Here's the First Friday route we give out-of-town friends: start at Heritage Square at 5 PM for a free map, work up Gallery Row on N San Francisco St while the galleries are fresh, hit Aspen Ave and Leroux St, take a beer-garden break on Birch Ave, then cross the railroad tracks to the Southside by 8. Flagstaff's First Friday ArtWalk runs 5–9 PM (as of June 2026), free and self-guided, on the first Friday of every month. The whole loop is compact — easy walking through downtown, plus a short stretch south of the tracks.
The route at a glance
| Time | Cluster | Anchor stops |
|---|---|---|
| 5:00 | Heritage Square | Pick up a map; performances and vendors in warmer months |
| 5:30 | Gallery Row, N San Francisco St | The Artists' Gallery, West of the Moon Gallery |
| 6:45 | Aspen Ave + Leroux St | Orpheum Theater, Weatherford Hotel |
| 7:30 | Birch Ave | Dark Sky Brewing beer garden |
| 8:15 | Southside | Phoenix Avenue Gallery, Clay Center |
Times are suggestions, not a schedule. Linger where you like — it's a loop, not a tour.
5:00 PM — Heritage Square: grab a map, make a plan
Start where the night starts. Heritage Square is the hub — physical maps are handed out here, and in the warmer months the square hosts performances and vendors. On Car-Free First Fridays, Aspen Ave closes to traffic between Leroux St and San Francisco St, so street performances and pop-up art spill across the whole block.
Need fuel first? Late for the Train pours coffee close by. Grab a map, circle your must-sees, and head north.
5:30 PM — Gallery Row on N San Francisco St
This one block (13–24 N San Francisco St) is the densest art stretch on this route, so give it a full hour while your eyes are fresh. The Artists' Gallery — a local co-op going since 1992 — anchors the row, and the Art Loft Collective works out of the top floor of the same building. Take the stairs; people miss it.
From there, work the block: AZ Handmade: Fire on the Mountain Gallery at 20 N San Francisco, West of the Moon Gallery, The HeArt Box, Creative Spirits, and Ari's Art Exchange. Bright Side Bookshop and Mountain Sports Flagstaff are on the route too — proof the night was never just for galleries.
6:45 PM — Aspen Ave and Leroux St
Loop back toward the square. On and around Aspen you've got Shane Knight Gallery, Flagstaff General Store, and Up & Coming Boutique & Gallery, with Black Hound Gallerie in the Old Town Shops just north of Heritage Square. The Orpheum Theater — a historic 1911 theater — is close by and worth poking your head into.
Then turn down Leroux St for the Weatherford Hotel: historic hotel, art on the walls, often live music drifting out the door. NorthEnd Consignment and Wil McNabb Fine Jewelry Studio round out the street.
7:30 PM — Birch Ave, and a break at the beer garden
Just north, Birch Ave is the loop's best surprise. The art stops are genuinely varied: Flagstaff Tattoo Company, Meadowlark Art Studio, Bee Balm Studio, Culture Connection AZ, and Next Step Prosthetics — yes, the prosthetics office, and yes, it's a real community art stop.
Then claim a seat at the Dark Sky Brewing Co. Beer Garden — fitting, in the world's first International Dark Sky City — or at Hops on Birch. This is also when you'll want that extra layer: Flagstaff sits at about 7,000 feet, and evenings cool off fast once the sun drops, even in July.
8:15 PM — Cross the tracks to the Southside
Head south, over Route 66 and the railroad tracks, into the Southside district. If you want a detour on the way, Firecreek Coffee Company, Flagstaff Brewing Company, and Drinking Horn Mead Hall all sit along Route 66.
On the Southside itself: Phoenix Avenue Gallery at 2 S Beaver St, the Clay Center on Mikes Pike for ceramics, and Mother Road Brewing Company for a closing pint. Skipping alcohol? Awa Kava Bar is an alcohol-free kava lounge, and Flagstaff Baking Co covers the pastry angle. ArtWalk officially wraps at 9, but plenty of venues stay open later — the Southside is a good place to be when that happens.
Good to know before you go
- Hours: 5–9 PM as of June 2026. Some older listings still show 6–9 — that's the earlier schedule. First Fridays have historically continued in some form through the colder months and winter editions may run shorter, but cold-month scheduling isn't confirmed yet — confirm closer to the date, and check our FAQ first.
- It rotates. The official list has 25+ venues, and our venue directory tracks 40+ art-friendly stops — but lineups change monthly, so no two First Fridays are the same.
- July 3, 2026 lands on Independence Day weekend. The night is on the official calendar (theme: Art & the West), but double-check individual venues the week of.
- We're a companion, not the official event. First Friday ArtWalk is organized by Creative Flagstaff. We're an independent community guide that adds extra resources around the night — and we love helping people make the most of it.
Plan your night
Pull up the interactive map to see this route — and every stop on it — laid out block by block, or browse the venue directory to build your own version. First Friday is forgiving: the loop is compact, the event is free, and the worst case is ending the night with a pint and some art you didn't expect. See you out there.