Fall Festival Takes Center Stage at Fairgrounds This October 25 & 26!

The highly anticipated Fall Festival at the Verde Valley Fairgrounds is set to take place on Friday and Saturday, October 25 and 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to this vibrant event is free, offering a diverse range of activities including arts and crafts, animal showcases, and displays of classic American machinery.

According to Cristin Combs, the rental coordinator for the Verde Valley Fair Association, the festival promises family-friendly entertainment. “There will be games for children and various family activities,” Combs noted. The Arizona Flywheelers will showcase engines and tractors, performing demonstrations and holding a tractor pull throughout the event. The festival’s largest commercial building will host numerous craft vendors, featuring everything from knitted goods to handmade holiday items.

A highlight of this year’s festival is the introduction of a silky goat show, held in the show barn on both days. “We will have vendors selling goat-related products like goat soap and possibly goats for sale,” Combs added. Additionally, the event will feature a scarecrow contest open to local businesses and organizations, offering participants a chance to decorate scarecrow frames for a $25 entry fee. Attendees can vote for their favorite scarecrow during the festival.

Among the artistic exhibits will be “From One, Many,” a collaborative project by the El Valle Artists Association and the Verde Valley Photographic Society. The exhibit began with VVPS members choosing two photographs, one by Judy Manocchia and another by Larry Gallagher, serving as inspiration for new artistic interpretations.

“I’m a photographer, and my wife Debbie is a painter,” Gallagher explained. “We’ve done collaborative work where I photograph a scene, and she paints her version of it.” Sixteen pieces have been confirmed for inclusion in this exhibit, which aims to explore whether creativity thrives under constraints or from having endless choices.