On Friday, November 13, at 10 a.m., Saguaro Boulevard and the Avenue of the Fountains turn into an open-air gallery for three days. Thirteen days after the festival opens, on Thanksgiving morning, the same pavement becomes a 5K start line at 7:15 a.m. and a parade route at 9:30.
The calendar makes these look like separate events. On the street they share the same few intersections: Saguaro and Parkview, Verde River and the Avenue, Saguaro and El Lago. What changes from one event to the next is which of those corners is closed, which lot is open and what time the street clears. If you live in town, those details decide how the rest of November goes more than any event listing does.
Friday Through Sunday, the Grid Closes From the North
The Fountain Festival of Fine Arts & Crafts runs November 13 through 15. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, rain or shine, and admission is free. The Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce says the festival has a 50-year-plus history and brings more than 400 juried artists, and the Fountain Hills Times adds roughly 30 vendors for this fall's edition. The first one, in 1974, had 60 art vendors.
The Town's Experience Fountain Hills festival page lists three road closures for the whole event:
- Saguaro Boulevard from East Palisades Boulevard
- Parkview Avenue from North Saguaro Boulevard
- Verde River Road from East Parkview Avenue
That puts Palisades in charge of the north side of downtown for the weekend. If your usual route to the Avenue comes down Saguaro, it ends at Palisades through Sunday afternoon.
The Chamber's festival FAQ names three parking areas: near All American Sports Grill, along La Montana Boulevard near the Fountain Hills Post Office, and behind Chase Bank. There are no shuttles. ADA parking is available, and mobility scooters can be reserved ahead of time through Fountain Mobility or Southwest Mobility. The Town site recommends arriving early for the River of Time Museum lot or the municipal buildings downtown. It also gives the size of the festival footprint, about 2.5 miles round-trip, so comfortable shoes are worth it if you plan to see every booth.
Pets stay home this weekend, and service animals are welcome.
Where the Festival Stops to Sit Down
The festival has two anchors that most booth maps don't mark. According to the Chamber, the main VFW beer garden is at the Saguaro Food Court and a smaller one is at the Verde River Food Court. Both have live music, provided through VFW Fountain Hills Post 7507, with set times that change onsite. With a beer garden at each end, it's easy to set a meeting spot and walk the booths in between.
If you'd rather eat with a roof overhead, the Town's festival page suggests these downtown restaurants for covered patio or indoor seating close to the action:
| Craving | Downtown names the Town lists |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a light start | Fountain View Coffee, Papaya'z Crepes & Juice Bar |
| Pizza and Italian | Arrivederci Italiana, Euro Pizza Cafe, Rosati's Pizza |
| A full sit-down meal | All American Sports Grill, Georgie's, Sofrita |
| Something to sip or a sweet finish | Grapeables Fine Wines, OYO Yogurt |
The Town also points out that restaurant diners can usually use the restaurant's restrooms. The rest of the crowd has the public restrooms around Fountain Park and the portable stations along the route.
The fall show runs the second full weekend of November, and the Chamber has already set the next dates: February 26 to 28, 2027 for spring, and November 12 to 14, 2027 for next fall.
The Quiet Stretch Has Its Own Deadlines
Once the booths are gone on Sunday, the Avenue goes back to normal for ten days. Thanksgiving morning still has deadlines in the meantime, and the first one lands the day the festival closes.
The 36th Annual Turkey Trot 5K Run & Fitness Walk, run by Fountain Hills Community Services, requires pre-registration and offers no registration on race day. The Turkey Trot event page lays out the schedule:
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Through Nov. 15 | Standard registration: $40 for the 5K, $25 for runners 12 and under, $25 for the Fitness Walk, plus tax and fees |
| Nov. 16–19 | Early-bird packet pickup at Fountain Hills Town Hall for anyone who registered by Nov. 1 |
| Nov. 16–25 | Late registration: $45 for the 5K, $30 for 12 and under, $30 for the Fitness Walk, or until full |
| Nov. 23 | Packet pickup, 3 to 7 p.m., Fountain Hills Community Center |
| Nov. 24–25 | Packet pickup, 3 to 6 p.m., Fountain Hills Community Center |
Organizers expect registration to fill by November 20, and the page notes that it filled early last year. Early-bird packets come from Town Hall, 16705 E. Avenue of the Fountains, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Standard pickup on November 23 through 25 is at the Community Center, 13001 N. La Montana Drive. There's no pickup on race day.
There's something on the Avenue during the quiet stretch, too. On November 17, gourd artist Michele Mulleady is giving a live demonstration from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fountain Hills Artists' Gallery, 16858 E. Avenue of the Fountains, Suite 103.
Thanksgiving Morning, Corner by Corner
On November 26 the Avenue holds two events back to back, and each one uses the streets differently.
- 7:15 a.m. The Turkey Trot starts on the Avenue of the Fountains just east of Verde River Drive. The 5K and the 1.5-mile Fitness Walk both loop around Fountain Park and the fountain.
- While runners are out. The Town Hall and Community Center parking lot is closed until every runner is off the street, and then it reopens for exit traffic. The Town suggests Plot 208, behind the businesses on the Avenue, for extra parking.
- 8:15 a.m. Awards are presented at the start and finish line on the Avenue, with the top three in each age group from 12 and under through 80 and older.
- 9:30 a.m. The Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce's 42nd annual Thanksgiving Day Parade steps off. This year's theme is "Happy Birthday America!" Attendance and parking are both free.
- Before 11 a.m. The parade wraps up, with Santa as the last entry. It's his first holiday-season appearance in Fountain Hills.
The parade route connects the festival corners and the race corners. It starts at Saguaro Boulevard and Parkview, turns onto the Avenue, goes up the Avenue and back down to Saguaro, and finishes at Saguaro and El Lago. The Chamber's rules keep spectators at the curb or in the median. Walkers hand out candy at the curbside, and nothing is thrown from moving entries. Expect local businesses, veterans groups, classic cars, marching bands and dance routines. According to the Chamber, Fountain Hills has hosted a Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1984.
The 75 minutes between the awards and the parade start matter for anyone doing both. A runner who parks in Plot 208 avoids the closed Town Hall lot, finishes the 5K, stays for the 8:15 awards and can still claim a curbside spot on the Avenue before 9:30.
The Turkey Trot asks participants to leave pets at home, which matches the festival's rule two weeks earlier.
The Mayor's Challenge
Runners have an extra goal this year. Mayor Gerry M. Friedel will donate $1 to charity for every Turkey Trot runner who finishes ahead of him. According to the Town's announcement, last year's challenge, along with matching pledges from local businesses, raised more than $12,000 for Extended Hands Food Bank.
The Fountain Keeps Its Own Clock
The fountain that the Turkey Trot loops runs on its own published schedule. The Town's Experience Fountain Hills site lists it at the top of every hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., for 15 minutes each time, at a typical height of 330 feet. It reaches its full 560 feet only for special events. Winds over 10 mph can shut off the pump or keep the water below normal height. On that schedule, an early 5K finisher could catch the 9 a.m. run before the parade, and the 10 a.m. run would fall in the middle of the parade.
After the Avenue, the Season Moves to La Montana
In December the holiday season shifts a few blocks over to the Community Center. The Season's Celebration on December 12, from 5 to 7 p.m. at 13001 N. La Montana Drive, has 25 holiday tree displays, Santa, live music, crafts and an outdoor play area. The day before, the Fountain Hills Artists' Gallery hosts its Holiday Ornament Tree event, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on December 11, at 16858 E. Avenue of the Fountains. Most Turkey Trot runners pick up their packets at the Community Center, so many of them will already know the building by December.
If you're thinking about listing next year, the town's busiest weekends are good for noticing which blocks draw foot traffic. At NEW HAUS Real Estate Team, we'd be glad to talk it over with you once the parade has passed. Request Your Complimentary Home Valuation, and we'll bring the same attention to detail to your plans that the town brings to its Thanksgiving parade route.
