It’s the beginning of summer 1990, and you’re growing up in San Diego. You’ve got a Walkman, a neon green fanny pack, and annual passes to SeaWorld.
Then your mom effectively cancels all your summer plans when she tells you she’ll be sending you to stay at your grandma’s house on a sheep ranch in rural Arizona instead. [Record scratch.]
Benny, portrayed by Keir Tallman, is a sweet, Fleetwood-Mac-loving preteen, who marches to the beat of his own drum.
His Aunt Lucy drops him off at the home of his grandmother (played by Sarah Natani, who is a Navajo master weaver in real life, as well as in the movie).
It’s the first time in years he’s been on the reservation, and it is a bit of culture shock for the city kid. Although he’s Navajo (Diné), he doesn’t speak the language and has grown up away from the traditions that weave their way into the life of many of his relatives.
Grandma Lorraine only speaks Navajo. When it is just the two of them, her words are not subtitled. So unless you speak Navajo, you are as in the dark as Benny is.
His Uncle Marvin, who also lives on the ranch, speaks English but doesn’t have a kind word to say to Benny.
Although Grandma Lorraine’s house is so remote that it doesn’t have running water or electricity, it is actually the hub that connects his extended family. It’s where they always return – especially in times of transition or difficulty.
The City Cousin and the Country Cousin
Things begin to turn around for Benny with the arrival of his 10-year-old cousin (played by Charley Hogan), who everyone calls “Frybread Face.” Not only is she able to translate the Navajo language and culture for him, she can give him the scoop on their relatives, as well. The two cousins bond while working together to take care of sheep, fix fences, and find time to just have fun and be kids.
Throughout the film, Benny is trying to understand who he is and how he fits into his culture and his family. He also learns that the adults don’t have it all figured out either.
Native American Heritage Continues
The film is beautiful with plenty of moments to both make you smile and to tug at your heart strings.
It was written and directed by Billy Luther, who is Navajo, Hopi, and Laguna Pueblo. While he has made documentaries (including the award-winning Miss Navajo) and television shows, this is his first feature film! It was filmed on location in New Mexico with shots that capture the wide open spaces and stark beauty of the high desert.
Frybread Face and Me is being released on Netflix and in select theaters today (November 24, 2023) in honor of Native American Heritage Day.
This year, it feels like one minute we still had long summer days and the next it was suddenly dark by dinnertime.
Which means it’s the time of year to light candles, line your walk with luminarias, drink hot beverages around a bonfire – celebrate bringing light to the darkness.
There’s plenty of light in this season’s Happenings List. And hot beverages. And maker-focused holiday markets. Oh yeah, and goodies! (Look for the *s.) Plus, other fun stuff I happened to find and thought you’d want to check out.
Not in Arizona? The ANYWHERE section is for you!
I’ve included links to shops and items I’ve found on Etsy, because I like them and because I can earn a little affiliate commission if you buy something. And that helps support this site and keep the Happenings List… happening.
Anyway, read on and let me know where you go!
The Happenings List
– Central Arizona –
Photo of James Johnson by Ian Tetzner via Heard Museum.
Now – January 2, 2024 / Heard Museum, Phoenix / Included with admission.
The Early Days exhibition is a survey of Canadian Indigenous art from coast-to-coast-to-coast and from historical to contemporary pieces. Organized by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in collaboration with Indigenous scholars, artists, and traditional knowledge keepers.
November 3 – November 12 / Scottsdale Waterfront, Scottsdale / Free.
Internationally-recognized public art exhibition that illuminates the Scottsdale Waterfront for 10 evenings in November. The immersive event features large-scale, light-based artworks created by local, national, and international artists. There are also educational workshops and activities, art tours, live music and dance performances, a beer and wine garden, and food trucks!
Mural by Lauren Lee that I saw at the Oasis on Grand Avenue. (Not sure whether it’s still there or not.)
November 4, 11am – 7pm / Historic Grand Avenue, Phoenix / Free.
Quirky, artsy community party on Phoenix’s unparalleled Grand Avenue. Everyone is invited to join the festivities, which will include an artisan market, live music, and interactive art experiences, other events showcasing the neighborhood’s artists and businesses.
November 4, 10am-4pm / Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix / Free.
Local First’s festival of Arizona businesses!
Vendors: 200 local businesses/organizations, includingArizona State Parks, Ben’s Bells, Bookmans, Juju + Moxie, and Verde Canyon Railroad, as well as a Mujeres Mercado pop-up of local Latina businesses and a Buy Black Marketplace curated by Archwood Exchange.
Food + beverage: Local restaurant food court. Drink in AZ Beverage Garden, serving locally-made wine, beer, and spirits. You’ll find Barrio Brewing, Burgers Amore, Danzeisen Dairy, Four Peaks Brewery, San Tan Brewery, and many more!
Entertainment: Live music all day, aerial yoga sessions hourly, silent auction and raffle. Kid Zone with crafts, kite flying, face painting, and a playground.
Dogs are allowed!
*Free Goodie Bag filled with local surprises to the first 300 attendees.
ANYWHERE: Online silent auction, with over 100 local gifts, staycations, and Arizona experience packages.
November 18, 10am – 4pm / Shops @ Town + Country, Phoenix / Free.
Annual market, featuring local makers with one-of-a-kind wares, including art, clothing and accessories, furniture, food, and health and beauty products.
Live music.
Raffle prizes to benefit Phoenix Children’s Foundation.
*Free photo with Santa with any donation to Phoenix Children’s Foundation.
Sneak preview these Phoenix-based vendors’ work on Etsy:
December 1 – December 3, 10am – 5:30pm / Downtown Tempe / Free.
Well-loved urban fine art festival and community event that showcases over 350 artists from around the country, plus local music, a Kids Block, and many great food options – all located on the streets of historic Mill Avenue!
Taliesin West interior via Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
December 9, 10am – 4pm / Taliesin West, Scottsdale / Adults $5, youth free with registration
Opportunity to explore a part of Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home, Taliesin West, at your own pace. There will also be performances and participatory activities like ask-me stations and crafts for all ages!
Advance registration is recommended. Tickets are limited.
Food and drink will be available for purchase.
This is not a formal tour of Taliesin West. You can purchase a tour if you would like to see more of the property.
First-annual holiday celebration in Phoenix’s Heritage Square!
Vendors: Shop the Square museum store.
Food + beverage: There are 5 restaurants in the Square, including the renowned Pizzeria Bianco.
Entertainment: The Victorian Rosson House Museum will be decorated for the holidays and open for self-guided tours. There will also be a children’s area with lawn games and crafts.
ANYWHERE: Select Museum Store merchandise is available online.
*ANYWHERE:Sci-Fi Squared! Resources about science fiction history, Heritage Square’s theme this year – like links to online books, exhibits, kids’ activity pages, and the first science fiction film ever made.
December 14 – December 16 / Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market space (720 North 5th Street), Phoenix / Free.
Holiday market with its own Phoenician traditions! It’s also fundraiser for Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market and Community Food Connections, which supports local growers and businesses. This year, the event will extend to two back-to-back nights and a Saturday morning!
December 14 + 15, 5-10pm: 2 nights of Phoestivus
December 16, 8am – 1pm: The The Phoestivus Hangover + Farmers Market.
Vendors: More than 200 small businesses selling locally grown and produced gifts.
Food + beverage: Eating Area with food trucks and tables. Pour the Rest of Us bar area with local beer, wine, spirits and Phoestivus ale.
Entertainment: Live music and DJs, hipster Santa, “pheats” of strength, airing of grievances.
Dog friendly event that will even have a fur-family photo booth!
– Northern Arizona –
Red rocks in Sedona.
Rachmaninoff: A Two-Piano Performance to Rach Your Socks Off!
November 5, 3pm / Sedona Performing Arts Center, Sedona / General admission $45, reserved seats $65
Concert celebrating the 150th birthday of romantic composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. Pianists Orion Weiss and Roman Rabinovich perform his two monumental two-piano suites, alongside other works by composers in his orbit.
Sedona Performing Arts Center is located on the Red Rock High School campus.
November 13, 12:15pm / Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, Flagstaff / Included with admission.
Riordan Mansion Lunchtime Lecture by Science journalist Melissa L. Sevigny on the riveting tale of two pioneering botanists and their historic boat trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 1938.
November 18, 2pm / Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood / Included with admission.
Presentation by Jerry “Geronimo” Martin. Not only is he the great-great-grandson of the legendary Geronimo, he is also a historian of Geronimo’s birth, life, struggle between the U.S. and Mexican armies, and life as a prisoner of war.
December 8, 5-8:30pm / Downtown Prescott / Free. (Donations accepted.)
A night of live music down the festively-lit streets of Downtown Prescott that raises money for music education. It begins with an Opening Ceremony and school choir performance. Over 100 Prescott businesses open their doors to give Acker Night musicians a place to play. Tips go to provide music lessons and instruments to local youth and support school music programs.
December 15-17 / W. Goodwin Street, Downtown Prescott / Free entry.
Traditionally-inspired German Christmas Market with Prescott flavor. West Goodwin Street will be filled with holiday vendors and live music.
Horse-drawn carriage rides around the Courthouse.
German-style food, Bier Garten, and hot mulled wine.
*Prescott Public Library outdoor art: A few blocks from the market, on East Goodwin Street, you’ll find the library’s exterior art collection. It includes several bronze sculptures, a history of words mural, and a nearly 300-foot long timeline of the world (according to artist Fran Wildman in 1975) on the sidewalk!
December 20-23, 4:30pm / Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, Flagstaff / Free entry.
In the days leading up to Christmas, the Riordan Mansion grounds will be open until 6pm. Get a cup of hot apple cider, and enjoy walking along the luminaria-lined pathways.
To see the inside of the mansion, decorated for the holidays and illuminated by Edison bulbs, reserve a special Christmas Twilight Tour. This guided tour begins at 5pm and focuses on historical Christmas traditions.
Entry to the grounds and hot cider are included with admission.
Twilight Tour tickets are an additional $16/person. Recommended for ages 12+.
Now – March 23, 2024 / University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA), Tucson / Included with admission.
Exhibition of approximately thirty weavings and paintings created by Marlowe Katoney. The multidisciplinary artist combines elements from painting with traditional Navajo iconography and designs to create pieces that take inspiration from popular culture, street art, nature, Navajo culture, and his own life.
November 2 – November 5 / The Screening Room, Tucson / Tickets start at $10.
Festival focused on music-related content, with an emphasis on films and filmmakers with a connection to Arizona and the desert Southwest. It includes both narrative and documentary features, and shorts of all genres including animation, experimental, comedy, drama and world.
November 3 – November 5 / Mercado District and Tucson’s west side, Tucson / Free. (Donations accepted.)
A uniquely Tucson celebration, which draws on the many cultural traditions of the community, to honor the lives of our loved ones and ancestors. The focal point of the event is a two-mile long procession on blocked-off streets in west Tucson, where all are invited to walk and remember. It ends on the Mercado District Festival Grounds, where there will be performances, art installations, and food vendors. The culmination is the ceremonial burning of collected remembrances in a large metal urn.
The main events are free. Ticket sales for the 3 Dance of the Dead Concerts ($12-30) help to support this huge, volunteer-lead undertaking.
Nov. 3: Dance of the Dead Concert. Flow 4 the Soul with In Rave.
Nov. 4: Procession of Little Angels with Stories That Soar and Red Herring Puppets.
Nov. 4: Dance of the Dead Concert. Session yoga workshop, ancestral cacao Ceremony w/ Ricky Abud and an immersive, sonic, concert experience with Steve Roach with visuals by Noctivision.
Nov. 5: Main Procession + Ceremony (Gather at 4pm / depart at 6pm).
November 5, 2pm / Centennial Hall (at UArizona), Tucson / Tickets $39-69.
University of Arizona dancers, Megan Garcia and Christian Blue, take the stage with internationally renowned dance company Parsons Dance. The company is known for their athleticism, stunning ensemble work, and the passion they bring to every performance.
Fox Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ on stage during a Creative Mornings talk.
November 5, 7pm / Fox Theatre, Tucson / Tickets $20-68
Screening of the animated film Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse with live musicians and a DJ on stage playing the film’s soundtrack, which blends symphonic orchestral music with hip-hop. Into The Spider-Verse’s score is composed of of boundary-pushing original music that supports its themes of resilience and universal heroism.
Sing karaoke and shop local artisans on the Proper Shops patio. Meet the makers behind Beautiful Little Things, ENB Jewelry, Tucson Handmade and Unsilenced Pride while you sing under the stars!
November 11, 10am – 4pm / on the corner of 6th Street + 6th Avenue in front of the Firestone Building, Tucson / Free.
Outdoor pop-up market created and run by Tucson artisans. Desert Air Market (DAM) aspires to be a day of joy and connection, where you can shop handcrafted items and meet the people who made them!
DJ Rob Moonlite will be spinning vinyl.
Part of the proceeds of this market will go to Youth on Their Own, a nonprofit helping teens experiencing homeless to graduate high school.
Sneak preview these vendors’ work on Etsy:
Marcy Ellis – Beautiful illustrations weaving together flora and plant goddesses.
SonoranRainDesigns – Hand-painted terra cotta pots and macrame plant hangers.
November 17-20 / Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block, Tucson / Free.
Street fair with over 100 unique and local artists and artisans with crafts, original artwork, pottery, glass, jewelry, textiles and gift items. Café a la C’Art, the museum’s restaurant, will be open throughout the weekend with outdoor seating on the expanded patio (and some indoor seating, too). The market is organized by TMA’s Museum Store to fundraise for the museum.
Enter from 150 N. Main Avenue or the museum parking lot.
*Museum is pay-what-you-wish admission during the market.
Nearby restaurant El Molinito in Oro Valley with Pusch Ridge in the background.
November 19, 4pm / Riverfront Park Grass Amphitheater, Oro Valley (Tucson area) / Free.
Performances by classically-trained musicians at the base of Pusch Ridge on select Sundays. Concerts take place outdoors, on the grass at the community’s largest amphitheater.
Concerts are 60-90 minutes in length.
Limited seating is provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or chairs.
Food will be available for purchase from food trucks onsite.
Wide angle view from the front of the MLK Apartments, facing 5th Avenue.
November 25, 10am-5pm / 55 N. 5th Avenue, Tucson / Free.
Small business Saturday celebration of Black business resilience with interactive activities, live music, art, dance, vendors, food trucks and information about the thriving Black community in Arizona. All people and ages are invited to come together to share in the family-friendly festivities!
Vendors will be in front of the MLK Apartments.
Food trucks on 5th Avenue.
Entertainment and beer garden on the Hotel Congress patio.
December 2, 4pm – 8pm / The Meading Room, Sonoita / Free.
Evening in Arizona wine country with lights, bonfires, food trucks, live music by Juniper Djinn, and over 20 unique local artisans and makers! Enjoy hot chocolate, hard cider, or mead, while doing some holiday shopping.
Kids and pets are welcome!
*Tastings are $12.50 for a flight of five. Choose samples from their current offerings of meads, ciders, and fruit wines.
ANYWHERE:The Meading Room now ships to select states (2 bottle minimum order). *Full Case Discount (12 bottles or more) offered at checkout!
December 8 – December 10 / along 4th Ave. from University Blvd. to 8th St., Tucson / Free.
Holiday season edition of historic downtown Tucson’s semiannual street fair! Shop original, handmade art from 350+ artists from around the world, while enjoying live entertainment and more than 40 food vendors. Plus, Fourth Avenue merchants are open during the event.
*Free shuttle service from the Pennington Street Garage.
You can also park along the streetcar line + take Sun Link in.
Proceeds are used to support Fourth Avenue’s events and infrastructure.
I don’t have a Winterhaven photo, so here’s Downtown Tucson decorated for the holidays.
December 9 – December 25, 6-10pm / Tucson / Free. (Donations accepted.)
Neighborhood with elaborate holiday light displays. While the Festival is free to attend, organizers request that everyone bring a donation of food or money for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.
You can see the lights on foot, on a hayride wagon, a bus trolley, or a pedal-powered group bike! Ride reservations are recommended.
No drive-thru dates for 2023.
This event is one the most important for the Food Bank!
– Anywhere –
One of the items in the Arizona Fall Festival auction is a year membership to the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix!
Over 100 local gifts, staycations, and Arizona experience packages up for auction to support Local First’s mission of creating a sustainable and inclusive economy for Arizonans.
Note: You can bid from anywhere, but there are some items (especially experiences, memberships, gift cards, etc.) that you can only enjoy in Arizona.
Artist talk with Ryan Singer, a Diné (Navajo) artist-painter, who is known for creating artwork based on his Navajo heritage and incorporating pop culture elements, including science fiction imagery. He weaves stories of his childhood memories with nostalgic iconography and has been drawing Star Wars characters since 1977.
An oversized Día de los Muertos puppet at the Procession finale.
Community members walk to honor the lives of loved ones and ancestors. (More about this tradition under “Southern Arizona.”) Portions of the procession and finale will be livestreamed for those who can’t be there in person.
The Being Human festival of the humanities has several virtual events on its program, in addition to the in-person ones held in cities across the UK.
Nov. 12, 11am or Nov. 15, 1:30pm GMT: Encounters with Sound. Online film screening and Q+A looking at the relationship between touch, movement, and how we experience the world through sound. This event will be held on Zoom. Registration (booking) required.
Nov. 15, 7pm GMT: Diasporic Snapshot. Online discussion about stories of the diasporic experience that can be seen through photographs, hosted by poet and spoken word performer Shaniece Martin. To be a part of the conversation, find a photo that represents diaspora to you and share why you chose it. For ages 16+. Registration (booking) required.
Nov. 18, 7:30pm GMT: Writing Under Fire: Poetry and Prose from Ukraine and the Black Country. Transcultural panel discussion led by the University of Wolverhampton on the importance of arts and literature in times of crisis, helping us to work through war trauma while creating a sense of hope for a brighter future. It will include readings from Ukrainian poets and writers, and reflections by writers from the Black Country (a region in England’s Midlands – where Wolverhampton is located – which is known for its historical production of coal and iron.) Hybrid event, available online via Zoom. Registration (booking) required.
The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Gammage Auditorium in Tempe.
November 9 + December 7, 1pm Eastern / 10am Pacific time / Free.
Behind-the-scenes looks at Frank Lloyd Wright-designed public sites with insider tips for visitors. Those who are streaming live on Facebook will be able to ask questions, and recordings of each event will be available to watch afterward.
Sci-Fi Squared! online books, exhibits, kids’ activity pages, and other resources about science fiction history, which is Heritage Square’s theme this year. Plus, you can watch the first science fiction film ever made!
StellasBalcony – gemstone jewelry and pre-Columbian design
Desert Air Market vendors:
Marcy Ellis – Beautiful illustrations weaving together flora and plant goddesses.
SonoranRainDesigns – Hand-painted terra cotta pots and macrame plant hangers.
P.S. Photos are by me unless the caption says otherwise.
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