24 NOVEMBER 2026 By Rachael Bouley One of Local First Arizona’s signature events returns November 7 at Margaret T. Hance Park for its 20 th anniversary. For two decades, the free event, now known as Arizona Fall Fest, has brought thousands together for a day of shopping, food, and entertainment in downtown Phoenix. It has become part of Local First Arizona’s mission to strengthen local businesses and communities and build a resilient, inclusive economy. Thomas Barr, VP of Strategic Initiatives for Local First Arizona, credits the festival with connecting people to place and building hometown pride. “We needed an event to bring everyone together to meet locally owned businesses,” Barr said. “Its purpose is to connect people who care about their community with the entrepreneurs and businesses in our neighborhoods that make Arizona a great place.” When it first launched in 2005, the festival featured 30 vendors in the parking lot of Duck and Decanter. It has since grown into a much larger event at Hance Park. “We host over 250 vendors, have a local craft beer and wine garden, 20+ food trucks and tons of activities for everyone in the family to enjoy and experience together,” Barr added. While it’s grown tremendously over the years, one thing has stayed the same: Arizonans own every business. A variety of industries are represented: restaurants, boutiques, jewelers, artists, wineries, breweries, bookstores, museums, and makers. Regular participants include Changing Hands Bookstore, Cowtown Skateboards, SanTan Brewing, Samurai Comics, Frances Boutique, Stinkweeds Records, Fairytale Brownies, and many others. “For the first time, many people are discovering these businesses and considering the importance of how you spend your money,” Barr explained. “We know that more money stays in our community when spent with a local business, and to see that click for thousands of people has a major impact for Arizona.” Guests can browse a wide range of products from unique vendors and enjoy food and drinks from eateries and food trucks. Activities include live music by local bands, a Bark Park with dog adoptions, the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, and a live mural. The festival highlights the impact of supporting local, where meaningful connections form and stories are shared. “This event has been a staple for businesses to build a following and grow,” Barr said. “Companies at the original fall festival like Spinato’s Pizzeria have attributed the event to being part of their growth strategy to expand from two to eight locations.” The 20 th anniversary edition will be a very special day, with the Localist Activity Zone raffling off gift cards to restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops, plus popcorn and character photo opportunities with Harkins Theatres. Musical chairs, kite making, and bubble soccer will also be part of the fun. “We will be introducing the best new way to find businesses in Arizona through the Localist AZ App,” Barr added. “Attendees who download the app will be provided with Localist postcards and a raffle ticket, and we’ll have new t-shirts, hats, and tote bags to show off that you love supporting local.” The 2026 Arizona Fall Fest will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The first 300 attendees will receive a free tote bag filled with goodies and coupons. localfirstaz.com/fall-fest Certified Local Fall Festival celebrates 20 years By Mallory Gleich When she arrived in America in 1977, Eleanora Ioffe was 21, exhausted, and facing a future she couldn’t imagine. Today, that life-changing journey is the subject of An Immigrant’s Song: On Becoming Myself, Eleanora’s memoir about family, freedom, growth, and the unexpected ways we come to understand ourselves. She decided to write the book to preserve what remained of her family’s history. By the time she started writing, both of her parents had passed away, she had no extended family in the United States, and she had lost touch with relatives in the former Soviet Union. “The past was slipping away,” Eleanora recalls, prompting her to gather old photographs, documents, and memories before they disappeared entirely. Growing up Jewish in the Soviet Union meant navigating a society where antisemitism was part of everyday life. Her father encouraged her to keep her identity private, repeatedly warning her not to tell anyone. Though meant to protect her, the message left a lasting impression on a shy young girl. Leaving the Soviet Union offered a chance to start over, despite the uncertainty of emigrating and the intimidation she faced from Soviet authorities. On April 13, 1977, Eleanora and her brother landed at New York’s JFK Airport, stepping into a world of freedom and opportunity that had once seemed impossible. In the memoir, she describes the experience as being “born at age 21.” Suddenly, she had to learn everything: navigating grocery stores and banking, finding work and paying rent. Her first American job was on a factory assembly line, earning $2.50 an hour. She later moved into receptionist and clerical positions, eventually building a 20-year career in marketing and communications. Along the way, she also worked as a Russian-language translator and freelance interpreter. She kept learning and took every opportunity offered. Over the years, she explored yoga and dancing, acting, modeling – even flying a plane. She credits a lifelong curiosity, fueled by childhood imagination and books, for her willingness to try new things. Immigration also taught her that life doesn’t have to follow a predetermined path. “Once you have left your country, your language, your familiar world and everything you know behind, the idea of reinventing yourself becomes much less frightening. It actually becomes natural,” Eleanora said. While writing her memoir, she said revisiting difficult memories helped her reconsider experiences she had carried for decades and gradually let go of old pain and resentment. She discovered that documenting the past could also help her make peace with it. Ultimately, she hopes readers will recognize something of their own experiences in her story, regardless of where they come from. Her central message is that while our past shapes us, it doesn’t have to dictate our future. Understanding our beginnings can help us accept what we can’t change and choose a new direction when we need to. An Immigrant’s Song: On Becoming Myself is available for purchase on Amazon. arizonaauthors.org Making peace with the past, to thrive in the future Eleanora Ioffe Arizona businesses are proudly showcased at the festival, with 15,000 people expected to attend. PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOCAL FIRST ARIZONA