Sedona Festivals and Events: A Season-by-Season Guide
Last updated August 2026, this guide maps out Sedona festivals and events by season so you can match your travel dates to the experience you want. Red rock scenery, a dense concentration of galleries, and an active outdoor community give Sedona a packed calendar that runs from film screenings in February to luminaria-lit courtyards in December. Each entry below notes where an event happens, what it costs to attend, and the parking or shuttle reality that official calendars tend to skip.
Sedona's Annual Event Calendar at a Glance
Sedona's red rock terrain, gallery-dense Uptown core, and active wellness community support a busy calendar of Sedona festivals and events. Outdoor terrain suits mountain biking and trail-running events, while indoor venues like the Mary D. Fisher Theatre carry film and music programming through the hottest months. First-time visitors often fold event planning into a broader look at 12 Best Things to Do in Sedona in 2026. Details below draw from the Visit Sedona events calendar and annual events listings. Statewide context on shoulder-season crowd patterns comes from Visit Arizona's event listings.
| Month | Event | Primary Appeal |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 21-Mar 1 | Sedona International Film Festival | Film |
| March | Sedona Mountain Bike Festival | Sport |
| March | St. Patrick's Day Parade | Family |
| April | Open Studios | Art |
| April | Sedona Yoga Festival (spring session) | Wellness |
| May 1-3 | Piano on the Rocks | Music |
| July | 4th of July Wet Fest | Family |
| Jul-Aug | Sedona Hummingbird Festival | Nature |
| September | Sedona Winefest | 21+ |
| Oct 1-4 | Sedona Yoga Festival (fall session) | Wellness |
| Oct 3 | Sedona WagFest & Fair | Family |
| Oct 3-4 | Rock, Gem, and Jewelry Show | Shopping |
| Oct 10-11 | Sedona Arts Festival | Art |
| Oct 16-24 | Plein Air Festival | Art |
| October | Red Rocks Oktoberfest | 21+ |
| Nov 1 | Dia de los Muertos at Tlaquepaque | Culture |
| November | Sedona Food Truck Festival | Food |
| December | Festival of Lights (Tlaquepaque luminarias) | Holiday |
Winter-to-Spring Sedona Events: Film, Races, and Yoga (January-May)
Winter into spring is Sedona's busiest and most varied stretch for events. Family carnivals, service days, and a major film festival open the year, and outdoor races take over by April. Ticketed, high-demand events cluster here too, so lock in lodging early. Hotel rooms near Film Festival and Mountain Bike Festival dates book out months ahead; treat both as 6-plus-month lead-time trips. Slot festival hours into a 2-day Sedona itinerary so they don't crowd out hiking time.
- Volunteer Festival: January, multi-day voluntourism event with 2-3 service projects daily
- Winter Play Day: January, free outdoor carnival with inflatables and rides
- RunSedona: February, red rock-course race
- Sedona International Film Festival: Feb 21-Mar 1, 2026, Mary D. Fisher Theatre
- Sedona Mountain Bike Festival: March, Posse Grounds Park, bike demos and skills clinics
- Celebration of Spring: March, free family carnival with egg hunts
- St. Patrick's Day Parade: March, 10:30 a.m. start at Jordan Historical Park, south on Jordan Road to Mesquite Avenue
- Open Studios: April, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, 50+ Verde Valley artist studios
- Sedona Stumble 5K & 10K: April, Posse Grounds Park trail run
- Sedona Yoga Festival (spring session): April, on-the-land yoga
- The VUE ultra trail race: April, 4- to 50-mile distances on west-side singletrack
- Cocodona 250: May, 250-mile point-to-point ultramarathon across Arizona trails and towns
- Piano on the Rocks: May 1-3, 2026, three-day concert series
- Sedona Music Festival: May, Posse Grounds Park pavilion
- Sedona Water Festival: May, in-person and livestream ceremony and film
- Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival: May, Dead Horse Ranch State Park
- Cinco de Mayo Celebration: May, Tlaquepaque, free trolley from the Sedona Municipal parking lot
- Red Dirt Concert Series: Fridays in May and September, City of Sedona Parks and Recreation
Summer Sedona Festivals: Water, Wildlife, and Heat Trade-offs (June-August)
Summer trades cooler crowds for real heat. Posse Grounds Park turns into a cooling station for the 4th of July Wet Fest, with water slides, splash zones, water-balloon games, food vendors, and live music. Guided birdwatching tours, educational presentations, and hummingbird-focused art exhibits fill the Sedona Hummingbird Festival, running July into August at venues around town. August afternoons in Sedona often climb into the high 90s and can approach 100°F. Elevation and dry air add to dehydration risk even when the temperature reading looks familiar. Check seasonal averages on the Best Time to Visit Sedona: Seasonal Guide to Weather, Crowds & Deals guide before locking in summer festival dates.
- 4th of July Wet Fest: July, Posse Grounds Park, water slides and splash zones
- Sedona Hummingbird Festival: July-August, guided birdwatching tours and educational programs
Fall Sedona Festivals and Events: Wine, Art, and Dia de los Muertos (September-November)
Fall carries Sedona's highest-volume stretch of Sedona festivals and events, with wine, art, and cultural programming stacked across nine weeks. Sedona Winefest opens the season in September at Posse Grounds Park, a 21-and-over event pouring Arizona wines alongside live music and educational seminars. Metaphysical workshops define the Sedona Yoga Festival's fall session, running October 1 through 4, 2026, in contrast to spring's on-the-land format. Pet owners get their own date on October 3, 2026, when Sedona WagFest & Fair holds its 7th annual event for the City of Sedona. Its neighbor event, the Rock, Gem, and Jewelry Show, runs October 3 and 4 at Sedona Red Rock High School, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Red rock backdrops frame the Sedona Arts Festival on October 10 and 11, with juried, handcrafted work from local and national artists. Working artists paint outdoors around town during the Sedona Plein Air Festival, hosted by the Sedona Arts Center from October 16 through 24. A 21-and-over crowd fills Red Rocks Oktoberfest at Posse Grounds Park for Bavarian food and beer-garden music later in October. Large-scale altar installations, dance, and live music fill Tlaquepaque courtyards for the Dia de los Muertos Celebration on November 1, 2026. Posse Grounds Park closes out the season in November with the Sedona Food Truck Festival. Pair a Winefest afternoon or Dia de los Muertos evening with dinner reservations from the Sedona restaurant guide.
- Sedona Winefest: September, Posse Grounds Park, 21+
- Sedona Yoga Festival (fall session): Oct 1-4, 2026
- Sedona WagFest & Fair: Oct 3, 2026, 7th annual
- Rock, Gem, and Jewelry Show: Oct 3-4, 2026, Sedona Red Rock High School
- Sedona Arts Festival: Oct 10-11, 2026
- Plein Air Festival: Oct 16-24, 2026, Sedona Arts Center
- Red Rocks Oktoberfest: October, Posse Grounds Park, 21+
- Uptown Trick-or-Treat: Oct 31, 2026, 5-8 p.m., Uptown Sedona
- Marigold Mural Project: Oct 29, 2026, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Calle Independencia
- Fest of Fall: Oct 17, 2026, Posse Grounds Park
- Pumpkin Splash: Oct 17, 2026, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Fall Arts & Crafts Show: Oct 24, 2026, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Veteran's Day Tribute: Nov 11, 2026, 11 a.m., Sedona Heritage Museum
- Dia de los Muertos Celebration: Nov 1, 2026, Tlaquepaque
- Sedona Food Truck Festival: November, Posse Grounds Park
Winter Holiday Events in the Red Rocks
Winter programming in Sedona centers on Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village. More than 6,000 luminarias fill its courtyards for the Festival of Lights, a multi-week holiday display. Sedona Northern Lights adds large-scale projected light art elsewhere in town. Confirm current dates and location directly with organizers each year, since projection-art programming changes more than fixed calendar events. Breakfast with Santa runs December 5, a morning event for families. A 5K held November 27, the Sedona Turkey Trot closes out the Thanksgiving weekend with a red rock-framed course.
- Festival of Lights (Tlaquepaque luminarias): December, 6,000+ luminarias
- Sedona Northern Lights: winter, check current dates and location with organizers
- Sedona Turkey Trot 5K: Nov 27, 2026
- Breakfast with Santa: Dec 5, 2026, 8-10 a.m.
How to Attend Sedona Festivals and Events Like a Local
Getting to a Posse Grounds Park event without fighting for a parking spot takes planning. Traffic on 89A backs up fast during festival weekends, a pattern locals call the Sedona Crawl. Use the Sedona Shuttle or a park-and-ride lot instead of driving straight to the venue when one is running for a given event. Review current routes and schedules on the guide to getting to Sedona before you land. Free events include Open Studios, the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and First Friday gallery openings in Uptown. Ticketed events price differently: the Film Festival and Winefest sell single-day admission and multi-day or multi-tasting passes, and the multi-day option costs more per visit than a single ticket. Exact 2026 pricing posts on each festival's own site closer to the date, so confirm before you lock in a specific pass tier. A Red Rock Pass covers parking at Forest Service trailheads; check with the event organizer whether a festival-adjacent hike or trailhead parking area requires one. Guided Red Rock Hikes run daily and require pre-registration with a cutoff 24 hours before the hike. Build in registration time rather than assuming walk-up spots for any hike or workshop tied to a festival weekend, and pack essentials using the Practical Tips for Visiting Sedona: A Local Logistics Guide guide.
Guided Red Rock Hikes close registration 24 hours before the hike, a much shorter lead time than lodging near the Film Festival and Mountain Bike Festival, which can require booking six-plus months ahead. Plan hike sign-ups separately from your hotel reservations.
- Free events: Open Studios, St. Patrick's Day Parade, First Friday gallery openings
- Ticketed events: Sedona International Film Festival, Sedona Winefest
- Registration cutoff: Guided Red Rock Hikes close sign-up 24 hours before the hike
- Parking: Red Rock Pass required at Forest Service trailheads, not every event lot
Where to Stay for Major Sedona Festivals
Match your neighborhood to the events on your list. West Sedona sits closest to Posse Grounds Park, the venue for the Wet Fest, Winefest, WagFest, Red Rocks Oktoberfest, Food Truck Festival, and Mountain Bike Festival. Uptown puts you within walking distance of the St. Patrick's Day Parade route and the Mary D. Fisher Theatre during the Film Festival. Tlaquepaque's location suits a Dia de los Muertos or Festival of Lights trip, since both events happen on-site. Book six or more months ahead for Film Festival and Mountain Bike Festival weekends. Compare neighborhoods on the 7 Best Areas Where to Stay in Sedona for 2026 guide, and use the 9 Essential Moves for a Sedona Weekend Getaway guide to build a full trip around one event.
Tlaquepaque hosts the Festival of Lights itself, with more than 6,000 luminarias filling its courtyards each December, so staying there puts you inside the display rather than driving in for one evening from West Sedona or Uptown.
Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Around Sedona Festivals and Events
A few planning gaps trip up first-time festival visitors.
- Underestimating the Sedona Crawl: festival-weekend traffic on 89A and near Posse Grounds Park adds significant drive time, so leave buffer or use the shuttle
- Skipping pre-registration: guided hikes and many workshops close sign-up 24 hours out, so same-day walk-ups often get turned away
- Ignoring elevation and heat: outdoor summer events like the Hummingbird Festival and Wet Fest call for water and shade breaks even on a mild-looking forecast
- Booking lodging too late: high-demand weekends like the Film Festival and Mountain Bike Festival can require reservations six-plus months out
- Skipping the day-trip math: travelers pairing a festival weekend with Best Day Trips from Sedona: Drive Times, Routes, and Planning Tips should confirm return-drive times before dark, since event traffic adds to the drive
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Sedona International Film Festival in 2026?
Dates run February 21 through March 1, 2026, based at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. It is a nine-day program of screenings, Q&A sessions, and panels. Confirm exact dates and passes on the festival's own site each year, since dates can shift.
Which Sedona festivals and events are free to attend?
Open Studios and the St. Patrick's Day Parade cost nothing to attend. First Friday gallery openings in Uptown are also free most months. Ticketed events like the Film Festival and Winefest charge for admission or tastings.
Do you need a car for Sedona festivals?
A car helps for reaching most venues, since Posse Grounds Park and Tlaquepaque sit outside easy walking range of every hotel. Sedona Shuttle service or a park-and-ride option can cut down on event-day parking stress. Review routes on the guide to getting to Sedona before your trip.
What should you pack for outdoor summer festivals in Sedona?
Pack water, sun protection, and light layers for events like the Hummingbird Festival and Wet Fest. August afternoons often climb into the high 90s and can approach 100°F. Start outdoor plans early in the day when possible.
Where should you stay for a Sedona festival weekend?
Stay in West Sedona for events at Posse Grounds Park, including Winefest and the Mountain Bike Festival. Stay Uptown for the Film Festival or St. Patrick's Day Parade. Book six-plus months ahead for the highest-demand weekends.
Do Sedona festivals require advance registration?
Most large festivals sell general admission at the gate, but guided hikes and workshops often do not. The Guided Red Rock Hike, for example, closes registration 24 hours before the event. Check each event listing for a registration cutoff before you build a same-day plan.
