By Steve Stockmar
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Editor's note: This article first appeared in Sun Life Magazine, a Daily Independent publication.

After months of planning our lives around triple-digit temperatures, hunting for shaded parking spaces, and treating the walk from the car to the grocery store as an endurance event, fall has arrived in the Valley. Maybe the thermometer hasn’t gotten the message every single afternoon yet, but mornings are cooling, evenings are becoming ours again, and the best time of year to live in the desert is beginning.

And suddenly, there are things to do. Pumpkin patches and Halloween nights return. Hiking boots come out of the closet. Baseball moves from air-conditioned Chase Field to an October evening under the lights in Peoria. Coffee shops start pouring drinks that taste suspiciously like pie, and sitting outside becomes something we choose to do rather than something we survive. For those willing to wander a little farther, even the sight of changing leaves isn’t out of reach.

So consider this our fall to-do list for the West Valley: 10 experiences close to home, with an occasional road trip when it’s worth the drive. Some are traditions, some are relatively new, and a few simply take advantage of the fact that we can finally go outside again.

Summer kept us indoors long enough. Let’s go do something.

1

Drive Until The Leaves Change

Closest bet: Prescott. Best spectacle: Oak Creek Canyon

West Valley residents don’t have to drive to Flagstaff to find autumn. Prescott, about 90 miles from Sun City West, is the closest reliable bet, with cottonwoods, sycamores and other deciduous trees bringing fall color to places such as Granite Creek, Watson Woods, and downtown by late October.

From the Northwest Valley, take U.S. 60 through Wickenburg and follow State Route 89 north to Prescott. For a more dramatic display, continue the adventure to Oak Creek Canyon, where oaks, cottonwoods, sycamores, and other trees turn against the canyon’s red-rock backdrop.

Oak Creek is easily reached by taking I-17 north, then State Route 179 through Sedona to State Route 89A. Peak color varies with weather and elevation, so check conditions before leaving.

There are no shortage of picturesque options for checking out fall foliage, from Prescott to Sedona to Flagstaff (seen here).

(Independent Newsmedia/Steve Stockmar)

2

Find Fall in the Desert

Surprise festival brings pumpkins, apple cannons, and more to 13 acres

Who says the desert can’t do fall? The Desert Fall Festival returns for its second year and runs through Nov. 1 at 14470 W. Tierra Buena Lane in Surprise, transforming 13 acres into a seasonal playground and giving Northwest Valley residents a fall outing without leaving their own backyard.

Activities include a scavenger hunt featuring towering pumpkins, ziplines, apple cannons, and an adopt-a-pumpkin program. Visitors can also climb aboard a real excavator at The Big Dig, while roller skating, axe throwing, and a mechanical bull offer more activities. Festival food and seasonal treats are available nightly.

The festival is located near Greenway and Bullard avenues and operates primarily during evening hours, with schedules varying by date. General admission starts at $17.95 during the early-bird sale, and children 2 and younger are free. Check the schedule and purchase tickets before heading out, particularly on busy weekend nights.

Jett Kunz tosses a pumpkin up into the air while his sisters, Sienna and Brielle, watch as their parents work on setting up the Desert Fall Festival.

(Independent Newsmedia/Jason Stone)

3

Pick Your Own Pumpkin

Tolmachoff Farms brings a traditional fall outing to Glendale

You don’t have to leave the West Valley to wander a pumpkin patch. Tolmachoff Farms, a longtime family farm at 5726 N. 75th Ave., hosts Pumpkin Days throughout October, when visitors can roam the patch, choose their own Arizona-grown pumpkins, and purchase them to take home.

The fall outing includes a six-acre family corn maze, a smaller maze for kids, a petting zoo, play areas and a jumping pillow. Train rides and other activities cost extra. After dark, the separate “AZ Field of Screams” haunted corn maze operates Fridays, Saturdays and Halloween night.

Pumpkin Days runs through Oct. 31, Wednesdays through Sundays, with hours varying by day. Farm admission is $20, with children 1 and younger free; pumpkins are priced separately. Visitors who simply want pumpkins can also shop the farm stand from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. without paying admission.

Tolmachoff Farms, a longtime family farm in Glendale, will host its Pumpkin Days throughout October.

(Independent Newsmedia/Steve Stockmar)

4

Build Dinner From a Farmers Market

Give yourself a budget and let Vistancia’s vendors decide what’s on the menu

Turn a farmers market visit into a challenge: set a dinner budget and buy the entire meal at the Vistancia Family Fun Community Market on Oct. 18. The monthly outdoor market will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 29701 N. Sunrise Point in Peoria.

More than 100 vendors will be on hand, with locally grown produce and eggs alongside artisan breads and pastries, locally harvested honey, salsas and sauces, Mediterranean dips and other foods. What ends up on the dinner table depends on what looks good that morning — which is half the fun.

Admission and parking are free, and the market is open to the public and is pet friendly. There’s also food trucks, crafts, kids activities, and live music.

Vistancia Family Fun Community Market is open this year Oct. 18, Nov. 15, and Dec. 20 and into 2027.

(Photo provided by Vistancia Family Fun Community Market)

5

Drink Something That Tastes Like Fall

Locally owned coffee shops offer a seasonal alternative to the chains

Pumpkin, maple, cinnamon, and other warm flavors can make it feel a little more like autumn — even when the Northwest Valley weather hasn’t received the message. Skip the national chains for a morning and see what locally owned North Peoria coffee shops are pouring for the season.

Sunny Brew Coffee Vistancia, 28615 N. El Mirage Road, Suite 101, currently offers seasonal choices including “The Great Pumpkin,” a pumpkin latte; “Autumn Bliss,” a honey cold brew with maple cold foam; and “Harvest Moon,” a chai topped with pumpkin cold foam and cinnamon. Well Coffee Co., 27035 N. Black Rock Blvd., rotates seasonal offerings alongside its espresso, cold brew and pour-over menu.

And Wild Pine Coffee & Cocktails, 20340 N. Lake Pleasant Road, Suite 110, offers another locally owned option farther south along the Lake Pleasant corridor. Check each shop’s current seasonal menu before visiting — fall specialties can change as quickly as the season.

Jessika, who owns Sunny Brew Coffee Vistancia with her husband Jason, whips up a Great Pumpkin latte.

(Independent Newsmedia/Steve Stockmar)

6

Eat Something Ridiculous at the Arizona State Fair

Make the annual Phoenix tradition a culinary dare

There are sensible reasons to visit the Arizona State Fair — rides, concerts, exhibits, and Arizona agriculture. Eating sensibly does not have to be one of them. The fair runs through Nov. 1 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds, 1826 W. McDowell Road, in Phoenix, operating Thursdays through Sundays.

Make the mission finding something you’d never order anywhere else. Among the over-the-top creations the fair highlights are a jumbo dill pickle stuffed with chamoy candy and wrapped in a Fruit Roll-Up, a cake-batter milkshake topped with a cupcake, and a dessert combining two chocolate-and-caramel-dipped ice cream cones with caramel kettle corn. Vendors include Bacon Nation, Lobster Shack, Magg’s Mac Shack, Navajo Taco Stand, Piggly’s BBQ, Pineapple Grill, West Coast Weenies and Joe’s Hot Chicken.

And because no State Fair food experiment should end responsibly, dessert choices include Mason’s Den Funnel Cake, Stizzy’s Iron Skillet Funnel Cakes, Texas Donuts, Old Tyme Ice Cream, Swirl City Cones, Fazackerly’s Fudge & Candy Emporium and Dippin’ Dots. The challenge isn’t finding something indulgent. It’s deciding how ridiculous you’re willing to get.

Our recommendation is this banana split, a regular at previous Arizona State Fairs.

(Photo provided by Arizona State Fair)

7

Get Into Costume at Peoria’s Monster Bash

Halloween celebration brings an evening of fun to Peoria Sports Complex

Costumes aren’t just for trick-or-treaters. Peoria’s annual Halloween Monster Bash returns from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 24 at Peoria Sports Complex, offering all residents a free night of Halloween activities and entertainment.

The citywide celebration features a costume contest, carnival-style games, crafts, live entertainment, and other activities for families. Costumes are encouraged, making this an easy opportunity for kids — and willing adults — to give their Halloween creations an extra night out.

The event takes place at Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Ave. General admission and parking are free.

Peoria’s annual Halloween Monster Bash is open to all ages on Oct. 24.

(Photo provided by the city of Peoria)

8

Take Your First Cool-Morning Hike

Sunrise Mountain offers an easy-to-reach escape in North Peoria

When cooler mornings return, Sunrise Mountain Preserve offers North Peoria residents a convenient excuse to get back on the trail. The Sunrise Mountain Trail begins near 27100 N. WestWing Parkway and covers about 3 miles, with AllTrails estimating about 1 hour, 25 minutes to complete the moderate route.

AllTrails users give the trail 4.6 out of 5 stars from nearly 3,000 reviews, making it the site’s top-ranked Peoria trail. Hikers frequently praise the desert and Valley views, convenient access, and the ability to connect with other trails for a longer or shorter outing.

The route follows the base of Sunrise Mountain rather than requiring a strenuous summit climb, although hikers should expect some rocky and uneven sections. There’s little shade, so even when fall arrives, an early start, water and sun protection remain good ideas.

Sunrise Mountain Preserve offers AllTrails’ top-ranked Peoria trail.

(Independent Newsmedia/Steve Stockmar)

9

Walk Through Glendale After Dark

A ghost tour mixes real local history with stories of things that go bump in the night

Historic downtown Glendale takes on a different personality after sunset. The “Gallows, Ghosts & Gunpowder” walking tour leads visitors about a mile through the old downtown, using historic buildings and landmarks as the setting for stories about Glendale’s past — and the ghosts that some say never left.

Stops include the Velma Teague Library, Robert W. Cole Building, and an historical marker honoring Glendale founder William J. Murphy. Their connections to Glendale history are real; the phantom footsteps, mysterious whispers and other supernatural experiences associated with them belong to local lore and reported encounters.

Glendale Ghost Tours & Haunted Pub Crawls offers the approximately one-hour tour nightly throughout the year. Tours begin at 8 p.m. near the street clock at 58th and Glendale avenues, and remain outdoors rather than entering the buildings along the route.

For skeptics, consider it an after-dark history walk through one of the West Valley’s oldest downtowns. For believers, keep an eye on those old buildings as you pass. Either way, comfortable walking shoes are a good idea. Call or text 623-289-3238.

The Robert W. Cole Building, at 7003 N. 58th Ave., in downtown Glendale, was built in 1919 and is one of the stops on the “Gallows, Ghosts & Gunpowder” walking tour.

(Independent Newsmedia/Steve Stockmar)

10

See Tomorrow’s Major Leaguers Today

Arizona Fall League opens with a free night of baseball in Peoria

Here’s a fall outing with a pretty good potential payoff: watch a future Major League star before most baseball fans know his name. 

The Arizona Fall League is Major League Baseball’s annual developmental league for top prospects from all 30 organizations. Six teams play around the Valley each fall, giving young players additional competition and development after the minor-league season. The 2026 Peoria Javelinas feature prospects from the Cardinals, Mariners, Orioles, Padres and Reds. Past Javelina players include Ronald Acuña Jr., Todd Helton, and Jason Giambi, not to mention active MLB standouts Max Fried, Jarren Duran, and Oneil Cruz.

Regular admission is $14 for adults, $12 for ages 11-17 and seniors 55 and older, and free for children 10 and younger. Parking is free.

Those night games deeper into October also usually represent our first chance in months to sit outside with — gasp! — a sweater!

The Peoria Javelinas opened their Arizona Fall League season against Mesa on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Peoria Sports Complex.

(Photo provided by Major League Baseball-Arizona Fall League)

Steve Stockmar
News Editor | Sun Life Magazine & Arts & Entertainment YourValley.net

sstockmar@iniusa.org

Meet Steve
Steve Stockmar joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, and has been an Arizona journalist for almost 30 years. He serves as editor of Sun Life Magazine and contributes to West Valley communities where he focuses mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference.

Community: Every season Steve serves as a “buddy” with the Miracle League of Arizona in Scottsdale, has volunteered his time with Family Promise in Glendale, and previously served on the Ghostlight Theatre board in Sun City West.

Education: Graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a Journalism major and English minor.

Random Fact: Steve once won a 50-player live Texas Hold ’Em poker tournament.

Hobbies: Anguishing over his beloved Chicago Cubs and Bears; listening to Beatles and Grateful Dead music.