Broad swords and tacos, beer and trapeze artists, Bonnie Raitt and baklava. What do they all have in common — aside from being awesome, obviously?
There’s an upcoming festival featuring each one. Every single weekend this fall, a fest or two — or in some cases, seven — will enliven Vegas with food, music, Medieval cosplay and a whole lot more.
How to keep with it all? Start right here:
september
sept. 10
Yeah, we get it, the Elephantine Blues Bender doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, but “big” seems like a bit of an undersell considering how mammoth the four-day Big Blues Bender has become, with 40 acts performing from 12 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. daily including Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Tab Benoit and many more. It goes down Sept. 10-13 at the Westgate Las Vegas. bigbluesbender.com
sept. 11
Raise a stein as part of the Bavarian beer hall experience during Oktoberfest, Sept. 11-Oct. 31 at Hofbräuhaus Las Vegas. hofbrauhauslasvegas.com/oktoberfest
sept. 12
From concussive funk to slinky R&B to highly percussive hip-hop, Kaytranada underscores everything in his wide-ranging repertoire with a soulful sophistication. He headlines the return of the Paradice fest alongside Drama, Collect 200, Hooper and Dmtri at The Sandbar at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa on Sept. 12. paradicefest.com
sept. 18
The Royale with Cheese of multi-genre, mainstream music fests returns when the iHeart Radio Music Festival comes with another load-line-up spanning rock (Weezer, Muse, Smashing Pumpkins), country (Kenny Chesney, Lainey Wilson), hip-hop and R&B (Snoop Dogg, Ciara, Cardi B), pop (Benson Boone, Zara Larsson, BTS) and a whole lot more at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 18-19. iheart.com/music-festival
sept. 19
And there’s bound to be some food, and maybe a few drinks, during the Hispanic Heritage Month Festival on Sept. 19 at Craig Ranch Regional Park. cityofnorthlasvegas.com
Pedal pros and casual riders unite to explore the mountain bike and gravel trails at Southern Nevada Pedal Fest at Floyd Lamb Park on Sept. 19. lasvegasnevada.gov
sept. 24
MGM Resorts International will be showing out like rarely before during Drink Las Vegas. The inaugural festival will spotlight some of MGM’s chef partners, including Roy Choi, Tom Colicchio, Michael Mina, Masaharu Morimoto, Wolfgang Puck and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. They’ll be among the more than 40 chefs who’ll join influential mixologists and sommeliers from around the country for lunches, dinners, tastings, panels, seminars and parties across more than 30 venues. It’s scheduled for four calorically challenging days, Sept. 24 to 27, at Aria, Bellagio, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and Park MGM. drinklasvegas.com
sept. 25
If that’s somehow not enough food for you, hold on. During three of those days, Sept. 25-27, you can indulge with top food trucks and a beer garden during the Great American Foodie Fest at the Galleria at Sunset (greatamericanfoodiefest.com) and experience authentic cuisine during Greek Fest 2026 at Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, 5300 S. El Camino Road. lasvegasgreekfestival.com
sept. 26
Life is Beautiful may be gone, but its indie alternative, Life is S – – – proudly carries on as the city’s “longest runny music festival” with another impeccably curated roster of wide-ranging acts, from L.A. doom metal duo Pagoto to the devilishly funny Satan Himself to an array of Vegas’ finest bands including The Dirty Hooks, Same Sex Mary, The Desert Island Boys and many, many more at The Dive Bar on Sept. 26. badmoonbooking.live
Sometimes, Eric Benet cries. But R&B fans will be shedding tears of joy when he performs at the Las Vegas City of Lights SoulFest along with El DeBarge, Leela James, Chante Moore and others at the Clark Country Government Center Amphitheater on Sept. 26-27. tickets.cityoflightsmusicfestival.com
sept. 30
You also can carbo load during the 46th annual San Gennaro Feast, then hit the carnival rides, Sept. 30-Oct. 4 at the Rio. sangennarofeast.com
october
oct. 2
Henderson Hot Rod Days will present 700 classic, custom and muscle cars Oct. 2-3 along Water Street (cityofhenderson.com) while Las Vegas Bike Fest will celebrate 25 years of local motorcycle rallies Oct. 8-11 at Craig Ranch Regional Park and The Golden Nugget. lasvegasbikefest.com
oct. 3
One of the largest art festivals in the Southwest returns on Oct. 3 and 4 when Art in the Park takes over Boulder City. The decades-old fest is free to the public and benefits the Boulder City Hospital Foundation.
Head back in time with the 32nd annual Age of Chivalry Renaissance Festival the weekend of Oct. 9-11 at Sunset Park. lvrenfair.com
oct. 9
The Las Vegas Food & Wine Festival returns with more food — and wine — Oct. 9-11 at the Rio. vegasfoodandwine.com
Summerlin Festival of Arts will celebrate its 30th year Oct. 9-11 on The Lawn at Downtown Summerlin. summerlin.com
Come for the baklava, stay for Arabic bands, dance performances, kids’ activities and more homemade Middle Eastern delicacies at the Lebanese America Festival at St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church of Las Vegas on Oct. 9-11. lebaneseamericanfestival.com
Celebrate Filipino American History Month during Pinoy Festival Las Vegas from Oct. 9-11 at the Gold Coast. pinoyfestlv.com
Two powwows take place outside Las Vegas in fall, celebrating Indigenous culture and community with singing, dancing and tradition. First up is Las Vegas Paiute Tribe’s 34th annual Snow Mountain Pow Wow on Oct. 9-11, just north of town off U.S. 95 and Snow Mountain.
oct. 10
T.I. and Fat Joe will headline the Tacos and Tequila Festival along with performances by Pretty Ricky, Trina, Chingy, Petey Pablo, Ying Yang Twins, Bubba Sparxxx, Murphy Lee and DJ Ashton Martin. In addition to tacos and tequila, the event also promises exotic cars, lucha libre wrestling and a chihuahua beauty pageant. It’s scheduled for Oct. 10 at Las Vegas Ballpark. tacosandtequilafestival.com/market/las-vegas
Explore the cultural traditions of Mexican holiday Dia de Muertos at “Life in Death: Day of the Dead,” featuring an art exhibit and displays, performances, crafts and food vendors at the Winchester Cultural Center on Oct. 10-11. clarkcountynv.gov
Celebrate the 17th annual Aki Matsuri Japanese Festival with live entertainment including singers and dancers, authentic Japanese food and goods, kids activities, a sake tasting and more Henderson’s Water Street Plaza on Oct. 10. cityofhenderson.com
“Collie Man” dons a Speedo when reggae-rock favorites Slightly Stoopid co-headline the two-day Vegas Vibes fest with the Dirty Heads alongside The Hip Abduction, The Elovaters and others at The Sandbar at Red Rock on Oct. 10-11. reggaeriseup.com
oct. 17
The Las Vegas Book Festival, Nevada’s largest literary event, will mark its 25th installment Oct. 17 at the Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St. lasvegasbookfestival.com
“Resist, rejoice, rise” and celebrate diversity at the Las Vegas Pride Festival, where all are welcome at the Desert Breeze Events Center on Oct. 17. lasvegaspride.org
oct. 28
See trapeze artists, acrobats, jugglers and more go for the gold in one of the most ambitious live circus competitions around when the International Vegas Variety Circus Festival takes over the Cheyenne Sports Complex on Oct. 28-Nov. 1. vegasvarietycircusfestival.com
oct. 30
You’ll have plenty of time to recover from all those tacos before Viva Taco Fest rolls around. Billed as “the largest taco festival in the U.S.,” it’s scheduled for Oct. 30-Nov. 1 at Craig Ranch Regional Park. vivatacofest.com
Fan the Wacka Flacka Flame when the always-excitable rapper hits the stage at the Strong Music Fest with Yeat, Destroy Lonely, Slayr and others at the Thomas & Mack Center on Oct. 30. ikonpresents.com
There are few places better to spend Nevada Day than Beatty. From Oct. 30 through Nov. 1, Beatty Days takes over Cottonwood Park with music, a chili cook-off, classic car show, parade, bed races, cornhole, pet parade, desert art contest and a whole lot more.
november
nov. 2
The Dia De Los Muertos Festival brings children’s activities, artisan vendors, food, face-painting and an exhibition of altars created by community organizations and groups to Sammy Davis Jr. Festival Plaza on Nov. 2. lasvegasnevada.gov
nov. 6
Once again, engines and amplifiers will be revved in unison when the music-meets-motorsports SEMA Fest speeds into the Las Vegas Convention Center on Nov. 6 with an outdoor concert headlined by punk lifers The Offspring with Jimmy Eat World, 311 and The Alive. semafest.com
nov. 13
The fruit may be lackadaisical, but not the vibes when The Lazy Peach Music Fest makes it Vegas debut, promising to deliver “the ultimate EDM experience” with “good music, good people, good times” at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on Nov. 13-15. events.lazypeachmusicfestival.com
Step into the dystopian game world on Nov. 13-15 for Mojave Mayhem at Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, about 40 minutes south of Vegas. The massive “Fallout” festival celebrates the namesake video games and Amazon Prime TV series.
nov. 14
Some of the city’s top pizzerias and pizzaiolos will come together to offer unlimited samples during the Las Vegas Pizza Festival on Nov. 14 at The Industrial Event Space. vegaspizzafest.com
nov. 20
“What’s Luv?” Fat Joe once asked in his 2001 mega-hit of the same name. Well, Joe, we’d say it’s throwing a big, three-day music fest with headliners such as yourself, EDM superstars Marshmellow, Kaskade and Subtronics and rockers The Fray and not charging fans a dime. Feel said luv when the free Neon City Music Festival returns to the Fremont Street Canopy and other downtown venues on Nov. 20-22. neoncityfestival.com
The second powwow of the season in Southern Nevada is on Nov. 20-22. Viisit Pahrump for the Pahrump Social Powwow, with performances, art and authentic food at Petrack Park.
december
dec. 3
It’ll begin to feel a lot like Christmas when WinterFest returns with a tree lighting ceremony and drone show along with live holiday entertainment, the Electric Light Parade and more at Henderson’s Water Street Plaza on Dec. 3-4. cityofhenderson.com