Free This Weekend: Pride in Chandler, Feastival Food Trucks in Mesa, and Back to the Future Under the Stars in Apache Junction
By Tricia Manara
Gilbert to Apache Junction
Verified on organizer calendars
Weekend
Nov 14-15, 2026
Cities
5 Eastside towns
Cost
100% free
Great for
Festivals, foodies, families
This week's Free This Weekend guide covers Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026, with fully free events in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Queen Creek, and Apache Junction. Every date, time, venue, and free status below was verified against the organizer's own calendar or listing, and each event links to its source so you can confirm before you head out. The headline is a full free day in Chandler: a fire-station open house in the morning and the city's Pride celebration at QuartHaus in the afternoon, while Gilbert serves free BBQ samples and opens its observatory after dark, Mesa's Feastival food trucks and an ASU watch party take over downtown, Queen Creek's Family Market sets up at Schnepf Farms, and Apache Junction screens Back to the Future in the park. Family-friendly picks are flagged with a heart so you can spot them at a glance.
Gilbert's Saturday runs from morning to night without spending a dollar: the Art Walk and farmers market fill the Heritage District, a free grilling expo hands out BBQ samples on the south side, the Gilbert Days softball tournaments get the town's big annual celebration started, and the Rotary observatory opens its dome at the Riparian Preserve after sunset.
Saturday, Nov 14 Market 8 a.m. - noon | Art Walk 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Gilbert Art Walk & Heritage District Farmers Market
Family Friendly
Heritage District, 222 N Ash St, downtown Gilbert All ages, pets welcome
Gilbert's monthly Art Walk returns to the Heritage District beside the long-running Saturday farmers market: local artists, live acoustic music, and craft and food vendors filling the plaza under the water tower. Free to browse, dogs welcome, and one easy un-rushed morning of coffee, produce, and people-watching.
Arizona's Largest Grilling Expo: Gilbert Vendor Demo Day at BBQ Island
BBQ Island Inc, 4630 E Ray Rd, Gilbert Food lovers, all ages
A free community demo day at BBQ Island: 30-plus vendors, live cooking demos, complimentary BBQ samples and soft drinks, live music, and event-only sales on grills and gear. Bring an appetite and leave with dinner ideas for the whole week.
Saturday, Nov 14 & Sunday, Nov 15 All day, both days
Gilbert Days Softball Tournaments
Gilbert community fields; adult bracket at Cactus Yards Sports fans, all ages
Gilbert's signature Gilbert Days celebration kicks off a week early with community softball tournaments across town, with the adult bracket at Cactus Yards from Saturday morning. Free to spectate, and a fun sneak preview of the parade and festival coming Saturday, Nov 21.
Saturday, Nov 14 Sunset to 9:30 p.m., weather permitting
Gilbert Rotary Centennial Observatory
Family Friendly
Riparian Preserve, 2757 E Guadalupe Rd, Gilbert All ages, stargazers
Free public stargazing at the Gilbert Rotary Centennial Observatory inside the Riparian Preserve, open Friday and Saturday evenings from sunset to 9:30 p.m. Catch Jupiter, Saturn, and the fall constellations through a serious telescope without leaving town. Weather permitting, so peek at the observatory site before you go.
Chandler stacks a whole free day on Saturday: the fire department opens Station No. 8 for tours in the morning, a library talk traces Arizona's military aviation history late morning, and the city's annual Pride celebration fills QuartHaus with live entertainment and vendors in the afternoon.
Saturday, Nov 14 9 a.m. - noon
CFD Open House at Fire Station No. 8
Family Friendly
Chandler Fire Station No. 8, 711 W Frye Rd, Chandler Families with kids, all ages
The Chandler Fire Department throws open the doors of Fire Station No. 8 for a free open house: tour the station, meet the crew, check out the engines and apparatus, and pick up a free fire helmet for the little ones. A classic Saturday-morning stop for young firefighters.
Our Stories: Western Warbirds, the History of Military Aviation in Arizona
Downtown Library, Chandler History buffs, all ages
A free speaker program at Chandler's Downtown Library exploring the history of military aviation in Arizona, from the Warbirds era through today. A cool, quiet, air-conditioned stop that pairs perfectly with the fire station open house up the street.
QuartHaus, 201 S Washington St, downtown Chandler All ages, families
Chandler's annual Pride celebration fills QuartHaus with live entertainment, food, local vendors, and activities, welcoming all ages in the heart of downtown. A bright, joyful community afternoon, free to walk into, presented by Chandler Pride.
Mesa's Saturday is downtown from morning to night: the farmers market opens at the Mesa Arts Center, an ASU watch party takes over The Plaza at Mesa City Center midday, and the bi-weekly Feastival fills Pioneer Park with food trucks after dark.
Saturday, Nov 14 8 a.m. - noon
Downtown Mesa Farmers Market
Family Friendly
Mesa Arts Center, 1 E Main St, downtown Mesa All ages, foodies
The year-round Saturday farmers market on the Mesa Arts Center campus brings local produce, baked goods, handmade crafts, and fresh coffee to downtown Mesa. Free to browse, easy to reach by light rail, and the perfect slow start to a downtown day.
Saturday, Nov 14 Kickoff 12:30 p.m. Arizona time (listed, subject to change)
Gameday at the MIX
The Plaza at Mesa City Center, 56 E Main St, Mesa Sun Devil fans, all ages
A free big-screen ASU Sun Devil watch party on The Plaza at Mesa City Center: the Sun Devils are on the road at UCF on Saturday, and the game plays live on the ASU MIX Center's large outdoor screen. Kickoff is listed around 12:30 p.m. Arizona time, but college football times shift all season, so check the city calendar before you go, then claim a spot on the plaza.
Pioneer Park, 526 E Main St, downtown Mesa All ages, food lovers
Mesa's bi-weekly food truck event is free to walk into: 10 to 15 gourmet trucks, live music, and boutique vendors spread across Pioneer Park. Dinner is the only expense, and the crowd builds by early evening, so come hungry and a little early for the shortest lines.
Queen Creek keeps this Saturday free and farmy: the monthly Family Market sets up at Schnepf Farms with handmade goods, boutique vendors, food, and kids' activities, with free admission and free parking.
Saturday, Nov 14 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Queen Creek Family Market at Schnepf Farms
Family Friendly
Schnepf Farms, 24810 S Rittenhouse Rd, Queen Creek All ages, families
The monthly Family Market moves to Schnepf Farms for November: local vendors with handmade goods, boutique finds, food, face painting, and kids' activities spread across the farm grounds. Free admission and free parking, all ages welcome, and the farm itself is worth a stroll while you are there.
Apache Junction goes two-for-two on free Saturday fun: a fairytale morning at the Multi-Generational Center, then Back to the Future on an inflatable screen under the November sky at Flatiron Community Park.
Saturday, Nov 14 10 a.m. - noon
Fairytale Faire in the English Gardens
Family Friendly
Multi-Generational Center, 1035 N Idaho Rd, Apache Junction Young kids, families
An enchanted-garden themed community morning at the Multi-Generational Center, with royal activities, crafts, a Pixie Dust Parlor, and special guests for little ones. A gentle, free way to start the weekend with the under-eight set.
Flatiron Community Park, 100 N Apache Trail, Apache Junction All ages, families
Apache Junction's free movie in the park screens the time-travel classic on an inflatable screen under the November sky, presented by SRP. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, layer up for the cool evening, and arrive a little early for a good spot on the grass. Popcorn optional, nostalgia required.
Free means genuinely free: every pick above has no entry fee, no ticket, and no wristband. Food-truck dinners, market shopping, and the BBQ samples at the expo are the only things that cost money, so bring a little cash if you plan to snack.
Chandler's free day stacks neatly: the fire station open house runs 9 a.m. to noon, the library talk starts at 10:30 a.m., and Pride at QuartHaus starts at 4 p.m. Park once and walk the blocks.
The observatory at the Riparian Preserve opens at sunset and only when the sky cooperates, so check the GRCO site before you go if stargazing is your plan.
November evenings on the Eastside cool off fast after sundown. The Feastival and the Apache Junction movie are outdoor plans, so toss a light jacket in the car.
Nearly everything on this list is a Saturday event, which makes Sunday perfect for a slower pace: a market stroll, a park walk, or a quiet afternoon before the week starts.
Peek at next weekend
Next Saturday, Nov 21, is Gilbert Days: the parade rolls through the Heritage District on Gilbert Road in the morning, the free Gilbert Days Festival with live music and food runs 4 to 9 p.m. at Gilbert Regional Park, and the half marathon and 10K fill the morning. The holiday season follows fast with Scottsdazzle and the Mesa Temple Christmas Lights kicking off Nov 28. We will have the next weekend's verified free column here on Friday, Nov 20.
Every event above was verified against the organizer's own calendar or a live event listing in the week of November 13, 2026. Times and stage schedules can shift, the ASU kickoff time is set by the Sun Devils' schedule, and the observatory opens only weather permitting, so tap the source link on any event before you head out.
Where This Weekend's Picks Come From
Each event above links to its official listing. Here are the organizer and city calendars we checked this week.
This guide is part of our weekly Free This Weekend series, researched and verified fresh every Friday for the days ahead. Know a free East Valley event we should include next week? Send Tricia a note.
The free stuff is how you really get to know the Eastside. If these towns are starting to feel like home, let us talk about finding your own spot in one of them, from Gilbert to Apache Junction.
