November Art Walk at the Moab Museum

The first Friday in November (5 PM to 8 PM) transforms downtown Moab into an evening gallery walk connecting seven venues where fall exhibits capture canyon country’s creative energy as temperatures cool and golden light stretches across sandstone cliffs. The Moab Museum, Grand County Library, Gallery Moab, Moonflower Community Co-Op, Summit Sotheby’s Real Estate Office, The Sundry, and the Moab Arts and Recreation Center (all within a square mile) display rotating works from local and regional artists exploring photography, printmaking, painting, sculpture, and installation pieces that reflect the region’s red rock aesthetic and cultural history. Free artist demonstrations, raffles, and food and drink at participating locations create an accessible cultural evening that provides welcome indoor respite after days spent hiking shoulder-season trails when crowds thin and autumn colors peak in the high country.

November Art Walk fits naturally into fall’s rhythm: cooler mornings for exploring Arches or Canyonlands, golden afternoon light for photography, and relaxed evenings wandering between galleries while meeting artists whose work captures the landscape you’ve been experiencing firsthand. Downtown patios stay open for diners extending the art walk into dinner hour, with Sunset Grill (opened 1993) offering million-dollar views alongside fresh-cut salmon with soy-sherry cream sauce and prime rib with the restaurant’s secret seasoning blend. Moab Garage Co. (opened 2017) transforms a historic auto repair shop into a combination cafe and restaurant featuring liquid nitrogen ice cream and New American cuisine served in the original garage space where mechanics once worked on cars.

The Colorado River provides kayaking and paddleboarding right in town, perfect for morning paddles before afternoon gallery walks. Lake Powell stretches 275 miles south (4.5 hours), offering houseboating and slot canyon exploration for travelers who want to balance art-filled evenings with water-based adventures. Lake.com lists vacation homes near Moab and Lake Powell for visitors who want to turn November Art Walk into a full fall weekend that combines cultural experiences with the kind of desert scenery and riverside access that makes shoulder season one of the best times to experience southeastern Utah’s unique blend of art, adventure, and open space.