Scottsdale Events, November 2026 to February 2027

Scottsdale's event season starts in November and builds toward February, when the city's biggest winter weekends arrive. Between now and the end of February there is light art over the canal, a holiday train ride, author talks, Thursday gallery nights and a horse show that draws competitors from around the world. Each date below comes from the organizer's own page; check those pages again before you go, since times and details can change.

November: art on the water and an author fair

Canal Convergence is already lit. Scottsdale Arts' annual festival runs through Sunday, November 15, at the Scottsdale Waterfront, where large light-based artworks sit in and above the Arizona Canal between Scottsdale Road and Goldwater Boulevard. This is its 15th year, timed with the City of Scottsdale's 75th anniversary, and the theme is Western Nature, drawing on the water, plants, animals and cultures of the Southwest. Evenings bring fire shows, live music and dance, family workshops, food trucks and a beer and wine garden, and the city lists it as free.

Readers can mark Saturday, November 14, on their calendar: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore on Goldwater Boulevard hosts a Local Author Fair that morning, part of a November calendar packed with visiting mystery and thriller writers.

Every week: ArtWalk and the farmers market

Two weekly habits anchor the season. Scottsdale ArtWalk, which the Scottsdale Gallery Association says has run every Thursday evening since 1975, opens the galleries along Main Street and Marshall Way for free; the only Thursday off is Thanksgiving. The association also stages themed Gold Palette ArtWalks during the cooler months and says this season's series is coming, so watch its events page for the dates.

On Saturdays, the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market sets up in its new home, the Scottsdale City Hall parking lot on Drinkwater Boulevard, after moving this season from its longtime spot in the parking structure at First Street and Brown Avenue. The city counts more than 100 growers and specialty food producers.

December: lights, Scottsdazzle and a noon countdown

Holiday Lights returns to McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park from November 27 through December 30, in the evenings. Tickets are sold through the park's website. The park closes the year with Noon Year's Eve on December 31, a late-morning countdown for families with young children.

Scottsdazzle, the city's holiday celebration across Old Town, returns for the holidays. Its organizers haven't announced the 2026 dates or events yet, so sign up for its updates for the full list.

Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West on Marshall Way fills its December with film and music. Its Eastwood: Still in the Saddle series shows Clint Eastwood Westerns on Sunday afternoons through December 27, and the Cowboy Beethoven Little Big Band plays on Thursday, December 10.

February: golf and Arabian horses

Two of Scottsdale's long-running February traditions land a few days apart. The WM Phoenix Open returns to TPC Scottsdale from February 8 to 14, 2027. Then the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show fills WestWorld from February 11 to 21, 2027, with competition among owners, trainers and breeders from around the world, plus a shopping expo of more than 200 vendor booths, educational seminars, family events and an international food court.

Before you go, and where to stop

For Canal Convergence nights, Citizen Public House sits on Fifth Avenue, a short walk from the Waterfront, and opens for dinner every evening. If you are heading to an event at the Civic Center, Yellow Spruce Roasters, which roasts its coffee in Scottsdale, runs a café kiosk inside Civic Center Library as well as its Old Town café and wine bar on Brown Avenue.

Plans change, especially for outdoor events in a season that can bring rain, as the storms at the end of October did. The organizers' own websites are the best place to confirm times, tickets and parking. Scottsdale's winter is short, and these are the weeks to get out and enjoy it.