Desert Fall Festival opens second season in Surprise

The Desert Fall Festival opens its second annual season on Friday, September 25, operating for approximately one month on a 13-acre site across from the Surprise City Hall and Civic Center complex. The outdoor event offers activities such as operating full-sized excavators, zip lines, axe throwing, roller skating, and apple cannons.

Co-founder Shanelle Kunz created the festival alongside her team to address what they identified as a shortage of recreational and date-night events geared toward teens, young adults, and families in the West Valley. During the season, the operation employs more than 200 local workers and expects tens of thousands of attendees from across Arizona, neighboring states, and Mexico.

Organizers project the 2026 festival will generate between $3 million and $5 million in regional economic activity through spending at municipal hotels, restaurants, and retail shops. The City of Surprise is backing the event with tourism program funding that provides attendance-based reimbursements capped at $20,000. Additionally, the festival operates a charitable giveback program tied to alcohol sales, which has delivered six-figure funding to area non-profit organizations.