Monsoon Summer Happenings (July/August) 2024

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We were driving back recently from a sunny visit to Saguaro National Park as the sky clouded over. We thought we heard thunder in the distance and hoped we could get home before the storm. We didn’t. The rain wasn’t so much falling as it was being slammed against our car by big gusts of wind.

saguaros

While it may not be the first image that comes to mind when you think of the desert, that’s the Arizona monsoon season, when Tucson receives around half its annual rainfall.

Tucson road as a rainstorm approaches

That storm as we were leaving the Park was the first one of this year’s more humid “second summer.”

So while we watch for rainclouds and listen for thunder, here’s what else is going on around Arizona – as well as events you can access from anywhere!

 

posters on the Orpheum doors

The Happenings List

These are my handpicked upcoming events for art, culture, food, and nature lovers with *Goodies starred throughout the List! I’ve also included some Etsy affiliate links, so you can support local makers and this site at the same time!

 

mushroom embroidery
Mushroom: Hand Embroidery Kit and Thread Painting Tutorial by Emillie Ferris.

• Anywhere •

World Embroidery Day is July 30!

 

“…for everyone who wants to be inspired to try stitching, or get back into it after a dry-spell.”

—Hanna Andersson, a.k.a. iHanna (embroidery workshop instructor)

Anytime
Artist Trading Cards (ATC) by iHanna
Artist Trading cards by iHanna, also featured in our Modern Embroidery roundup.

Stitch with Love Mixed Media Embroidery Workshop

anytime / $18 fee

Introductory workshop that will show you how to start stitching and create your own miniature work of textile art (an artist trading card or ATC). You will learn free-form embroidery and mixed media techniques centered around a simple shape, like a heart symbol.

  • Workshop format is a PDF file, plus four videos demonstrating all the techniques needed to complete your project.
  • No previous knowledge of sewing required.
  • *Includes two pages of customizable ATC-backgrounds!

 

cliff dwelling - Tad Nichols Collection NAU.PH.99.3.1.33.187 Photo: 8a, River mile: 132.0 Defiance House dwelling in Forgotten Canyon, 1964.
“Defiance House dwelling in Forgotten Canyon, 1964” via NAU archives.

Images of a Lost World: Glen Canyon on the Colorado

anytime / NAU Special Collections Online / Free

Exhibit of historical photos of Glen Canyon before it was flooded.

Glen Canyon died in 1963. However, it lives on … in the magnificent collection of photographs preserved in the Special Collections Department of the Cline Library.”

—Images of a Lost World exhibition introduction

 

Roseann Hanson
Livestream of Roseann Hanson speaking at Natural History Institute (screenshot).

Watch: *Talks from past speakers at the Natural History Institute in Prescott are available on their YouTube Channel!

 

Mark Your Calendar
Sign next to the road that says "Roadside Attraction: World's Largest Ball of Paint"
The World’s Largest Ball of Paint attraction in Madison County, Indiana.

Smithsonian Online Lectures and Workshops: Learn to Make Your Mark

The Smithsonian Institution offers a ton of courses inspired by its research, collections, and exhibitions, both in-person and via Zoom! This is just a minuscule sampling of upcoming classes that caught my attention…

July—

  • ​7/10, 7pm ET: Roadside Attractions: Reasons to Stretch Your Legs. Learn stories behind some of the thousands of quirky sights travelers can find just off the highway – all across America. $30 fee
  • 7/16, 7pm ET: The Jazzmen. Talk by Larry Tye, author of The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed America. “Each defied and ultimately overcame racial boundaries… [and] wrote the soundtrack for the civil rights movement.” $30 fee
  • 7/27, 1pm ET: Visual Journaling: Creativity Workout. “…an afternoon of artistic experimentation designed to strengthen creative muscles and deepen skills in visual expression.” $95 fee

August—

  • 8/19, 9/16 + 10/21, 6:45pm ET: Feasting with Royalty: Food historian Francine Segan talks about the distinctive foods on the tables of Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, and Caesar. *$75 fee for the 3-class series or $30/class *Recipes you can make on your own are included with each class!
  • 8/26, 6:45pm ET: Understanding Cephalopod Behavior. Discussion separating truth from tall tales about octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish and how their “extraordinary cognitive capacity” may cause us to question our definition of intelligence. $25 fee
  • 8/28, 9/4 + 9/11, 6pm ET: Alternate Pens for Mark Making and Calligraphy. Create writing instruments from common household objects and items foraged from nature to engage your spirit of play and push your creativity. $140 fee

Free—

 

Personalized yoga mat strap
Personalized yoga mat strap via MVPlanet.

Online Yoga for Wellness: Be Emphatic about Your Lymphatic!

July 11 — August 15, 6pm / $149 fee

Six-week online series to practice specialized yoga poses that support your lymphatic system and immune system health, breathing exercises, and mindfulness techniques under the guidance of an experienced instructor.

  • Course designed for all yoga levels.
  • Weekly on Thursdays.
Etsy find: Personalized yoga mat strap

 

vintage film equipment
Vintage film equipment at the Screening Room in Tucson.

Virtual Flagstaff International Film Festival

August 3 – 10 / TBD

Online counterpart to the in-person film festival, which presents independent cinema from local, national, and international filmmakers in a wide range of themes, including avant-garde dramas, comedies, animations, and science-fiction. Films will be available for 8 days as video-on-demand.

 

ocean fish and coral
Via Arizona Science Center.

• Central Arizona •

OceanXperience: That’s why it’s hotter under the water

now — September 2 / Arizona Science Center, Phoenix / Included with admission / All ages

Interactive exhibition that gives visitors access to a replica of the OceanXplorer research vessel and the experience of what it’s like to conduct experiments and explore the ocean.

  • Tickets to OceanXperience + Giant Screen theater shows are included with Arizona Science Center admission!
  • *Discounted parking at the Heritage and Science Park Garage (5th Street and Monroe Street) with validation from the Arizona Science Center.
Sea-creature inspired home decor, accessories, and art.

 

composite image representing multiple realities
Zbigniew Rybczyński, Take Five, 1972. 35mm short film transferred to digital. Courtesy of the artist, Vail, Arizona.

Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s–1980s

now — September 15 / Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix

Exhibition of experimental art made by almost 100 artists from six Central-Eastern European nations (East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia) from 1960-1980.

  • Multiple Realities focuses on largely unknown women artists, artist collectives, and LGBTQIA+ artists.
  • Exhibit is included with paid museum admission. During free admission times, a special exhibition ticket ($10) is required.
  • *PhxArt AfterHours: Sep. 6, 5-9pm. Free admission, extended hours, live music, art-making workshops, and specialty food and drink.
  • *Arizona libraries offer Culture Passes for free admission to Phoenix Art Museum.

 

paper floral wreath
I don’t know what the actual project will look like, but I really like this paper tropical wreath by Lia Griffith! I also featured it in the Teal Color Story.

Page Possibilities: Paper Wreath

July 21, 2pm / Tempe Public Library, Tempe / Free (includes supplies)

Learn how to make a floral wreath out of paper! There is no fee, but registration is required.

  • In the library’s Ironwood Classroom.
  • *Part of the library’s Adult Summer Reading Program. Earn points and prizes by signing up, logging your time reading, and participating in events (like this class)!

 

“VSQ’s atmospheric hits have made classical versions of pop music cool.”

—New York Observer

string quartet
via Vitamin String Quartet

Vitamin String Quartet: You Need to Calm Down

November 14, 7pm / Mesa Arts Center, Mesa / $52 per ticket (includes fees)

Performance of the Vitamin String Quartet (VSQ), who create beautiful classical covers of pop music. You may have heard them on Bridgerton, as the string section slyly sneaking a current hit into the period drama.

  • VSQ is currently touring with fresh arrangements of music from Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, BTS, Bridgerton, The Weeknd, and Daft Punk.
  • Full tour schedule (including Tucson 11/13).

 

brewery exterior
Dark Sky Brewing Co. in Flagstaff

• Northern Arizona •

Ales with the Arb: Yeah, Science!

now — October 16, 6pm – 8pm / Dark Sky Brewing Co. Beer Garden, Flagstaff / Free (donations accepted) / 21+

Science pub fundraiser for the Arboretum at Flagstaff, where you can enjoy a pint, hear about the latest research in the biological sciences, and support the Arboretum at the same time!

  • Monthly on the third Wednesday.
  • A give-what-you-can fundraiser!
  • H/T Flagstaff365.com

 

“The map presents a wealth of detailed information about Grand Canyon’s geology on a single page with such beauty that it became the bestselling geology map of all time.”

—Museum of Northern Arizona

Grand Canyon Map
The Grand Canyon “Dragon” Map I saw hanging on the wall at Flagstaff City — Coconino County Public Library.

The Grand Canyon Dragon Map

now — January 19, 2025 / Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff / Included with admission

Exhibition centered around an iconic map of the Grand Canyon and the geology it depicts. Now the most famous map of the Grand Canyon, it was first published by the Museum of Northern Arizona in 1976.

  • Seeing the shape of the Colorado River’s path through the Canyon reminded many people of the shape of a Chinese dragon, which is why it’s known as the “Blue Dragon Map.”
  • *Arizona libraries offer Culture Passes for free admission to the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Grand Canyon map bracelet.

 

social dance in flagstaff
Via Flagstaff Dance. Photography by Jimmy Cho Carrauthers.

Dancing on the Square: It doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there.

now — August 28, 7pm – 10pm / Heritage Square, Flagstaff / Free / All ages and family friendly.

Free social dancing lessons in Heritage Square! Local volunteer instructors teach a mixture of Swing, Latin, and Ballroom dancing on summer nights. This is a community-oriented event designed to be welcoming to learners. You don’t even need to bring a partner!

  • Wednesdays through August.
  • 7-8pm: Learn new steps.
  • 8-10pm: Dance and try out what you’ve learned.

 

Mural in Flagstaff

Music on the Square

now — September 29 / Heritage Square, Flagstaff / Free

Free concerts from local bands in Heritage Square throughout the summer! Follow Downtown Flagstaff on Instagram and Facebook for details and updates.

  • Thursday Sunset Series 5-7pm: Jazz, blues, rock and funk.
  • Movies on the Square Pre-Show: Saturdays 4-6pm before Movies on the Square.
  • Sundays at lunchtime 12-2pm

 

canyon
Via Verde Canyon Railroad.

Green Guardians: Artists Standing Strong for the Verde River

now — July 12 / Natural History Institute Art Museum, Prescott / Free

Exhibition showcasing a diverse array of artworks – paintings, sculptures, and other installations – calling for responsible conservation of the Upper Verde River. In conjunction with the exhibition, there will be a series of related workshops, talks, and excursions.

  • 6/28, 5-7pm: Visit the NHI Gallery during the Fourth Friday Art Walk to peruse the exhibition after hours and enjoy complimentary refreshments.
  • *ANYWHERE: Watch videos from past speaker series talks.

 

traditional hopi weaving
Four Directions Plaque by Annette Nasfotie via Museum of Northern Arizona Shops.

Taawaki Inn Grand Opening + Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

July 1, 11:30am – 1:30pm / Taawaki Inn (441 S Broadway, Clarkdale), Clarkdale / Free

Celebration of the opening of the first Hopi Tribe owned and operated hotel outside of the reservation, Taawaki Inn. The new build is located in Clarkdale, Arizona at the entrance to Tuzigoot National Monument and overlooking the Verde River. The Inn is committed to being a testament to the Hopi people’s rich culture and history, including respect for nature.

  • 11:30am – 12pm: Welcome and guest speakers.
  • 12 – 1:30pm: Ribbon cutting ceremony followed by hotel tours.
  • H/T Experience Clarkdale

“We welcome you to come join us for this awe-inspiring event!”

– Hopi Tribe Economic Development Corporation

 

Pint
Via Historic Barrel + Bottle House.

Painting Pints for High Country Humane

July 2, 6:30pm / Historic Barrel + Bottle House, Flagstaff / $30 / ticket (includes supplies)

Fundraiser for High Country Humane, where you can enjoy a beverage while learning to paint with tips from a Creative Spirits artist.

  • Additional purchases are available at the brewery.
  • Creative Spirits will donate $10 per registration to High Country Humane, a companion animal welfare organization.

Tickets include:

  • 1 beverage (draft pour or non-alcoholic drink)
  • Supplies, plus tips and tricks to create the evening’s featured painting.
  • Set of pint glasses to paint.

 

Whimsical artwork silhouetted pine trees in front of an American flag sky.
Design by Creative Spirits.

A Flag Fourth

July 4, 3pm / Fort Tuthill Park, Flagstaff / Free / All ages.

Annual Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra patriotic pops concert on the lawn at Pepsi Amphitheater. The event is free of charge, open to the public, and non-ticketed.

  • Bring blankets and lawn chairs.
  • Bondhi Bowls and Flyin’ K BBQ food trucks will be there.
  • Doors open at 2pm and the show starts at 3pm.

 

Rainbow Lake, AZ
Rainbow Lake near Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona

High Country Arts + Crafts Festivals

July 4th + Labor Day weekends / Orchard at Charlie Clark’s, Pinetop-Lakeside / Free to shop

Arts festivals with live music, food and drink in a park-like setting. Both events are put on by the all-volunteer High Country Art Association, a non-profit dedicated to showcasing creative, original visual arts and fine crafts in the White Mountains.

  • July 4 – 6: July 4th Fine Arts + Crafts Festival
  • Aug. 30 – Sept. 1: Labor Day Arts + Craft Festival

 

Heritage Square, Flagstaff
Flagstaff’s Heritage Square

ArtWalk FLG: First Friday Art Walks

July 5 — August 2, 5pm – 9pm / Downtown, Flagstaff / Free

Monthly celebration of Flagstaff’s local art and music with stops at over 25 participating businesses.

 

fenced-off park
This is as close to Wheeler Park as we could get when we tried to take a walk there!

Flagstaff Art in the Park

July 5 – 7 / Wheeler Park, Flagstaff / Free

Locally owned arts and crafts festival that features tightly juried one-of-a-kind fine art and fine crafts designed and shown by the artists. It takes place over the Fourth of July weekend in a grassy park in Downtown Flagstaff.

  • Entertainment: Nonstop live music throughout the three days of the event!
  • Vendors: Juried selection of 80 artists from across the Southwest.
  • Food + beverage: Food trucks and booths, including Square Root Foods, Hot Bamboo, Cody Coyote Kettle Corn, and Lulu’s Italian Waterice, and a beer garden.
Preview some of the artists on Etsy…

 

Linocut printing
Linocut printing via NAU.

NAU Paper Craft Workshops

July 13 + 20, 9am – 4:30pm / College of Arts + Letters, NAU FLG Mountain Campus, Flagstaff / $249 fee (each class)

Single-day hands-on classes on bookbinding and relief printmaking, which are presented by Northern Arizona University’s  Continuing Education Department. Both classes are taught by professor of printmaking David Williams.

  • Bring a pencil, a large Sharpie, and a 10×14″ sketchbook. Other supplies will be provided.
  • 7/13: Relief Printmaking. Learn the basics of relief printmaking methods, how to create your own designs, and then make small relief prints with a variety of products. H/T Flagstaff 365
  • 7/20: Creative Bookbinding. Learn both both traditional and innovative methods for making your own handcrafted books, journals, notebooks, and sketchbooks. H/T Flagstaff 365
  • *Anyone can use the MakerLab in NAU’s Cline Library! The multidisciplinary collaborative workspace provides a wide selection of tools, equipment, supplies, and services including 3D printing (fee for material), project consultations, and open workshops.

 

Map of overland and river supply routes throughout the southwestern US and northern Mexico
Quartermaster map of steamboat and overland supply routes between military forts (including Fort Verde) throughout the Southwest in the 1800s. It’s displayed at the Colorado River State Historic Park in Yuma.

Living History Presentations: Frontier Regulars: Come Here Often, Pardner?

July 20 + August 17, 10am – 3pm / Fort Verde State Historic Park, Camp Verde / Included with admission

Living history presentation on “Frontier Regulars,” like the Quartermaster and the Commissary.

  • July 20: Quartermaster
  • August 17: Commissary

 

Flagstaff library

Environmental Justice and BIPOC Communities Series

July 22 — August 29, 6pm / Downtown Library, Flagstaff

  • This series takes place in the Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library: Downtown Library Community Room. 
  • 7/22, 6pm: Archaeology’s Deep Time Perspective on Environment and Sustainability. Learn how ancient events, agricultural techniques, and biological and geological records can help us with today’s sustainability issues.
  • 8/29, 6pm: Caretakers of the Land: A Story of Farming and Community in San Xavier. Hear how the Tohono O’odham revitalized the land for future generations, ensuring their access to land and water, despite divisive government land allotments.
  • *The 7/22 “Archaeology” talk is part of the library’s Summer Reading Challenge. Attending this event will give you a secret code to get points toward reaching your goal.
Gifts for gardeners.

 

Orpheum Theater in Flagstaff, Arizona

Flagstaff International Film Festival (FIFF)

August 3 — 4 / Orpheum Theater, Flagstaff / $45 for a Weekend Pass, plus ticketing fees.

Film Festival presenting independent cinema from local, national, and international filmmakers in a wide range of themes, including avant-garde dramas, comedies, animations, and science-fiction. Beyond film screenings, FIFF also hosts Q+A sessions, workshops, and networking events to provide insights into the filmmaking process, and opportunities to interact with filmmakers and fellow film enthusiasts.

  • A Weekend Pass provides entry to all in-person screenings on the Saturday and Sunday of the Festival.
  • Public parking in Downtown Flagstaff is $1/hour. The Orpheum does not have its own lot.
  • ANYWHERE: Virtual Film Festival – online for 8-days as video-on-demand.

 

Flagstaff

Hopi Arts + Cultural Festival

August 24, 10am – 7pm / Flagstaff Mall, Flagstaff / free

Festival that brings Hopi arts, crafts, and culture to the public. The event is a bridge that allows Flagstaff and surrounding communities to come together and learn from one another.

  • Vendors: Over 30 artists selling jewelry, traditional pottery and basketry, contemporary clothing, Kachina Dolls, photography, and mixed media artwork.
  • An all-ages event.

 

Sign that says HOT

• Southern Arizona •

Summer Party Series

now — August 17 / Hotel Congress, Tucson / Cost varies

Themed parties with live music on the Hotel Congress Plaza! For example…

 

“A year in which a group of audacious filmmakers, daring performers and adventurous studio execs pushed cinema to new limits, blurring the boundaries between mainstream and art films …”

—Loft Cinema

Mural at Loft Cinema by Jessica Gonzales
Mural at Loft Cinema by Jessica Gonzales.

1999! Best. Movie. Year. Ever.

now — July 31 / The Loft Cinema, Tucson / $8 per ticket

The Loft will re-release a selection of influential movies that premiered in 1999.

  • Copies of the book, Best. Movie. Year. Ever. How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen by Brian Raftery, will be available for sale at the box-office during this series.

 

Clouds

‘Amai Mo ‘Am Ṣo:ṣon G Cewagĭ / El lugar donde se forman las nubes / The Place Where Clouds Are Formed

now — August 31 / University of Arizona Poetry Center, Tucson / Free

Multilingual exhibit (O’odham / Spanish / English) examining the intersection of spirituality, migration, and policies that have impacted the borderlands of the Sonoran Desert through the work of collaborating poets, photographers, and artists.

 

BYND Books at MSA Night Market
BYND Books booth at a previous MSA Night Market.

Mercado District Summer Night Market

July 26, August 3 + September 27, 6pm – 10pm / MSA Annex, Tucson / Free to shop

Local artisan vendors, plus music, food vendors, and extended hours for MSA Annex shops the last Friday evening of the month through September.

 

trees outside the DoubleTree Hotel at Reid Park

Southeast Arizona Birding Festival: BYOB (Bring Your Own Binoculars)

August 7 – 11 / Reid Park, Tucson / $30 registration

5-day festival for recreational birders, featuring a Nature Expo / vendor fair, field trips, photography events, and presentations. It’s organized by Tucson Audubon Society, a nonprofit for engaging people in the conservation of birds and their habitats.

  • The Festival Headquarters is the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tucson – Reid Park.
  • The Opening Party and the Nature Expo are free and do not require registration.
  • Scholarships available: Tucson Audubon Society is committed to connecting all people to nature regardless of income. Anyone with a financial need is encouraged to apply. Scholarships are given based on availability of funds.
  • *Discounted room rate for festival-goers: $112/night at La Quinta Inn + Suites.

 

The 11th Annual Salsa, Tequila + Taco Challenge is bound to elevate cocktail craft and culinary creativity once again.

—SAACA

Taco at Chile Fest with a blue corn tortilla
Taco from the Phoenix Chile Festival.

Salsa, Tequila + Taco Challenge: Heated Competition

August 24, 6pm / El Conquistador Tucson, Tucson / $100 general admission

Culinary competition where attendees sample and vote for the best salsa, tequila, and tacos in the region from well-regarded mixologists and chefs. It’s a blend of culinary arts, live music, entertainment, and local culture.

  • General admission tickets include food and beverage samplings from 30 local restaurants and chefs. Plus, access to live entertainment all night.
  • Food + beverage: A variety of custom salsa and tequila cocktails in over 15 categories. Creations from previous events included salsa infused with chicharrones, a dulce de leche dessert taco, and even a watermelon Sour Patch Kids margarita!
  • Entertainment: Lucha Libre matches. Performance by 10-piece band Mariachi Herradura de Tucson. Live painting by Phoenix artist Jesse Perry.

 

Booth at Tucson Comic-Con
Rick Strieck’s artist booth at Tucson Comic-Con.

Tucson Comic-Con

August 30 — September 2 / Tucson Convention Center, Tucson / $69 at the door plus parking / All ages

Community-based pop culture event that seeks to be America’s friendliest convention! The 3-day con features Q+A panels, workshops, costume contests, photo ops, and a large exhibitor hall. There will be actors, authors, comic book artists, and cosplayers appearing as special guests.

  • 15th anniversary of the event!
  • Parking: Convention Center lots are at least $10/day, but there are less expensive alternatives in the area.
  • *Early Bird Special: Adult (Age 14+) Full Weekend Memberships are $50 until July 11! Save $19 versus buying this membership at the door.

 

Plan Ahead…
group photo of orchestra members
Via The Buena Vista Social Orchestra

Buena Vista Social Orchestra (BVSO) Concert

October 6, 7pm / Fox Theatre, Tucson / $41-75 per person (includes ticketing fee)

An ensemble of both new and original Buena Vista Social Club members perform both hits and deep cuts from the iconic band.

 

via Vitamin String Quartet

Vitamin String Quartet

November 13, 7:30pm / Fox Theatre, Tucson / $25-65 per ticket (includes fees)

Performance of the Vitamin String Quartet (VSQ), who create beautiful classical covers of pop music. You may have heard them on Bridgerton, as the string section slyly sneaking a current hit into the period drama.

They are currently touring with fresh arrangements of music from Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, BTS, Bridgerton, The Weeknd, and Daft Punk.

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