Phoenix may still feel like summer, but two hours north, September is starting to give travelers some very good reasons to make the drive.

And we’re not talking about another list of Sedona attractions you’ve already seen 100 times.

One of the city’s best-known restaurants is reopening. Free outdoor concerts are underway. A four-day comedy festival is coming to town. The September night sky is putting on a show. And Sedona’s weather is beginning its slow shift toward fall.

So, what’s actually new in Sedona this September?

Here’s what is worth knowing before your next drive north.

One of Sedona’s Best-Known Restaurants Is Reopening

One of the biggest dining stories in Sedona this month is happening right here in West Sedona.

Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano is scheduled to reopen Saturday, September 12, following a temporary closure for renovations.

The longtime Italian restaurant says guests will return to a new kitchen plus updates to its dining room and terrace.

Dahl & Di Luca has been part of Sedona’s dining scene for decades, with Chef Lisa Dahl behind a menu centered on Italian cuisine, pasta, seafood and wine.

If you’ve been before, there will be something new to see.

If you haven’t, reopening weekend gives you a pretty good excuse.

Plan It: Check Dahl & Di Luca directly for current reopening information and reservation availability before your trip.

Free Outdoor Concerts Are Back in Sedona

Not everything worth doing in Sedona requires another ticket.

The Red Dirt Concert Series is bringing free live music to Posse Grounds Pavilion on select September evenings.

On Friday, September 11, Nolan McKelvey performs with Spencer Vandevier from 5 to 8 p.m.

It’s exactly the kind of event that works well on a weekend trip because you don’t have to build the entire day around it.

Get outside in the morning. Spend the afternoon relaxing. Grab dinner. Then catch live music as the temperature begins to drop.

Sedona Is Getting a Four-Day Comedy Festival

This is something a little different.

Big Laughs Fest comes to Sedona September 17 through 20, bringing more than 25 comedians along with podcasts, panels and late-night performances.

It also creates a completely different kind of Sedona itinerary.

Hike in the morning.

Pool in the afternoon.

Comedy at night.

That sounds like a pretty good weekend.

Big Laughs Fest is taking place across multiple Sedona venues, so check the festival’s current schedule before planning your trip around a particular performance.

Sedona After Dark Might Be One of September’s Best Experiences

People spend so much time talking about Sedona’s red rocks that it’s easy to forget what happens when you can no longer see them.

Look up.

Sedona is recognized for its dark skies, and September brings several reasons to plan part of your trip after sunset.

Darker skies around the September new moon can create particularly good stargazing conditions when the weather cooperates. Later in the month, the Harvest Moon gives visitors another reason to look up.

You don’t necessarily need to book a formal stargazing experience either.

On a clear night, simply getting away from bright lights can make a substantial difference in what you can see.

Sedona’s Weather Is Starting to Change

This may be the biggest reason Phoenix travelers should start watching Sedona right now.

September is a transition month.

Sedona can absolutely still get hot during the day, but cooler nights begin returning and the difference between Phoenix and Sedona starts becoming much more noticeable.

This week is a good example.

The current National Weather Service forecast has Sedona near the upper 90s before daytime temperatures fall toward the upper 80s this weekend. Thunderstorm chances are also returning.

For someone sitting in Phoenix, that starts to make the two-hour drive north look considerably more appealing.

And changing weather can make Sedona look completely different.

Clouds moving around the formations, sunlight breaking through after a storm and darker skies against the red rocks can create some of the most dramatic views of the season.

Of course, storms also mean changing trail conditions, lightning and possible flash-flood risks. Always check the latest forecast before hiking and never enter washes or flood-prone areas when thunderstorms are possible.

Fall Is Coming, But Don’t Rush It

No, Sedona has not suddenly turned orange and gold.

Peak fall color is still ahead.

But September is when the transition begins, and travelers start looking ahead to one of northern Arizona’s most popular seasonal experiences.

Oak Creek Canyon is particularly well known for its fall foliage, with changing leaves eventually creating a completely different landscape from the classic red-rock Sedona people picture during the rest of the year.

If fall color is the entire reason for your trip, wait for current foliage reports before booking around it.

If you’re more interested in warmer afternoons, increasingly comfortable evenings and getting ahead of peak fall travel, September has its own appeal.

Is Sedona Worth the Drive From Phoenix This September?

For the right weekend, absolutely.

And you don’t need a complicated itinerary to make the trip worthwhile.

A Real Sedona Weekend From Phoenix

Friday: Make the drive north after lunch. Check into your hotel and give yourself some time to actually enjoy being there. If you’re visiting September 11, head to the free Red Dirt Concert in the evening.

Saturday: Get outside early while temperatures are lower. Come back to West Sedona for lunch and an afternoon by the pool. If you’re visiting reopening weekend, make a dinner reservation at the newly refreshed Dahl & Di Luca.

Sunday: Grab coffee, choose one more viewpoint or shorter outdoor experience, then make the drive back to Phoenix.

Visiting September 17 through 20? Swap the Friday or Saturday evening plans for a Big Laughs Fest performance.

That’s it.

You don’t need to squeeze 14 attractions into 48 hours to have a good weekend in Sedona.

Stay Where Sedona Is Easy to Explore

When you only have a couple of days, where you stay matters.

GreenTree Inn Sedona is located in West Sedona on State Route 89A, putting restaurants, shops, outdoor experiences and many of the places you’ll want to explore close by.

It’s modern, relaxed and right in the middle of what makes West Sedona convenient.

But there’s another reason we particularly like it for a September trip.

The pool.

September can still deliver warm afternoons, which means you can spend the morning exploring Sedona and come back for pool time without feeling like you’re wasting part of your trip.

Especially when the pool comes with red-rock views.

So, What’s New in Sedona?

Quite a bit.

A longtime restaurant is reopening with a fresh look.

Free concerts are happening around town.

A new four-day comedy festival is bringing a different kind of nightlife to Sedona.

The September sky is worth staying up for.

Temperatures are beginning their transition toward fall.

And Phoenix is still close enough that you can decide on Thursday that you’d rather spend Saturday looking at red rocks.

Sometimes you don’t need a bigger reason than that.

Make GreenTree Inn Sedona Your Home Base

Come for an event. Come for the changing weather. Come for dinner. Or come because you realized it’s been entirely too long since your last weekend in Sedona.

GreenTree Inn Sedona puts you in the heart of West Sedona, close to the experiences you came for, with a modern place to come back to and red-rock views waiting by the pool.

Plan your September stay at GreenTree Inn Sedona.