Scottsdale in March and April
Scottsdale spring events cluster into March and April, when the town is at its best outdoors. The mornings are cool and the afternoons are warm without tipping into summer. Three events make the most of that window: the Arizona Balloon Classic in March, then Arizona Bike Week and the Tour de Scottsdale in early April.
We have watched all three from our estates for years. They draw very different crowds, but they share one thing. Each is better with a house to come back to rather than a hotel room, because each one starts early and runs late.
Arizona Balloon Classic in March
The Arizona Balloon Classic is the family event of the spring. Hot air balloons inflate before sunrise and lift off together as the light comes up over the desert. It is the kind of thing children remember for years, and the adults are usually just as quiet watching it.
The launches are only part of it. Tethered rides let you go up without going anywhere. Pilots hang around their baskets and will happily explain how the whole thing works. There are balloon races during the day, live entertainment and food vendors on the grounds, and an evening glow after dark when the balloons light up from the inside and the field turns into a row of lanterns.
Two pieces of advice. Get there before dawn for the launches, because the best of it happens in the first hour of light. And check the day's schedule when you arrive so you know when the glow starts. Bring a real camera if you own one.
Dress for two seasons. Dawn in the desert in March is cold enough for a jacket, and by the time the last balloon is packed away you will want short sleeves.
Arizona Bike Week in April
Arizona Bike Week brings thousands of motorcycle riders to Scottsdale for a week in early April. The rally itself is at WestWorld of Scottsdale, with custom bike shows, live music, food vendors and merchandise rows. Daily charity rides leave from the grounds. Races and parties fill the evenings, and the north end of town rumbles for seven days.
The riding is the real draw. April weather is close to perfect on a bike. The roads out of Scottsdale climb into the Tonto National Forest, and a longer day gets you out to historic Route 66. Riders of every skill level are welcome, and the rally is as much about meeting other riders as it is about the machines.
Bike Week is the one event of the three where staying north of town really pays off. The rally runs late and the rides leave early, and nobody wants a long ride home through traffic after a full day at the grounds.
Tour de Scottsdale in April
The Tour de Scottsdale is the cycling event of the spring, a road ride that draws riders from across the country to Scottsdale's desert roads. Some come to race. Plenty come to ride it at their own pace and enjoy the scenery. Spectators line the course, and the atmosphere is closer to a festival than a time trial.
If you are riding, the days before the event are for shaking out the legs on local trails and the days after are for the pool. If you are supporting a rider, the Desert Botanical Garden is a fine way to spend a morning while they train. Either way, a private house with room to store and work on the bikes beats a hotel corridor.
Scottsdale is also a good place to ride when there is no event on. Local trails and quiet desert roads are close to all four of our estates, and a spring morning on a bike here is reason enough for the trip.
Where to stay for Scottsdale spring events
Parsons Hospitality has four private estates in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Each suits a different spring crowd.
For Bike Week, stay north. Troon Ranch Casitas is three private casitas in North Scottsdale, five minutes from Troon North and a short ride to the WestWorld rally. A group of riders can park the bikes at their own doors and be at the grounds in minutes.
For the Balloon Classic, families gravitate to Casa Palacio. Eight bedrooms, room for twenty, a grotto pool and a tennis court. Two or three families can do the dawn launch together and spend the rest of the day in the water.
For the Tour de Scottsdale, a cycling club of sixteen fits Wild West Estate, with seven bedrooms and Old Town close by for the celebration dinner. A larger team or a corporate ride group can take Valley Vista Estate in Paradise Valley, which sleeps thirty.
Planning tips for spring in Scottsdale
March and April are the tail end of the high season. Bike Week and the Tour de Scottsdale often land in the same week, so the town is full and our estates carry event-week minimum stays.
Book early, especially for Bike Week, when the North Scottsdale houses go first. Tell us what you are in town for when you reserve. We will point you to the right estate for the event and tell you what the drive looks like at six in the morning when the balloons go up.
Questions we get asked
When is the Arizona Balloon Classic?
Early March each year. Balloon launches happen at dawn and the evening glow is after dark. Check the event schedule for the exact days.
Where is Arizona Bike Week held?
The main rally is at WestWorld of Scottsdale in North Scottsdale, with daily rides leaving from the grounds. It runs for a week in early April.
Is the Tour de Scottsdale only for racers?
No. Riders of different abilities take part, and many people come just to watch from the course. It is held in early April.
Which estate is best for Arizona Bike Week?
Troon Ranch Casitas in North Scottsdale, a short ride from WestWorld. For a larger group, Casa Palacio or Wild West Estate.
