A Year In
Southwest USA
January
△ Wings over Willcox (mid–late Jan). See sandhill cranes and other migrating species at this birding and nature festival in Arizona, with tours, hiking, and photography sessions.
DISCOVER A Year in Southwest USA
February
△ Tubac Festival of the Arts (early Feb). Hundreds of artists from all over the USA come to display and sell their works at a three-day festival in this artsy community.
La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (mid–late Feb). The Tucson Rodeo celebrates the cowboy life with a variety of events, including the longest horse-drawn parade in the world.
DISCOVER A Year in Southwest USA
March
△ Guild Indian Fair and Market (1st weekend). Held at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, this fair features live cultural performances and arts and crafts by over 600 Native American artists from across the USA and Canada.
Tucson Festival of Books (1st weekend). This major free book festival brings hundreds of authors from all over the country.
DISCOVER A Year in Southwest USA
April
Tucson Folk Festival (1st weekend). Running since 1986, this large free music festival is held on five stages in the historic El Presidio district and features over 200 musicians.
△ Gathering of Nations (4th weekend). Several hundred tribes meet in Albuquerque for the biggest powwow in North America, with traditional music, singing, and dancing.
DISCOVER A Year in Southwest USA
May
△ El Cinco de Mayo (May 5). Towns across the Southwest celebrate Mexican-American culture with parades, music, and dancing.
Helldorado Days (mid-May). Las Vegas celebrates its cowboy past with a four-day rodeo, parade, carnival events, concerts, and contests, including a poker tournament.
DISCOVER A Year in Southwest USA
June
San Antonio Feast Day (Jun 13). Traditional corn dances are held at Taos, Sandia, and San Juan pueblos in New Mexico. Visitors are welcome to attend the festivities.
△ Telluride Bluegrass Festival (3rd weekend). Often coinciding with the summer solstice, this four-day festival of Americana roots music gathers musicians from all over the world.
DISCOVER A Year in Southwest USA
July
△ Prescott Frontier Days (1st week). Bull riding, barrel racing, bronco riding, and more are among the exciting performances at the world’s oldest rodeo in Northern Arizona.
Hopi Festival of Arts and Culture (early Jul). Held at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, this event features Hopi carvers, weavers, quilters, potters, and more, along with music, dance, and traditional foods.
DISCOVER A Year in Southwest USA
August
Old Lincoln Days (early Aug). Townfolk re-enact Billy the Kid’s escape from the Lincoln County Courthouse. There are also concerts and a parade.
△ Santa Fe Indian Market (3rd weekend). Film, literature, music, and fashion shows lead up to this prestigious event featuring Native artists from across North America.
DISCOVER A Year in Southwest USA
September
△ Navajo Nation Fair and Rodeo (early Sep). This week-long event in Window Rock, Arizona, showcases all aspects of Navajo culture, including music, dance, arts, crafts, cooking, and rodeo skills.
Hatch Chile Festival (Labor Day weekend). Along with lots of food and chili-eating contests, Hatch celebrates its local crop with music, magicians, hypnotists, and ventriloquists.
DISCOVER A Year in Southwest USA
October
△ Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (early Oct). Around 650 bright hot-air balloons fill the skies during this nine-day event, the largest of its kind in the world.
DISCOVER A Year in Southwest USA
November
Red Rock Film Festival (early Nov). Diverse films are shown at this event in Cedar City, Utah.
△ Festival of the Cranes (late Nov). Birders flock to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in Socorro, New Mexico to see thousands of migrating sandhill cranes.
DISCOVER A Year in Southwest USA
December
△ La Fiesta de Tumacácori (1st weekend). Held on the mission grounds, this festival celebrates the Native American heritage of the upper Santa Cruz Valley in Southern Arizona.