8 ways to celebrate the 2025 summer solstice in Arizona

Celebrate the 2025 summer solstice in Arizona with sunrise hikes, art, music, and more.

The summer solstice, the first official day of summer, is the longest day of the year. It marks the point when the Earth is tilted closest to the sun, giving us extended daylight and more time outdoors.

Across the Northern Hemisphere, the solstice is treated like a holiday, with many participating in various traditions and rituals. You’ll find festivals, games, and people dancing the “Little Frogs” dance, making flower crowns, and eating summer berries; in some places, you can catch a baseball game at midnight, plunge into lakes, or light massive bonfires to celebrate the occasion.

The 2025 summer solstice falls on Friday, June 20. In Arizona, the ways to spend the day are seemingly endless, but here are a few of my favorites.

1. See the solar marker at Puerco Pueblo 

The village of Puerco Pueblo, located in Arizona’s Petrified Forest, dates back to the 13th century. At its peak, it was home to about 200 people. The village consisted of over 100 rooms and, thanks to its proximity to the Puerco River, became a hub for travelers, trade, and new ideas. However, by 1380, climate change had led to its abandonment.

Today, it’s a beautiful place to reflect on ancient traditions and culture. The site is filled with petroglyphs and artifacts, offering a glimpse into the past. One petroglyph in particular draws special attention during the summer solstice: the solar marker.

Solar markers are carvings that align with astronomical events throughout the year, and at Puerco Pueblo, you can witness this firsthand. For about two weeks around the solstice, as the sun rises, a distinct interaction of light and shadow passes across the rings of this small circular design.

You can reach the solar marker via a short 0.3-mile loop trail. Visiting Puerco Pueblo is a meaningful way to celebrate the summer solstice and honor the ancient cultures that once called this land home.

2. Take an outdoor yoga class

Move your body with gratitude and celebrate the extra hours of sunlight with an outdoor yoga class. Hunkapi Farms in Scottsdale offers a special Summer Solstice Yoga session led by experienced yogi Debbie Popiel. You’ll get to flow through your practice as the sun sets on the longest day of the year. What a beautiful way to welcome the season!

Even more fitting, the summer solstice also coincides with International Yoga Day, offering a chance to connect with your body, mind, and spirit while honoring the sun.

Tickets are $28 for this one-hour experience, and all levels are welcome. You can purchase tickets here.

3. Go for a sunrise hike 

Greet the longest day of the year with a beautiful sunrise hike in the desert. Depending on what you’re looking for, you can keep it quiet and solo or join in on something a little more social and fun. Check out these options:

If you’re in Tucson, head to the Catalina Mountains for a public, one-mile hike on the Birding Trail. It starts at 6 a.m. and wraps up around 7. Another option is in Fountain Hills, just outside of Phoenix. This one is a two-mile hike that begins at 5:30 a.m. and finishes around 7. You’ll hike through the Sonoran Desert and watch the landscape slowly wake up with the sun.

If hiking isn’t really your thing, consider waking up early anyway. Maybe just take a short walk, sit outside, sip your coffee, and take a quiet moment to greet the sun.

4. Jam out to bluegrass 

Okay, so this one doesn’t technically fall on the summer solstice, but it does land on solstice weekend. After spending Friday celebrating the official start of summer, keep the good vibes going and celebrate the first weekend of summer at the Prescott Bluegrass Festival.

This free festival had humble beginnings as a local fiddle contest dedicated to a beloved community fiddler. Since the 1980s, it has grown into a full-on bluegrass celebration that gets bigger every year. This year, there are five different bands ranging from traditional to contemporary, with a mix of national, regional, and local acts, including both family and non-family groups.

If you want to kick things off early, the festival offers camping starting Thursday, June 19, so you can wake up to music and mountain air all weekend long. You can find more information about camping here.

5. Create sun-inspired art

The star of the summer solstice is, literally, the sun. It’s a day to celebrate the longest stretch of daylight all year and the life force that keeps us going. One beautiful way to honor something (or someone) is by creating art, and the summer solstice is the perfect time to make sun-inspired creations.

You can do this solo or turn it into an art-making party. Invite friends, ask everyone to bring craft supplies, and spend time making something in celebration of the sun. Paintings, drawings, jewelry, mosaics, and tie-dye in bright, sunny shades are all great options. And don’t forget written art, too. Try writing an ode to the sun, or even just a short reflection on what this time of year means to you. If you can, take your creativity outside and enjoy the sunlight while you work.

6. Attend the Tilted Earth festival 

There are plenty of ways to celebrate the sun, but one of the best might just be an evening filled with live music, community, good food, and great wine. You’ll find all of that at the Tilted Earth Festival, held at Page Springs Cellars in Cornville.

This year’s festival takes place the day after the summer solstice, on June 21. Things kick off at 4:30 p.m. and go until midnight, with live music from 6 to 11 p.m. You’ll hear performances from Shinyribs, the Eric Krasno Trio, and the Verde Valley Vagabonds.

Along with the music, enjoy BBQ, local wines from some of Arizona’s top wineries, and handcrafted cocktails from a variety of local spots. There’s also a silent auction benefiting two local nonprofits: Friends of the Verde River and Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Tickets range from $75 to $80, depending on when you buy them, while kids under 12 get in for free.

7. Experience a sound bath

Connect with the abundant energy of the season at the Summer Solstice: A Harp Bath Experience. This immersive event takes place on Friday, June 20, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and offers an evening of deep relaxation, gentle reconnection, and quiet magic.

The experience centers around Yoga Nidra, also known as “yogic sleep,” a guided meditation that helps relax the body and still the mind. As you ease into that peaceful state between waking and dreaming, you’ll be surrounded by the soothing sounds of live harps, crystal bowls, and angelic reiki.

Tickets are $35, and space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot in advance.

8. Throw a solstice feast

Last but not least, one of the best ways to celebrate anything, especially the summer solstice, is to throw a party! There’s no right or wrong way to do it. But if you’re looking for a little inspiration, try centering your gathering around the flavors of the season. Think dishes and drinks made with fresh summer produce like strawberries, tomatoes, and leafy greens.

For example, you could make a summer salad with arugula, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Pair that with a strawberry basil spritz (just muddle strawberries and basil, add a splash of lemon juice, and top with sparkling water or prosecco) and enjoy.

No matter how you choose to celebrate the summer solstice this year, take a few moments to reflect with gratitude for the sun, earth, and all the beautiful life that surrounds you every day.

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