This is a list of every single November-December craft fair, art sale, holiday boutique, bazaar, and pop-up market south of Picacho Peak…
…that I could find.
Christmas tree at Mercado San Agustín during the Holiday Bazaar
For the second year, I scoured the internet, made U-turns and slowed traffic to read little roadside signs, sent emails and texts to strangers, and joined Facebook groups for places where I don’t necessarily live – all in search of the holiday season markets you may not have heard about.
Roadside craft show sign for Angels Too Marketplace
What’s on the list?
This time, I found over 130 upcoming pop-ups from as far west as Somerton and as far east as Willcox! Some are traditional Christmas markets and others are part of larger events. Some just happen to occur in November or December and don’t have a thing to do with any holidays.
They will be taking place in parks and parking lots, at wineries and cafes, schools and churches, gardens, malls, and historic sites. There are markets scheduled in two former monasteries. Did you know there’s a KOA Campground just north of the Tucson Airport? Yep! And they’re hosting a craft fair too.
Updated for 2026. Since I’m no longer an Etsy affiliate, I’m including some non-Etsy shops in this edition!
Via PetiteChicPooch reviewer Lindsey
One of the best things about Halloween is seeing ridiculously cute pet costumes! For those dogs who aren’t big fans of dressing up, here are over a dozen ideas for costume components that should go on with minimal fuss and be comfortable for them to wear. There’s something here for even the most costume-adverse canine (and some for cats too!)
For those of you with multiple pets, I’ve included some group costume ideas for your whole pack.
Online reviews can be helpful, surprising, perplexing, or downright unhinged. And I find the whole phenomenon delightful. So every once in awhile I share a few of them with you.
This time, in keeping with our current series, I’ve chosen reviews from cities on Route 66. The quotes and ratings are from actual reviews I’ve come across.
Via Cafe Castro, Santa Fe, NM
1. Crowding the Plate
Reviewed: Café Castro in Santa Fe, NM
“Plate is overcrowded with food.”
First-world problems.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars for the restaurant serving too much food. Or maybe for not having bigger plates.
“They have irons and boards in the room. Irons are not listed on their website and no other reviews stated that. As boomers, we still iron our clothes and were super pleased to find them.“
For some people, this is a pressing issue.
I can confirm that there was an iron and ironing board in our room at Hotel Elev8 – and that I didn’t mention them in my review either.
Rating: 4 stars from Boomers who need their daily iron.
“A tourist trap and over hyped place. Pier 39 is a million times better.”
It is also famously touristy.
Rating: 2 stars for not being the reviewer’s favorite overhyped tourist trap.
Louise Cundiff’s Tower Station by Google user Ladislava Nohejlová.
4. Wedding Venue?
Reviewed: Ruins of Cundiff’s Tower Station outside of Winslow, AZ
“We got married here on Halloween 2021. Best wedding venue EVER”
What the reviewer is referring to as a “wedding venue” is actually part of a burned-out gas station in a ghost town. So congratulations to the bride and ghoul!
Rating: 5 stars. And they lived haunted-ly ever after.
Phillip walking through Chicago O’Hare airport
5. Very Unstable
Reviewed: Best Western At O’Hare in Chicago, IL
“Cable is very unstable and the only response from staff was that they would comp breakfast as long as I showed up between 6:30 and 7 am.“
6:30-7am? This almost seems like the staff pranking the reviewer. Especially since this hotel already offers free breakfast.
“Went to bed with a bag of veggie straws and was charged an exorbitant amount of $10 for it.”
That’s really between you and the snack you hopped into bed with.
Rating: 2 out of 10 by a hangry guest, whose review ends with “Ship this place.”
Photo of nearby Meteor Crater, which also happens to be old and cracked. Via Clarion Pointe Winslow.
6. “Old and cracked”
Reviewed: Clarion Pointe Winslow I-40 in Winslow, AZ
“Bathtub old and cracked. It looked like my face. Not a good look.”
Rating: 1 star. But at least the bathtub is fixable.
This is my handpicked list of intriguing things I found going on throughout Arizona – as well as some you can enjoy anywhere – for the months of September + October!
*Stars highlight discounts, extras, and other goodies!
While the list focuses on Arizona events, I highlight several ways to participate ANYWHERE.
Happening annually on the first Saturday in September, this day is about educating the public on vultures + condors. These are often misunderstood but vitally important creatures.
“Common Green Darner” sculpture by Alex Heveri at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Virtual Dragonfly Festival Events
September 8 + 16
Zoom
The Dragonfly Festival takes place throughout September in Southern Arizona. While many of the events include in-person visits to waterways in the region, there are a couple presentations that anyone can join via Zoom! Each talk focuses on a specific type of dragonflies and is given by a Pima County Conservation Lands and Resources naturalist.
Sep. 8, 7-8pm MST:Pond Damsels, the largest damselfly family in the world.
Sep. 16, 7-8pm MST: Skimmers, a colorful and common group of dragonflies that you can spot at ponds and streams.
Under the theme “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day,” this year’s International Day of Peace honors the ‘everyday architects of peace’—people driving local action, laying the groundwork for stability, and building a lasting peace from the ground up. Continue reading “Fall Happenings 2026: Sep/Oct”
