The Sedona Arts Festival brings juried art, live music and food together for an annual outdoor show at Sedona Red Rock High School. It suits you if you want to browse original work across several media, hear local and regional musicians, or make an art show part of a longer Sedona stay.
You can build your visit around browsing rather than a fixed sequence of events. Leave space for a performance and a meal, particularly if you are coming with people whose interests range from painting to jewellery. The outdoor setting also makes clothing and sun protection part of the day’s preparation.
Dates and the official programme
- When
- Second weekend in October
- Duration
- Two days, Saturday and Sunday
- Included with paid entry
- Juried art displays and live music
- Optional purchases
- Art, food, drink and Gourmet Row merchandise
- Advance admission
- Not required, tickets also available at the gate
You can enjoy looking at the work without committing to a purchase. Choose your day around what you want to see and hear, with time to pause rather than just pass through the displays. If you have a particular artist in mind, leave room to return to their booth after your first look.
The organiser publishes each edition’s artist list and music programme in Festival News on the official Sedona Arts Festival website. Use the participant list to pick out artists or media you particularly want to see, and the performance programme to decide when to pause at the stage. If music matters as much as the artwork, let a performance shape your arrival rather than leaving it until the end of your visit.
Artist booths, live music and food
| Day | Festival hours | Stage performances |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 9am–5pm | 10am–3pm |
| Sunday | 10am–4pm | 10am–3pm |
The juried booths bring together painting, fibre art, jewellery and ceramics, alongside other media. More than 100 artists take part, giving you scope to compare work within a favourite medium or explore something less familiar. Begin with a browse before deciding where to spend longer, especially if you are considering buying an artwork.
Give your visit to Sedona Red Rock High School its own place in the day rather than treating the show as a quick stop among the shops in central Sedona. Browse with enough time to return to an artist whose work catches your attention before deciding on a purchase.
- Name
- Sedona Red Rock High School
- Location
- 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road, West Sedona Maps
- Essential fact
- Sedona Red Rock High School is the campus venue for the Sedona Arts Festival in West Sedona.
Local and regional musicians perform on the festival stage. Choose a performance first if live music is a priority, then browse the booths around it. Saturday gives you a browsing window before the usual music begins, while Sunday opens with performances already part of the day. On either day, leaving the stage until the final stretch risks missing the music.
Food trucks provide a meal break, and beer and wine are available. Gourmet Row adds regional speciality products and locally produced kitchen, bath and home items for sale. It is a separate browsing interest as well as part of the festival’s food offering, so allow for it if you enjoy shopping beyond fine art.
A comfortable visit need not cover every booth. Spend longer with work that interests you, pause for a performance, and make time to eat rather than trying to shop throughout. If you are buying something, think about carrying it for the rest of the visit and transporting it onwards, particularly when Sedona is one stop on a longer trip.
Tickets, purchases and room bookings
Adult admission is $5 per day, and children aged 12 and under enter free. Budget entry separately from food, drink and any art or merchandise you buy. If you intend to browse on both days, allow for admission on each day rather than treating the ticket as a weekend pass.
You can buy admission online through the official festival website. This lets you arrange entry before travelling, while leaving your choice of booths and performances flexible. Choose your visiting day around how much time you want at the show, not just the time needed to look at a few stalls.
Reserve your room once your festival-weekend dates are firm, particularly if you need a specific room type or location. Accommodation is a separate part of the trip budget, and an inexpensive festival ticket does not make the whole stay inexpensive. Decide whether you want to arrive before your festival day or combine the show with other time in Sedona.
Considering other Sedona festivals worth planning around can help you decide whether this art weekend should set your travel dates or be one part of a wider event-led trip.
Entry rules and outdoor comfort
The festival grounds are smoke-free. Keep this in mind when planning a longer visit with meals and performances as well as browsing.
Wear comfortable footwear for an outdoor art show, and choose layers you can remove as the day warms or put back on when you pause. A hat and sun protection are useful even when you expect to spend much of the visit looking at booths. Ordinary comfortable clothes are appropriate, with no need to buy a special festival outfit.
Leave room for breaks instead of moving continuously between displays. If you are visiting with children or with someone who tires while standing, alternate browsing with a meal or a pause for music rather than saving every break until the end.
Sources & fact-checking
Checks against the sources below cover: opening hours and services.
