Looking for an uneventful vacation? That won't happen in Tempe. You will always find special events in Tempe that capture the spirit of the Southwest, from music festivals to block parties!

• The Mill Avenue District is filled with artists, entertainers and shoppers for the Tempe Festival of the Arts, held the first weekend of December and the last weekend in March/the first weekend in April each year. The Tempe Festivals of the Arts are among the largest arts and entertainment festivals in the Southwest, drawing nearly half a million people to these award-winning events in Tempe annually. Artisans exhibit and sell hand-made works of art ranging from photography to sculpture to jewelry and everything in between. Another highlight is the food, with both traditional and ethnic eats, and non-stop live entertainment.
• Tempe's annual Way Out West Oktoberfest attracts over 200,000 people over three days. This free festival offers something for every age, day and night including: a Bavarian beer garden, free arts and crafts for the kids, bouncy rides, carnival games and a wide variety of family friendly entertainment including live music and polka dance lessons.
• Over 150,000 revelers take to the streets of The Mill Avenue District for the Fiesta Bowl Tempe Block Party, one of USA Today's top 10 places to ring in the New Year. Kick of Fiesta Bowl Tempe in style!
• Sway to the sounds of jazz and world beat music at Music in the Garden and Jazz in the Garden. Each fall and spring, these concert series are the centerpiece of the beautiful Desert Botanical Garden.
• Football and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Feel the excitement at an Arizona State University game. Or, watch some of the best college teams compete at the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium or the Insight Bowl, held annually on December 31 at Sun Devil Stadium.
• Run while you rock 'n' roll during the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon & ½ Marathon. Over 30,000 runners will cross the finish line in Tempe and stay for the post-concert at Tempe Beach Park. Start training now, the marathon is in January.
• Are you ready? Come watch some of the best athletes in the world compete at Ford Ironman Arizona in November.