In the mid-1980s, Interstate 10 was being built straight through the F.Q. Story neighborhood, and the demolitions threatened to split it in two. Residents started a grassroots fundraiser to help win historic designation, and it became a home tour. On Saturday, December 5, 2026, that fundraiser runs for the 40th time.
The F.Q. Story tour closes a run of Saturdays this fall, and neighborhood groups and small nonprofits organize every one of them. Each event carries the story its neighborhood tells about itself. The oldest started as a way to save houses. The newest asks neighbors to draw the artwork for a game of lotería.
The Saturdays, in calendar order
- November 7: Grand Avenue Festival. It runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Historic Grand Avenue. Free, all ages.
- November 14: La Lotería de Coronado. It runs 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Virginia Park, 15th Street and Virginia Avenue. Free.
- November 21: WayneFest. It runs 5 to 9 p.m. at Coronado Park, 1717 N. 12th St. Advance tickets are $20 for adults.
- December 5: The 40th F.Q. Story Home & Garden Tour and Holiday Marketplace. It runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tour tickets are $30 in advance and $35 after December 2. The marketplace is free.
One Downtown Phoenix Inc. event listing shows a 10 a.m. start for the Grand Avenue Festival. The organizer's own page says 11 a.m., so check the day before you go.
A home tour that began as a preservation fund
The F.Q. Story tour has always been about the houses, because the houses were what was at risk. The Story Preservation Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, still runs it. Sponsorship money goes to historic preservation, neighborhood programs and community projects in the district.
The tour usually includes 9 to 12 homes, 6 to 8 gardens, and Franklin School, which the organizers describe as a historic landmark. This year's route centers on the southern streets of Latham, Portland and Roosevelt. The open-air Holiday Marketplace sets up on West Portland Street between Ninth and 13th avenues, with food vendors on the 11th Avenue cross street. The organizers have not yet named the 2026 homes, and their pages don't confirm Franklin School for this year's route.
Some logistics matter if you're bringing guests:
- Children 12 and under get in free with an adult.
- Many homes have stairs, narrow hallways and original details that limit access. The marketplace is on flat ground and is ADA accessible.
- Street parking surrounds the neighborhood. Electric golf carts called Reindeer Shuttles, driven by volunteers the organizers call Story Elves, run between the homes and the marketplace.
- The tour goes on rain or shine, and there are no refunds for rain.
The marketplace has turned the tour into a holiday shopping date too. The organizers describe artisan crafters, live music and local food. Anyone can walk the marketplace for free. You need a ticket only to go inside the homes and gardens.
Grand Avenue made its buildings part of the program
The Grand Avenue Festival came about two decades after the F.Q. Story tour and kept its focus on buildings. In 2011, Phoenix New Times called that year's event the third annual festival. That year's program included a recycled-fashion show. The street's buildings had their own preservation stories. Bragg's Pie Factory at 1301 Grand Ave. was built by the Bragg family in 1947 as a bakery. It sat empty after the family moved out in the 1960s, until Beatrice Moore and Tony Zahn reclaimed it in the early 2000s. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and holds artist studios and galleries. In 2014, the Grand Avenue Members Association organized the sixth festival. Beatrice Moore of the association announced a partnership with the Phoenix Annual Parade of the Arts, and that year's program included a historic-building tour.
Today the street itself is the venue. New Times named the festival Best Street Fair in its 2026 Best of Phoenix. It reports that Grand Avenue closes to cars from Seventh Avenue to about 15th Avenue, and vendors, performers, artists, food trucks and community groups fill the roadway. The organizers haven't published a 2026 vendor list, but the businesses along the street are easy to find before the crowds arrive. The Historic Grand Avenue directory lists Hawk Salvage at 1109 Grand Ave., Motley Design Group at 1114 Grand Ave., and Hazel & Violet at 1301 Grand Ave. Desert Rewind, a vintage shop at 1344 W. McKinley St. just off Grand, appeared on Downtown Phoenix Inc.'s list of new businesses in July.
Volunteers prepare the street before the festival. A Grand Avenue Neighborhood Clean-Up is set for Saturday, October 17, from 9 to 11 a.m.
Coronado named its music festival after a childhood home
WayneFest moves the focus from buildings to the people who have lived in them. Phoenix New Times reports that guitarist and former Coronado resident Mike Logan started the festival in 2018 to share the neighborhood's spirit with the rest of the Valley. The name points to Wayne Newton, whose childhood home is in Coronado. About 800 people came to the first one. When Logan described that first year to New Times in 2019, he called it a giant backyard barbecue with live music in Coronado Park.
"It's all about celebrating music." Mike Logan, speaking to Phoenix New Times in 2019
The eighth WayneFest is run by Amplified Arizona, a nonprofit. The bands are Saint Apollo, a Phoenix indie art-rock group; Echo Twins; and Znora, a rock trio from Tucson. DJ Zona and Katey Time play DJ sets. The Main Ingredient Ale House and Cafe presents the music. Food comes from Mariscos Boys, Taco Boys, La Gran Papota, Coronado Smokehaus and Circa Coffee. Valley Space Bar pours beer, cocktails and mocktails. The organizers also promise a mini skate park and live art.
Tickets are $20 for adults in advance and $30 at the door. Kids 3 to 12 are $10. Bring an acoustic guitar, flute, clarinet, trumpet, saxophone, violin or cello in working condition and you get in free. Every instrument goes to a Phoenix public school music program. According to the Eventbrite listing, $1 from each adult ticket goes to North High School's music program. The organizers suggest walking, biking or taking the bus, and a bus stop sits right at the park.
The newest event asks neighbors to draw the cards
La Lotería de Coronado goes furthest in making neighbors the subject. The Coronado Neighborhood Association runs it as a free night of lotería, a game like bingo, with prizes, an emcee, a DJ and food. The association posts its description in both English and Spanish.
The cards are made locally. Each tabla holds 54 pieces of art, arranged at random, and every one shows a place, thing or trait of Coronado. The association says neighbors, friends and artists of all ages and abilities make the artwork. Each artist can sign up for up to five items from a list. Local businesses can buy one of up to 15 sponsorships at $100 each and become card art themselves.
The game has been growing. In 2024 and 2025, the association's calendar shows one lotería night a year, both in early May. In 2026 there was a spring game on April 25, and the fall game on Saturday, November 14, is a second round at Virginia Park.
How the four Saturdays line up
All four events are on Saturdays, and they mostly happen in the evening or on foot. WayneFest and the lotería night both start at 5 p.m., one week apart, at Coronado Park and Virginia Park. The Grand Avenue Festival is a daytime street closure. The F.Q. Story tour works best for a long morning on foot. Shuttles cover the gaps between houses, and you can come back to the marketplace for lunch on 11th Avenue.
If you're hosting guests for the holidays, the F.Q. Story tour is the easiest one to plan around. The date is fixed and you can buy tickets ahead. Grand Avenue costs nothing and needs no reservation. The two Coronado nights are best for anyone who lives within walking distance.
The house tours, music nights and hand-drawn lotería cards all come from residents who looked after their own blocks. For more than 40 years, the work behind these neighborhoods has been about keeping the homes and the community intact. At Sacha Blanchet Fine Homes, we apply that same care to older homes through our in-house maintenance, trades and design team. If you own a home in one of Phoenix's historic districts and want an honest read on its value, or advice on preparing it for the next owner, request a free consultation or home valuation.
