downtown events a little over two hours apart.
- 7:15 a.m., Fountain Park. The Fountain Hills Turkey Trot 5K and fitness walk starts here, according to the Fountain Hills Times.
- 9:30 a.m., Avenue of the Fountains. The Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce's 42nd annual Thanksgiving Day Parade starts at this time. The Chamber's event listing uses the phrase "Parade Begins Promptly," lists the time block as 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., and gives the theme as "Happy Birthday America."
That two-hour-and-fifteen-minute gap is enough time to finish a 5K or a walk, get some coffee, and still make it to the Avenue before the first float. The Chamber lists the Avenue of the Fountains as the location but doesn't post a detailed route on that page. Check with the Chamber closer to the day before you pick a curb.
If you have family flying in for the holiday, this is the easiest morning of the year to show them the town without planning much. And yes, you can call the 5K an investment in second helpings.
December: The Avenue Lights Up
The Avenue keeps the calendar into December.
On Thursday, December 3, the Fountain Hills Artists' Gallery hosts its Holiday Ornament Tree from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 16858 E. Avenue of the Fountains.
On Saturday, December 5, Stroll in the Glow fills the Avenue of the Fountains and Fountain Park from 5 to 8 p.m. The event listing includes the Avenue lighting, the Town Christmas tree, Santa, and glowing hot-air balloons.
Then on Thursday, December 17, The Sugar Thieves close out the fall concert series at Centennial Pavilion, 6 to 7:30 p.m. The season ends at one of the venues where it began in October.
New Stops Along the Way This Year
The fall calendar takes you past several places that opened, reopened or grew in 2026. Here's what's new since last season, with the addresses the local reporting gives.
Trilogy Restaurant, 14815 E. Shea Blvd., Eagle Mountain. This seafood restaurant opened August 20. The Fountain Hills Times reports that it serves seafood from all over the world, highlights its view, and takes its name from three things it's built around: food, wine and culture. It's a good option for a Thanksgiving-weekend dinner when the house is full.
Atticus Music, 12626 N. Saguaro Blvd. It had a soft opening on June 20 in Suites 104 and 111. The music store is in Suite 111 and has a listening room.
Book and Cranny, 16716 E. Parkview Ave. This antiques-and-books shop held its grand opening on October 1, from 4 to 9 p.m., according to the Fountain Hills Times. It opened just in time for the season of browsing for holiday gifts.
Quik Burrito, 16754 E. Glenbrook Blvd. The chain has opened a Fountain Hills location. The local coverage doesn't give an exact opening date.
Good Living Greens, 16845 E. Avenue of the Fountains, D104. It moved into a bigger space on the Avenue, as mentioned above, and has nearly tripled its floor space.
Two familiar places are worth a note too. In February, the town reported that Streets of New York had reopened and hired a muralist for three more murals. And the River of Time Museum isn't going anywhere for now. The town renewed its lease so it can keep operating in its current building through June 30, 2027.
The Season at a Glance
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 15 | 3rd Thursday Concert: New Destiny | Centennial Pavilion |
| Sat, Oct 24 | Spooky Blast | Four Peaks Park |
| Wed, Nov 4 | Farmers Market and Art on the Avenue Wednesday season begins | Avenue of the Fountains |
| Fri, Nov 6 | Movie in the Park: Toy Story 5 | Four Peaks Park |
| Fri–Sun, Nov 13–15 | Fountain Festival of Fine Arts & Crafts | Avenue of the Fountains |
| Thu, Nov 19 | 3rd Thursday Concert: Znora | Centennial Pavilion |
| Thu, Nov 26 | Turkey Trot, 7:15 a.m. | Fountain Park |
| Thu, Nov 26 | Thanksgiving Day Parade, 9:30 a.m. | Avenue of the Fountains |
| Thu, Dec 3 | Holiday Ornament Tree | Fountain Hills Artists' Gallery |
| Sat, Dec 5 | Stroll in the Glow | Avenue of the Fountains and Fountain Park |
| Thu, Dec 17 | 3rd Thursday Concert: The Sugar Thieves | Centennial Pavilion |
Dates and times can change, as tonight's movie showed. The town and Chamber pages linked above are the best places to confirm an event before you head out.
If your Thanksgiving guests leave the parade asking what it would take to spend winters on this side of the McDowells, I'm happy to talk it through over coffee on the Avenue, with no pressure and no agenda. You can reach me at Steve Russell. Let's Connect.
