Head to the Southwest Valley for an annual celebration to honor a city founder.

Avondale will host Billy Moore Days from Oct. 3-6 at Festival Fields Park, 101 E. Lower Buckeye Road. The city celebrates its history and heritage with all the favorite elements including a carnival, parade, wild west shows, live music, hands-on activities, crafts, face painters, and more.

Avondale's founding father, William "Billy" G. Moore, arrived in Arizona in the late 1860s and settled near the Agua Fria River in 1880, the city states on its website of its history. Moore called his settlement “Coldwater, Arizona,” apparently both for the river and the water that flowed from a local spring.

In the early 1900s, the Coldwater post office moved to a site near Avondale Ranch, the city explains. The post office soon became known as Avondale, and the name Coldwater was discontinued. In December 1946, the city of Avondale was incorporated.

Carnival hours will go from 6-10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3; 6-11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4; 2-11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5; and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6.

The Billy Moore Days parade starts at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 along Central and Western Avenues. Entry fee for a float, vehicle or pedestrian group is $25, and the deadline to register for the parade is Sunday, Sept. 22.

Contact the Avondale Parks & Recreation Department at 623-333-2400 or ActiveAvondale@AvondaleAZ.gov for more information.

(Photo provided by the city of Avondale)