30 fun events happening in Tucson this weekend, Nov. 13-15 💖🌵

Tucson residents have a full slate of ways to spend the Nov. 13 to 15 weekend, with outdoor markets, art tours, live performances, family activities, sports and community gatherings spread across the city. The forecast is finally inviting people outside, and several events offer free admission or suggested donations, while others provide opportunities to shop from local artists, makers and food vendors. Some listings extend beyond the weekend, so visitors should check individual event pages for schedules, registration requirements and ticket availability.

The Loft Film Fest is celebrating its 16th year with a program focused on independent, foreign and classic films. The festival also highlights the work of established and emerging directors, writers, producers and actors. At the Tucson Convention Center’s Alva B. Torres Plaza, the Barrio Stories 10 Year Celebration will present 10 plays based on neighborhood histories, family stories and Tucson cultural traditions. The program includes live mariachi music and poetry readings. Admission is a suggested $25 donation, and Barrio Viejo walking tours are offered separately.

Sports fans can head to Arizona Stadium for a Wildcats football game. Ticket information is available through ArizonaWildcats.com/FB or by calling 520-621-CATS. The game day experience includes tailgating, the Cat’s Corner Premium Section and a new Code Red Light Show, with ticket options intended for families, groups and fans seeking either general value or premium hospitality. For another kind of spectacle, TusCon 53 at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Tucson Airport will bring together science fiction, fantasy and horror fans for panels, discussions, gaming, craft workshops and a drag show.

Creative Tucson will be especially visible during the Arts Foundation’s 2026 Open Studio Tours. More than 300 Southern Arizona artists are expected to open their workspaces to the public over three days, giving visitors a look at unconventional art spaces, live demonstrations and workshops. The tours are free, although attendees should bring money if they plan to purchase artwork. An artisan festival at Rillito Raceway Park will offer another large-scale shopping opportunity, with more than 250 artists and makers, live entertainment and culinary experiences. The Mercado Flea, at the Mercado District, will feature more than 50 vendors selling antique and vintage items.

Several smaller markets and specialty events add more local flavor. The Tucson Hop Shop will host a makers market from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, with vendors offering clothing, jewelry, pottery and stickers. Yolia Botanica will hold a free community market featuring locally made goods. Hotel Congress will host a Candy Land themed market, where costumes, local vendors, live music, arts and crafts are part of the experience. The Tucson Expo Center will be the site of a vintage toy gathering with Pokémon, G.I. Joe, Monster High dolls, comics, video games and other collectibles.

Families can visit Children’s Museum Tucson for an event featuring interactive exhibits, PBS Kids characters, a comic bookmobile and creative activities. The museum also hosts Discovery Nights, a free evening program with science and art, story times and pop up experiments. At Reid Park Zoo, the opening of the Pathway to Asia exhibit will be celebrated throughout the weekend with cultural performances and animals. Admission is $12.75 for adults ages 15 to 61, $10.75 for visitors 62 and older, and $9 for children ages 2 to 14. Online reservations are recommended.

Community and identity are central to several other gatherings. Desert Goth Club is organizing Tucson’s first beauty convention at the 4th Avenue Coalition Space, with vendors selling cosmetics, tooth gems, custom extensions, perfumes and more. The Pima County Public Library’s pride committee will host a fair at Richard Elias Mission Library, offering resources for LGBTQ residents of Pima County and an altar honoring Trans Day of Remembrance. Pima Animal Care Center’s fourth annual Fall Festival will include food trucks, free family games, music and free pet adoptions. Food purchases will cost extra.

The weekend also includes ways to gather around reading, movement and the outdoors. Tucson Love Letter and Stacks Book Club are planning a reading rave at Reid Park by the duck pond, where participants can read together while listening to music. Guests should bring a book, blankets and snacks, and RSVP through Stacks’ website. Studio Fuerza and Park Place Mall will offer a free Pilates class from 9:45 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, for beginners and experienced participants who register online. At the Mount Lemmon Lodge, astronomer Zane Landers will lead a guided stargazing experience focused on star clusters, nebulae, double stars and other night sky objects.

Other listings connect Tucson’s social, cultural and culinary scenes. A festival celebrating Chinese chorizo, described as a lost historic food symbol, will continue throughout the month, with restaurants and food vendors serving dishes featuring the ingredient. The Presidio Museum’s calendar includes walking tours of downtown areas and themes such as the Turquoise Trail, Armory Park, Barrio Viejo, Death After Dark, public art and murals. Sunset Yoga takes place Tuesdays at the MSA Annex with instructor Joanna. A Thursday run club meets for a four mile slower paced route past iconic murals and the rattlesnake bridge before stopping at a bar for drinks. The Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild will welcome artists of all levels to a relaxed open studio morning, while Snakes and Lattes will offer late night music, hosted games, prizes and craft cocktails.

One additional community service effort will take place at the Tucson Convention Center, where injury attorneys Lerner and Rowe will distribute 750 packages containing ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal. Visitors should consult event listings before heading out, since some activities require advance registration, paid tickets or separate costs for food and shopping. A performance of Houses of Zodiac: Poems for Cello, featuring former Kronos Quartet cellist Jeffrey Zeigler and Tucson native Paola Prestini, is scheduled for Nov. 22 at La Rosa rather than this weekend. Tens of thousands of local interests are represented across the calendar, from art and astronomy to food, books, animals and neighborhood history.