A fiddle tune can carry a story, and at an upcoming Sedona concert the people listening get to become part of the occasion. Fiddle Tales: Stories Between Worlds comes to the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at 4 p.m. If your ideal travel afternoon includes music, a little humor and something to talk about afterward, this is a date to consider.
The program brings together fiddler Kate Rose, guitarist Armand Ramirez and percussionist Sabina Sandoval. The current ticket listing describes live musical storytelling with audience participation, drawing on Celtic, Hispanic, Southwestern and other oral traditions. It offers a different way into a Sedona visit: through the things people play, remember and pass along.
You can make the concert the main event without building a packed itinerary around it. Here is what the organizers have announced, why the approach is interesting, and how to leave enough room to enjoy the afternoon. Details were checked October 23; all event times here are local Sedona time.
The stories and the tunes share the stage
The premise is more playful than a recital with a few spoken introductions. The organizers describe a mix of music, movement, props, sound effects and humor, with older stories given contemporary turns. They specifically invite several generations into the experience. That makes the format worth considering for travel companions whose tastes do not all land on the same kind of concert.
There is no need to arrive with a favorite fiddle tune or a store of folklore. Listen for how a musical phrase changes the feeling of a story, or how a rhythm gives a scene its pace. You might find yourself following the narrative first and noticing the instruments later. A companion may hear it the other way around. Having different things to notice can be part of the pleasure.
The festival's event announcement also includes a meet-and-greet with the performers in the lobby after the show. Leave that part of the outing open if you would enjoy asking about a tune or the source of a tale. A simple question about something you heard is enough; you do not need to turn the conversation into a music lesson.
The musical research behind the afternoon
Rose founded Wild Steps, a nonprofit whose programs connect traditional music, dance and community participation. Her Music to Life profile describes the years she spent learning fiddle traditions in County Clare, Ireland, and her work with Arizona's musical heritage. Ramirez performs with her as Wild World Irish Fiddle, bringing a guitar background that includes Latin and roots music.
There is a useful distinction here between learning about a tradition and hearing musicians work with it. A label such as “Celtic” or “Southwestern” can make music sound like a fixed category. A live exchange gives you something more immediate to listen for: how one instrument answers another, where a familiar rhythm changes, or why a melody feels different when it returns.
A separate Flagstaff Festival of Science program shows another side of the group's approach. Its published description connects landscape, sound and cultural memory through demonstrations and participation. The Sedona performance has its own storytelling theme; the earlier program offers a glimpse of how they connect music with the world around it.
For your own listening, try giving the accompaniment as much attention as the melody for a few moments. Then follow the story again. You do not have to analyze the whole performance; choosing one small thing to listen for can make a new style easier to enter.
Choose it for a group that enjoys joining in
This is a promising choice for people who like a performance with room for response. The invitation to children, adults and older listeners is part of the advertised concept. It is still worth reading the description together before buying, particularly if someone in your group prefers a quiet, conventional concert or is uncomfortable with participatory events.
With children, frame it as a chance to hear stories made with instruments and people, rather than promising a particular game or a turn onstage. The listing does not spell out every activity. Let the performers introduce whatever participation they have planned, and let each person discover what interests them.
For a couple, it could give a weekend a satisfying shared focus: a performance, a conversation afterward, then a meal at your own pace. For a family, the interesting possibility is that everyone leaves remembering a different detail.
Book the November 8 show and leave the finish flexible
The advertised price is $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Follow the official Fiddle Tales ticket listing for the selected performance and the purchase total. Check the selected ticket for current availability, any fees and age-specific pricing before paying.
The theatre is at 2030 West State Route 89A in West Sedona. Use the venue named on your ticket when planning arrival. For seating or access questions, call the film festival at 928-282-1177; its seating-chart page also directs visitors to the box office for help. Ask about the arrangements that matter to your group before committing.
Plan around the confirmed 4 p.m. start and leave the next reservation flexible. The current event page does not give a firm finish time, and the lobby gathering is another reason not to schedule an immediate departure. A relaxed meal afterward will be easier to enjoy if you are not watching the clock through the final story.
This is a live performance, even though the presenter is the Sedona International Film Festival. If you are also interested in the town's cinema connections, save our five-film Sedona watchlist for another evening. It complements the musical outing without adding another timed stop to the same day.
Make the earlier part of the day your own
Keep the hours before the concert simple. Have lunch, leave time to return to your lodging if you need it, and make one optional stop that suits your interests. Our guide to Sedona without hiking can help you choose a different kind of daytime outing. There is no need to fit a trail into every visit.
If you would enjoy choosing a gift, Mi Amoré Sedona is inside the historic Hart Store at 100 Brewer Road, near Tlaquepaque. Our curated gifts, greeting cards, and home and garden pieces make a pleasant earlier browse. Regular daily hours are 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m., so put the shop before the performance rather than saving it for afterward. It is a separate destination from the theatre.
Then give the concert your attention. Sedona is a place where it is easy to spend a day looking outward; an afternoon of music invites a different kind of attention. You may remember a rhythm, a story, or the question it left you wanting to ask. That is a worthwhile thing to bring home from a trip.
