There are some great Happenings over the next couple months! Quite a few festivals, some maker markets, craft classes, experimental art exhibits, nature hikes, and city strolls. A couple festivals are (Something) and Wine festivals. And did you know that May 18 is International Museum Day?
Of course there are Juneteenth celebrations throughout the month of June – including one that kicks off with a ballet collaboration!
There are also outdoor performances of ballet, flamenco, and folklorico. Wanna dance around a maypole? That’s on this List. Go to a space rave? That too.
I mean, really, what you should do now is start skimming through these upcoming Happenings, and see where you end up!
The Happenings List
Events for art, culture, food, and nature lovers with Goodies* starred throughout the List! If you’re not in Arizona, then the Anywhere section is for you, and so are the aspects of Arizona events labeled “ANYWHERE.”
Finally, there may be an Etsy affiliate link or two. Support local makers and this site at the same time!
• Anywhere •
“…the analog activity of observation, drawing, and writing (by hand!) about the natural world is the key to connecting more people to science and nature conservation, as well as a path to personal well-being.”
—Roseann Hanson
Photo by Roseann Hanson via Natural History Institute
Mark Your Calendar
The Art of Exploration: How Field Sketching and Journaling Bridge Science, Conservation, and Well-being
Roseann Hanson has been keeping science-based nature journals for 40 years! She’s a naturalist, artist, author, and explorer. In this talk, she’ll share the history of field sketching as a way humans have recorded exploration – starting as far back as the stone age – and explain why it’s still an essential activity.
The Verde River runs through Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood.
Protecting One of Arizona’s Last, Best, and Wildest Rivers: The Upper Verde
Rachel Ellis, an expert on rivers in the Southwestern U.S., gives a talk about what makes the Upper Verde River area special and why it should be protected with a federal Wild + Scenic River designation.
“The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act protects more than 13,400 miles of rivers and streams in the U.S. … Designation as a wild and scenic river is our nation’s strongest form of protection for free-flowing rivers and streams.”
Sewing beginners can take classes at their own pace with new projects posted monthly to the Camp Verde Community Library’s website and Facebook.
Classes are posted on the third Friday of each month at 9am.
A list of supplies needed for each project will be posted the week before the class.
Recommended for ages 9 to adult.
“Museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.”
Every year, on International Museum Day (IMD), museums around the world plan creative events and activities related to that year’s International Museum Day theme, engage with their public, and highlight the importance of the role of museums as institutions that serve society and its development.
now — September 15 / Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix / included with paid admission ($10 during free admission times)
The Cold War didn’t stop art. Even behind the Iron Curtain, artists were still creating and experimenting. Multiple Realities showcases the work of almost 100 artists from six Central-Eastern European nations (East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Yugoslavia). Although a number of well-known artists from the region are on display, the focus is on largely unknown women artists, artist collectives, and LGBTQIA+ artists.
“The exhibition traces how a generation of artists … embraced experimentation and interdisciplinary practices to confront at times harsh conditions of everyday life, while circumventing and eluding the very systems that sought to surveil and silence them.”
— PhxArt’s introduction to the exhibit
Exhibit is included with paid museum admission. During free admission times, like PhxArt AfterHours or Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays, a $10 special exhibition ticket is required.
*PhxArt AfterHours: June 7 + Sep. 6, 5-9pm. Free admission, extended hours live music, art-making workshops, and specialty food and drink.
May 4 + 11, 8-11am / Desert Botanical Gardens (DBG), Phoenix / Included with admission
Walk your dog through DBG’s trails on Saturday mornings this spring. There are always plenty of interesting new things to see – and to sniff – especially this time of year when the Garden is in bloom!
now — July 7 / Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix / included with paid admission ($10 during free admission times)
Exhibition about Barbie’s identities and influence through the last six decades. It includes over 250 vintage dolls, life-size fashion designs, and exclusive interviews.
“The exhibition is complemented by original PhxArt exhibition The Power of Pink, which explores the history, science, and associations of the color synonymous with the iconic Barbie brand.”
—PhxArt
Chuck Close self-portrait at the Phoenix Art Museum.
May 5, 12pm – 4pm / 55th Avenue between W. Campbell + W. Glenrosa Avenue, Maryvale
Family-friendly event with live entertainment and unique goods for sale from small businesses. It is part of the same nonprofit that’s behind the Mujeres Mercado, E.L.L.A. (Empowering Latina Leaders in Arizona).
Vendors: Local vendors of accessories, apparel/fashion, art, beauty and wellness products, candles, crafts, as well as produce and desserts/drinks.
Food + beverage: Food trucks and other food businesses will be there.
View of Downtown Phoenix near Washington Street + 3rd Avenue.
May 5, 10am / Kaya Holistic, Phoenix / *$20 advance, $30 at the door
Local curandera Patricia Federico shares what we can learn from the Medicine Wheel, an ancient symbol that, in some North American Indigenous cultures, symbolizes balance and connection between humans and the natural world.
May 15 — June 1, 8pm / Desert Botanical Gardens (DBG), Phoenix / $60-100 per ticket
Ballet Arizona dances to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the Desert Botanical Gardens. The performance will feature costumes designed and hand-painted by Artistic Director Ib Andersen, who also choreographed the work!
An old symbol for copper outside Arizona Heritage Center.
May 18, 10am – 3pm / Arizona Heritage Center, Tempe / Free
In honor of International Museum Day, free admission to the Arizona History Museum (Tucson) and Arizona Heritage Center (Tempe), plus crafts and activities!
No registration is required.
Greater Southern Arizona Area Chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers 9th and 10th Horse Cavalry National Association at the Tucson Rodeo Parade.
June 16, 10am / Arizona Heritage Center, Tempe / Free (donations accepted)
Day of recognizing the impact of Black communities in Arizona and the Juneteenth Holiday. Community members can connect with each other and with organizations representing historical societies, action groups, state resources, and the community at large. Guests are welcome to wander, discuss, and enjoy performances, activities, and food!
You can choose a Free Admission Pass or make a $10 donation by choosing the Supporter Admission Pass.
Via Verde Canyon Railroad.
• Northern Arizona •
“Immerse yourself in the details of life on the riverbanks, feel the rhythm of the flowing waters, and experience the rich cultural heritage tied to this vital waterway.”
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.
5/9, 7pm: Talk on why the Upper Verde River area is being proposed for a Federal Wild + Scenic River designation. Registration required for in-person attendees. Free
5/11, 8am: Excursion to an archaeological site in the Upper Verde. $75 fee
Photo by Roseann Hanson via Natural History Institute
The Art of Exploration: How Field Sketching and Journaling Bridge Science, Conservation, and Well-being
May 2, 7pm / Natural History Institute, Prescott / Free
Roseann Hanson has been keeping science-based nature journals for 40 years! She’s a naturalist, artist, author, and explorer. In this talk, she’ll share the history of field sketching as a way humans have recorded exploration – starting as far back as the stone age – and explain why it’s still an essential activity.
ANYWHERE: The presentation will also be livestreamed on Natural History Institute’s YouTube channel.
Cover art for the Star Wars soundtrack on the very retro CED format. But also seems perfect for this event.
May 4, 8:30pm / Orpheum Theater, Flagstaff / $24 per ticket (includes ticketing fee) / 18+ only
Dance party in the historic Orpheum Theater! This Flagstaff Pride event will feature DJ Bear Cole and BG NFTY with pop up performances from Dillon Duvet, Brandy Alexander as Han Solo, Miasma and Planet Cree.
May 18, 4pm / Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott / $90 per ticket
Live music, gourmet bites, wine tasting, mead, and mocktails in support of the Sharlot Hall Museum.
“An evening of enchantment and culinary delights … Embark on a sensory adventure where music and the finest libations intertwine to create an unforgettable experience.”
—Sharlot Hall Museum
View from Jerome overlooking Clarkdale and the Verde Valley.
May 18, 12pm – 6pm / On 10th Street (westside of Brewery, east of Clarkdale Park), Clarkdale / All ages
A celebration of Arizona craft beers that puts the ale in Clarkdale! Beer vendors will be providing 16-ounce beers for 1 ticket. Purchase 4 tickets for $25 or 2 Tickets for $15. Sister + the Sun and What’s the Big Idea will be performing.
Food + beverage:
Breweries: Smelter Town, THAT, Simple Machine, Lake Pleasant, Belfry, Dark Sky.
Wine can be purchased inside the Brewery.
Non-alcoholic beverages will be available as cash purchases at food trucks: Sidewalk Grill (Burgers, chicken sandwiches), Mad Honey (BBQ) Nana’s Tacos, Dog Town (hot dogs), Kettle Korn, BREWHA
June 5 – 28 / Sedona Arts Center (SAC), Sedona / Free
Beautiful Latinx cultural identity and traditions are the subject of this vibrant exhibition. Seen through several different artists and diverse art forms, it highlights histories, familism, forgotten stories, and rich personal and collective experiences.
June 13 — July 13 / Red Rock Ranch and Farms, Concho / Free
Five-week fête in lush fields of lavender. Visit this farm in the mountains of Northeastern Arizona when lavender is in bloom, and you can cut your own bouquet! You can also learn how to cook with lavender, visit their gift shop, and purchase your own plants to take home!
Festival happensThursdays through Saturdays.
Red Rock Ranch’s wine tasting room will be open during the festival for tastings, as well as for purchasing wine and cheese plates.
Pets are not allowed at the farm during the festival.
June 22 – 23, 10am – 4pm / Museum of Northern Arizona (outside), Flagstaff / general adult, one-day access $20 / All ages
Celebration of artists and traditions of the people of the Colorado Plateau – Acoma, Apache, Diné (Navajo), Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Pai, Ute, Yavapai, and Zuni.
Online ticket sales begin May 8.
Entertainment: Dancers, demonstrators, cultural experts, and musicians playing indigenous music from the region. Plus, hands-on activities and experiences for all ages.
Vendors: Buy authentic pieces directly from Native American artists. Artists take home 100% of their earnings from Festival purchases!
*Full weekend passes are just $5 more! ($25/adult, $14/youth, free for kids age 9 and under)
*Free entrance to the Museum with your festival ticket.
Getting there…
Car: Free shuttle from parking areas.
Bike: Accessible via Flagstaff Urban Trail System. 2 locations for free, secure bike parking.
Bus: The Mountain Line Route 5 stops directly in front of the museum.
My finger traces / the edge of a feathery / leaf. Yep, that’s a thorn.
Walk along Congress Street and Stone Avenue to find poems in planters! The 20 that have sprouted up are winners of an annual literary competition that anyone can participate in. Winners are chosen by Tucson’s poet Laureate, TC Tolbert.
now — October 6 / Tucson Museum of Art (TMA), Tucson / included with admission
Because Tucson Museum of Art turned 100 years old this year, it’s featuring an exhibition of significant artworks the Museum has collected over the past century. The aim is to consider the works’ complex relationships to the past, present, and future.
now — October 20 / Tucson Museum of Art (TMA), Tucson / Included with admission
Mayan mythology is the starting point for this exhibition that mixes ancient art with modern, looking at Mayan image-making and storytelling through the years.
*First Thursday. On the first Thursday of the month, TMA offers extended hours (5-8pm), pay-what-you-wish admission, art activities, entertainment, and a cash bar. Reserve your free ticket online.
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.
After the Tohono O’odham community in San Xavier lost access to much of their main water source, they came together to find ways to revitalize their land while honoring their traditions. Dr. Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan tells the story of how they did it.
Open to the public, but registration is required.
After the presentation, there will be drinks and opportunity for conversation with fellow attendees.
*ANYWHERE: Tohono Chul’s featured videos on “hot topics” like monsoons and the Queen of the Night plant.
CATALYST Artist-in-Residence Emiland Kray will be teaching a series of book-making classes!
5/4, 3pm: Hardcover Accordion Book. Beginner-friendly bookbinding workshop where each participant will walk away with a handmade book and the skills to make more! $10 materials fee.
5/5, 3pm: Softcover Pamphlet Stitch. Learn a brief history of the Pamphlet Stitch, a simple binding structure often used in zines, brochures, music, and other printed ephemera. Then make two blank journals using the technique! $15 materials fee.
5/19, 3pm: Hardcover Pamphlet Stitch. Learn how to use this simple binding structure and make a hardcover book. Covers will be wrapped with fabric. Each attendee will walk away with a blank notebook made by hand. $25 materials fee.
Some of the performers are also part of the group Flamenco For La Vida, seen here onstage at the Phoenix Chile Festival.
Half a dozen flamenco virtuosos come together to create an evening of music and dance in Tohono Chul’s Performance Garden.
“Blending tradition with modern flair, this special Flamenco performance will transport you to the streets of Spain with its stunning costumes, expressive movements, energetic footwork, captivating guitar rhythms, and moving vocals.”
–Tohono Chul
Creative Kind’s booth at the Made in Tucson market.
May 8, 10:30am / Creative Kind at La Encantada, Tucson / $60 fee
Marlies of Flow! Art + Awareness will talk about each person’s unique perception of the world. She will then guide everyone through the process of creating a watercolor painting, while letting go of visual reality and expectations and instead embracing your own essence and creativity.
May 11, 10am – 2pm / the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum (Next to the Amtrak Depot), Tucson / Free / All ages
The Southern Arizona Transportation Museum’s annual celebration of trains! You can climb inside a steam train (Locomotive 1673) and ring the bell.
The Museum and gift shop will be open.
Shop model trains and railroad paintings.
Children’s art activities.
The flyer also promises “Fun Farm Choo Choo rides” with no further explanation. Maybe the “choo choo” is a kid-sized train. Did it come from the Fun Farm? Is that where it’s going? Where is the Fun Farm? What is the Fun Farm?
May 12 – 26, 7pm / Reid Park, Tucson / Free (pet food donations accepted) / All ages
Live music for all ages Sunday nights at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center in Reid Park.
May 12: Guest artist Gabriel Ayala
May 19: Music for the Planet Concert. Live music inspired by nature. Before the concert, there will be booths from environmental non-profits in the park.
May 26: Memorial Day Concert with the Tucson Pops Orchestra, featuring members of the Honor Guard performing Taps
There is no cost to attend. However, if you’re able, you can bring a donation of pet food for the Southern Arizona Animal Food Bank!
The Southern Arizona Animal Food Bank…
coordinates the food trucks for the concert series.
is a nonprofit with a mission to ensure no one has to choose between feeding themselves or feeding their pets.
has provided free animal food to over 800 families throughout Southern Arizona!
May 12, 1pm / Creative Kind at La Encantada, Tucson / $55 fee
Learn how to create a personalized white board from clay! Claire from Marigold Fontana Ceramics will lead the workshop and provide botanical and letter stamps attendees can use to customize their boards. She will then apply a white satin glaze that will make them usable with dry erase markers. Finished boards will be returned in about 3-5 weeks.
Sour orange trees were originally brought from Seville, Spain to Tucson and now grow in Mission Garden.
“Since wheat was adopted as a valued crop here in the 18th century, it has been harvested on Saint Isidore’s Day. This day was an opportunity to remember San Ysidro [St. Isidore] — the patron of laborers and farmers — and to harvest the wheat.”
—Mission Garden
Mission Garden brings to life traditions of an 18th-century wheat harvest. It begins with a procession, lead by a costumed “San Ysidro,” and blessings at the threshing ground.
Then volunteers will demonstrate how the harvesting, threshing, winnowing, and milling wheat into flour (with the help of a horse!) would have been done in that era. Finally, a lunch of pozole de trigo, the traditional food for this festival, will be served with fresh flour tortillas.
May 18, 10am – 3pm / Arizona History Museum, Tucson / Free
In honor of International Museum Day, free admission to the Arizona History Museum (Tucson) and Arizona Heritage Center (Tempe), plus crafts and activities!
May 18, 9am – 6pm / Patagonia Lake State Park, Patagonia / Included with Park entrance fee. / All ages
A day of international mariachi dancing and bands!
Park entrance fee is $20 per vehicle (up to 4 adults). Kids 13 and under are free.
Entertainment: Mariachi and folklorico performances throughout the day, plus mariachi musical chairs, an amateur singing competition, a piñata and other kids’ activities.
Food + beverage: Local food vendors will be selling tacos, sushi, churros, fry bread, shaved ice, and fruit in a cup. Essential Coffee and Cook’s Kettle Corn will also be there.
May 18, 10:30am / Creative Kind at La Encantada, Tucson / $60 fee (includes supplies)
Sandy of Luna’s Paper Designs will demonstrate how to assemble large crepe paper flowers (with petals, stem and leaves) using pre-cut crepe paper with wire and glue. She will share step-by-step instructions to help attendees create with confidence!
Celebration of the moment when the US “finally and truly became the land of the free.” Festivities include a kick-off concert, ballet performance, and festival.
6/8, 2pm:Cinderella ballet performance, a collaboration between Dancing In the Streets AZ collaboration and Tucson Juneteenth Committee.
6/9, 3pm: Juneteenth Jubilee Mass Choir.
Tucson Juneteenth Committee is planning a series of events and activities throughout the month of June.
Workshop on building a sweet and savory charcuterie board that looks and tastes fabulous! Learn how to choose meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, crackers, and chocolate dipped treats that complement each other – in an Independence Day inspired color palette!
Attendees aged 21 and over can also take part in a red, white, and blue cocktail demonstration and tasting.
I gathered some really nice serving boards and other dishes into this Etsy collection.
August 30 — September 2 / Tucson Convention Center, Tucson / $69 at the door plus parking / All ages
Is this America’s friendliest convention? That’s the goal of this 3-day community-based pop culture event! It features Q+A panels, workshops, costume contests, photo ops, and a large exhibitor hall. You can also count on special guest appearances by actors, authors, comic book artists, and cosplayers!
15th anniversary of the event.
This is where we met Paul Blake, one of the actors who played Greedo.
Parking Map: Convention Center lots are at least $10/day, but there are less expensive alternatives on the map.
*Super Early Bird Special: Adult (Age 14+) Full Weekend Memberships are $40 until May 2! Save $29 versus buying this membership at the door.
It’s spring and there are yellow wildflowers blooming along most of the roadside from Picacho Peak to Phoenix!
The Happenings List
Events for art, culture, food, and nature lovers with Goodies* starred throughout the List! If you’re not in Arizona, then the Anywhere section is for you, and so are the aspects of Arizona events labeled “ANYWHERE.”
Escape from Dreamland Villa, 1982 by Anne Coe via MOAZA.
now – TBD / Museum of Arizona Artists (virtual museum) / Free
The first solo exhibition on the online Museum of Arizona Artists (MOAZA) is a retrospective of artist Anne Coe’s work over fifty years. According to Julie Sasse, Chief Curator of the Tucson Museum of Art, her “colorful and often whimsical paintings … reveal a passion for the West with all its stereotypes, icons, and ironies.”
What got my attention:
A museum dedicated exclusively to work from Arizona artists!
March 2, 10:30 am MST (UTC/GMT -7 hours) / Zoom / Free
Workshop on using history to better understand, connect with, and tell the stories of our ancestors. Taught by Duane Roen, a retired professor of English at ASU.
From the organizer(s)…
…we yearn for more personal connections to and understanding of those who came before us, found in stories about their lives and accounts of their daily struggles, hopes, and dreams.
March 8, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST (UTC/GMT -5 hours) / livestream / Free
March 8 is International Women’s Day! The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) will livestream the keynote presentation that will be happening during their day of celebrations.
From the organizer(s)…
Ferren Gipson is a British-American art historian, writer, and artist. In this virtual program, Gipson will discuss the women artists featured in her latest book Women’s Work: From feminine arts to feminist art (2022).
March 12, 12:00 pm MST / Live presentation via Zoom / Free
Livestream talk on the life of Pearl Hart before and after her famed stagecoach heist by John Boessenecker, the author of Wildcat: The Untold Story of Pearl Hart, the Wild West’s Most Notorious Woman Bandit.
This will be the last program in the museum’s Arizona Biography Series: The Stuff of Legends.
From the organizer(s)…
“On May 30, 1899, history was made when Pearl Hart, disguised as a man, held up a stagecoach in Arizona and robbed the passengers at gunpoint. …Word of her heist spread, and Pearl Hart went on to become … the most notorious female outlaw on the Western frontier.”
Detail of El Juego de los Probabilidades by Oscar Muñoz, examined during a virtual Slow Art session with Phoenix Art Museum.
This is a day for the people to come together and celebrate the unique culture of record stores and the special role they play in their communities. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet + greets with artists, parades, and (of course) DJs spinning records.
Now – May 11 (most Saturdays) / Desert Botanical Gardens (DBG), Phoenix / Included with admission
Walk your dog through DBG’s trails on Saturday mornings this spring. There are always plenty of interesting new things to see – and to sniff – especially this time of year when the Garden is in bloom!
Specific dates: March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 + April 6, 13, 27 + May 4, 11 from 8-11am
now — July 7 / Phoenix Art Museum (Fashion Design Mezzanine), Phoenix / included with paid admission ($10 during free admission times)
Exhibition about Barbie’s identities and influence through the last six decades. It includes over 250 vintage dolls, life-size fashion designs, and exclusive interviews.
From the organizer(s)…
The exhibition is complemented by original PhxArt exhibition The Power of Pink, which is drawn exclusively from the Museum’s expansive fashion-design collection. The Power of Pink explores the history, science, and associations of the color synonymous with the iconic Barbie brand.
Chuck Close self-portrait at the Phoenix Art Museum
now — December 1 / Phoenix Art Museum (Rineberg Gallery + Ballinger Gallery), Phoenix / Included with admission
Exhibition of works from the Phoenix Art Museum Collection curated by members of the Museum’s security, event-rentals, and retail-services teams.
From the organizer(s)…
The project, which challenges traditional museum hierarchies and fosters dialogue about who can and should talk about art, is the first of its kind at Phoenix Art Museum.
SN: The gallery attendants and other staff see firsthand how visitors respond to museum pieces day-to-day, so I’m sure they have some interesting picks!
A poster made at a recent all-ages rally for Palestine in Tucson.
Weekly gathering to make, write, and mail postcards to Congressional reps to demand a ceasefire in Palestine. The postcard writing sessions will continue every Sunday until there is a permanent ceasefire.
If you’re unable to make it on Sundays, postcards and materials will be available in the backroom seating area anytime Palabras is open.
Contributions of stamps, postcards and cereal boxes (to be made into postcards) are needed!
March 1 – 3 / Gilbert Regional Park, Gilbert / $25 admission / All ages
Festival loosely based on Celtic/Nordic/world traditions with a focus on competitions and pageantry. Also a British car show.
Entertainment: Live music, photo booth, Clydesdale horses, competitive athletic events, piping and drumming, and highland dancing.
Vendors: Themed merchandise, clothing, art, jewelry, genealogy services, and bottles of wine from Zarpara Vineyard.
Food + beverage: Scottish, Irish, British, New Zealand and other cuisines, plus a host of snack and sweets options. Impex Beverages whisky tastings. Water, soda, and Guinness available throughout the event.
ANYWHERE: You can donate to the Gilbert-based USA Clydesdale Foundation, which is working to save Clydesdales, a Scottish breed of draft horse whose population is shrinking.
March 1, 8, 15 / Shemer Art Center, Phoenix / $270-290 total class fees
Three-part workshop on Ikebana, the art of Japanese flowering arranging, including making ceramic vases for the arrangements. Students will be able to take their creations home with them!
From the organizer(s)…
The practice of Ikebana brings natural botanical materials (flowers, branches, leaves etc.) into living spaces. Vases not only provide the function of supplying water to flowers, but also help achieve the perfect harmony between natural materials and man-made forms.
SN: I find Ikebana fascinating. It seems like such an exquisite art form! And it’s neat that you learn how to make the vase in the same workshop too!
Class fee details: $225 tuition + $45 materials fee (includes glazes and flowers) + $20 clay fee (optional)
March 3, April 7, May 5, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm / 55th Avenue between West Campbell + West Glenrosa Ave, Maryvale
New monthly market on the westside the first Sunday of each month through May. The family-friendly event will have live entertainment, while you shop unique goods from small businesses. It is part of the same nonprofit that’s behind the Mujeres Mercado, E.L.L.A. (Empowering Latina Leaders in Arizona).
Vendors: Local vendors of accessories, apparel/fashion, art, beauty and wellness products, candles, crafts, as well as produce and desserts/drinks.
Food + beverage: Food trucks and other food businesses.
Exhibition and sale of fine art from Mexico that will fill the Museum grounds, patio, and barn! Artisans will be on-site demonstrating their work and conversing with visitors. Finished pieces will be available for purchase.
From the organizer(s)…
Pottery makers from Mata Ortiz and wood carvers from Oaxaca will be on hand. Celebrated weaver Porfirio Gutierrez will be here with his loom, showing you his technique using all natural dyes.
March 9, 1:00 pm / Tempe Public Library, Ironwood Classroom, Tempe / Free (includes supplies)
Special workshop where participants will create a bound poetry chapbook and have the opportunity to be part of the library’s Poetry Month display of work by local poets.
All experience levels with poetry are welcome.
All supplies will be provided.
Registration required.
Display will be on the main floor of the library April 8-22.
March 9, 10:00 am / Tempe Public Library, Desert Willow Program Room, Tempe / All ages / Free
Workshop on making and playing simple percussion instruments created from everyday household objects. The instructors will demonstrate some percussion instruments that they have built (like rain sticks, cajons, kalimbas, guiros, and thunder drums), explain their building techniques, and then help participants make their own.
Taught by Maureen Roen (Chandler Symphony Orchestra percussionist!) and Duane Roen, retired professor.
The workshop will end with a brief concert with the class performing on their newly-made instruments.
Mural by Ignacio Garcia, who designed the custom sticker collection for the festival.
March 9, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm / Downtown District walkways and Civic Center Plaza, Glendale / Free
Community festival with over 100 artists, musicians, and interactive arts experiences!
Entertainment: Art installations, pop-up performances in front of local businesses, community chalk art competition, live street painting, dance and live music performances throughout the day.
Vendors: 75 food and artisan vendors along W. Glenn Drive, between 57th and 58th Ave.
Food + beverage: Food trucks will line the streets of Murphy Park, and there will be a local wine and beer garden in The Civic Center Plaza and surrounding courtyards.
A limited-edition custom sticker collection by mural artist Ignacio Garcia will be at participating businesses on the day of the event and beyond.
March 15 – 17 / The Gila River Indian Community’s Mul-chu-tha Fairgrounds, Sacaton
Annual fair of the Gila River Indian Community! Open to the public, it includes a rodeo, fair, carnival, parade, and Pow-Wow. It began as a fundraiser for a community pool and celebrates its 60th anniversary this year!
Entertainment: battle of the bands, car show, concerts and cultural performances, sporting events (basketball, Shoñgivu’l, thoka)
Vendors: Native American jewelry, arts, and crafts
March 20, 7:30 pm / Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center, Mesa / $37-55/ticket + fees
Immersive storytelling experience from Kiliii Yuyan, a photographer of Siberian Native (Nanai) and Chinese-American heritage, who has traveled across the polar regions with National Geographic. He will share beautiful images from the Arctic, an often misunderstood area that is actually home to 40 different Indigenous cultures – including the Nanai – as well as lots of unique flora and fauna.
Carrol’s Garden quilt at Quilter’s Oasis in Mesa
Quilt Arizona!: Quilt Show that Says It’s “Hip to be Square”
March 21 – 23 / Mesa Convention Center, Mesa / $5-10 admission (includes snacks)
From the organizer(s)…
With a theme centered around squares, this Arizona Quilters’ Guild event will showcase imaginative quilts from traditional artwork to modern abstract compositions.
Quilt Arizona 2024 will offer five lectures, included with admission.
March 22 – 24, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm / Downtown Carefree / General admission: $5 (cash only), Souvenir wine glass with tasting tickets: $15 (cash preferred)
From the organizer(s)…
The carefully curated selection of fine art ensures that guests are exposed to a diverse range of artistic styles and mediums, allowing them to discover new favorites and expand their artistic horizons.
Entertainment: Live music by After Glow (instrumental contemporary jazz and funk tunes).
Vendors: Over 160 world-class artists displaying pieces in a variety of media, including paintings, blown glass, hand-thrown pottery, woodwork, gourd carvings, metalsmithing, sculptures, photography, and one-of-a-kind jewelry.
Featured artist duo: Myra Burg and Liz Cummings, two individual artists who normally work with completely separate media, joining forces to create Quiet Oboes.
March 23, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm / Auditorium at Sunland Village, Mesa / All ages / Free
Bird-themed Earth Day celebration targeted to trail lovers, nature enthusiasts, and conservationists. There will be a seed swap table, where growers can share their excess seeds or pick up new seeds to try.
Entertainment: Free plants, a seed swap, and animal rescue organizations with live reptiles and birds.
Vendors: Wildlife photographers and small businesses like Blue Planet Outdoors and Big Sky soap will be selling their products. There will also be space for non-profits, including the Arizona Trail Association, Tru Garden Hydroponic Growers, and Desert Audubon.
March 23, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm / Kroc Center Phoenix (East Field), Phoenix / Free with RSVP / All ages
Festival with over 40 local women artists and vendors, live performances, art demos, food, music, and giveaways.
Substance-free, family-friendly event.
Organized by the Black Girl Brown Girl Collective, a South Phoenix nonprofit that aims to provide opportunities for women to engage in cultural events and share their art and make all women feel safe and welcomed.
March 30, 1:00 pm – 9:00 pm / Dave White Regional Park, Casa Grande / All ages / $10 advance, $15 day-of admission + ticketing fees, free admission for children 12 and under (with paid adult admission)
Entertainment: Live music featuring headliner Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, as well as folklorico dancing and Mariachi Nueva Era. There will also be hot air balloon tethered rides (weather permitting), a fireworks display, and activities for kids (inflatables, face painting, balloon artist).
Vendors: Retail vendors.
Food + beverage: Taco, salsa, and margarita vendors, and a beer garden. Food and beverage is not included in the ticket price, and you can’t bring in your own alcohol and/or food.
April 18, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm / Shemer Art Center, Phoenix / $75 fee + $30 supplies / materials
What got my attention:
This workshop sounds phenomenal! I love the use of a wide variety of materials and the spirit of experimentation with different techniques for artists at any level.
From the organizer(s)…
Dive into the realm of tactile artistry in this immersive course. Explore the possibilities of compounds, pastes, collages, art- and non-art materials.
Other upcoming workshops with Bela Fidel:
4/19: Acrylic Pouring ($75 + $30 materials fee)
4/26 – 5/24 (Fridays): Abstract Painting through Working on a Series ($150 + $30 materials fee)
now — April 12 / Natural History Institute, Prescott / Free
Exhibition of fine art nature photography by Taylor McKinnon. The collection centers on the beauty of western North American landscapes, the biodiversity within them, and our relationships with the natural world.
3/23, 1pm: Nature Photography for Everyone. Loosely-structured workshop in Prescott’s Granite Dells with the exhibition’s artist, Taylor McKinnon. Learn about cameras and composition and practice photographing beautiful scenery on the Mogollon Rim. Advanced registration required. $35/person
March 1 – 30 / Petrified Forest National Park, Holbrook / Included with admission ($25 per car) / No children under 12.
The Petrified Forest National Park offers guided hikes on Fridays and Saturdays through backcountry trails to notable locations within the Park. Descriptions of individual hikes will give you an idea of the level of difficulty (easy to strenuous), distance, elevation gain, and how much time to allow.
Don’t forget to make a reservation for your guided hike!
While pets are not allowed on guided hikes, they can come to this National Park with you and even participate in the BARK Ranger program!
March 8 – 9, 5 showtimes over 2 days / Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University., Prescott / $5 admission
What got my attention:
Jane Goodall. Hope.
From the organizer(s)…
Drawing on decades of work by the world’s most famous living ethologist and environmentalist, Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope, is an uplifting journey around the globe to highlight good news stories that will inspire people to make a difference in the world around them.
Learn how to use, eat, and grow the mesquite trees native to Arizona, as part of living a more sustainable life. In addition to learning about mesquite, attendees will be able to spend time with other people who are also interested in topics like permaculture, homesteading, and natural living.
What got my attention:
Off the beaten path, relaxed, sustainability, mesquite.
From the organizer(s)…
Come on out to Golden Valley, Arizona (a hamlet nestled between Kingman and Bullhead City) to taste mesquite in its many forms … and enjoy a slow weekend in a small town right off of historic route 66.
April 5 – 7 / Camp Verde Parks + Rec Building, Camp Verde / Free admission + workshop fees
Inaugural Arizona Fiber Festival, featuring three days of workshops, vendors, and demonstrations on an array of fiber arts, including spinning, dyeing, weaving, felting, knitting, crocheting, basketry, beading, braiding, and embroidery. Work by members of the Arizona Federation of Weavers and Spinners Guilds on display.
The vendor market, demonstrations, and Guild booths are free and open to the public.
April 20, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm / Red Rock State Park, Sedona / Included with admission
Celebrate Earth Day in one of the world’s most beautiful places – surrounded by Sedona’s red rocks! There will be live wildlife presentations with rescue animals, as well as hikes, community partner booths, games, prizes, and kids’ crafts.
April 27, 6:00 pm / Homolovi State Park’s Visitor Center Museum and Observatory, Winslow / Included with admission
A night under the stars that begins with a guest speaker presentation, followed by viewing deep sky objects – like nebulas, distant stars, and galaxies – through a 14″ telescope.
now — May 11 (select dates) / University of Arizona Poetry Center, Tucson + online / Free
Series of poetry readings by nationally-known and Arizona poets, as well as interdisciplinary performances and outreach events where writers of all ages share their creative work.
now – October 20 / Tucson Museum of Art (TMA), Tucson / Included with admission.
Exhibition that looks at the traditions of Maya storytelling and image-making from ancient times up to the present. As a starting point, it uses Mayan mythology from the Popol Vuh. Artwork by Guatemalan modern artist Carlos Mérida (including a wall that looks like a giant, flat piñata) complement the ancient work.
*First Thursday. On the first Thursday of the month, TMA offers extended hours (5-8pm), pay-what-you-wish admission, art activities, entertainment, and a cash bar. Reserve your free ticket online.
*Second SundAZe. Focused on intergenerational learning, the Second Sunday of the month features activities and art-making for kids, as well as docent talks, free performances, and pay-what-you-wish admission.
Scenery near Roche Tissue Diagnostics via Visit Tucson.
Now – May 3 / Ventana Gallery at Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Tucson / Free
Exhibition of work by artists who live, work, and/or were inspired by Oro Valley, in honor of the town’s 50th anniversary. It will be housed in an unconventional space – a gallery located on the campus of Roche Tissue Diagnostics.
Monthlong focus on watching hawks and other raptors migrate through Tubac with experts on these birds of prey. Several thousand raptors migrate north above the Santa Cruz River – including over half of the Common Black Hawks in the U.S. Many stop to roost in nearby cottonwood trees overnight before continuing their journey.
Entertainment: Guided nature walk along the Santa Cruz River, raffle, demonstration by local nature artist and plein-air painter Virginia Vovchuk, opportunity to learn how to identify hawks and why they fly over Tubac, children’s activities that include a Birdy Treasure Hunt.
Vendors: Major optics companies will display their products. (Binoculars and such, I assume.)
March 2024 will be the 12th year that Peter Collins will count the hawks over Ron Morriss County Park.
March 5 – April 7 (approximately) / University of Arizona Zoom platform + San Xavier Cooperative Farm / $120 tuition
From the organizer(s)…
Many people call the Sonoran Desert and its striking landscapes home. Long before our urban centers and city lights lit up the dark desert skies, the Tohono O’odham were cultivating and shaping the land with abundant agriculture. Learn about the foodways of the Tohono O’odham and their connection to the land, plants and animals. This includes pre-encounter methods of farming, hunting, and food gathering, contemporary cultivation methods and effects of food subsidy programs on traditional diet.
4 live online sessions on Tuesdays March 5, 12, 19, 25 from 5pm – 6:30pm
5th class will be a hands on learning experience in person at San Xavier Cooperative Farm, date TBD (first week in April).
Ukrainian-American Society of Arizona booth at Tucson Meet Yourself.
March 9, 11:00 am / St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church, Tucson / $25 Adults, $10 Students.
From the organizer(s)…
In this 4-hour workshop at St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Tucson, you will learn how to decorate eggs using symbolic designs made with wax and colored vegetable dyes according to the practices of generations.
SN: If you read my Pysanky post and thought “Wow! I’d love to try that some day,” then here’s your chance to do it and support a good cause!
All profits donated for humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Sponsored by the Ukrainian-American Society of Arizona.
March 9 – 10 / Tubac School of Fine Art, Tubac / $395 fee
Workshop on how to keep a sketchbook journal to record an event, memory, or your day-to-day life. Instructor Jim Petty will also cover basic drawing, perspective, and values. This course is both in the classroom and outdoors!
What got my attention:
Journaling through art! Inside AND outside! Another way to do a travel journal.
March 15 – 17 / Sculpture Park (in Brandi Fenton Memorial Park), Tucson / Free
Outdoor juried Sculpture Festival hosted at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park. The 2024 Festival will showcase sculpture across a wide range of media by over 50 sculptors from around the country.
Now – 5/20: Julia Arriola and Hector Ortega Exhibit
March 15, 7:30 pm / Fox Theatre, Tucson / $23-81 / ticket (includes fees)
Concert of Irish traditional music from the band Altan, along with step dancers and a guest fiddler from Ireland.
From the organizer(s)…
Ranging dynamically from the most sensitive and touching old Irish songs all the way to hard hitting reels and jigs, Altan is committed to bringing the beauty of traditional music, particularly that of the Donegal fiddlers and singers, to contemporary audiences. Altan believes that Irish traditional music is modern music in every sense and its growing popularity proves them right.
*Public tours of Fox Theatre the first Tuesday of each month at noon. (Requires climbing stairs.) Free, but donations to the non-profit, historic theatre are welcome.
March 16 – 17 / Oro Valley Marketplace, Oro Valley / Free
Juried arts and crafts marketplace with work in a variety of media on St. Patrick’s Day Weekend.
Entertainment: Celtic musical performances (bagpipers, traditional folk dance from the Maguire School of Irish Dance, Saguaro Stompers clogging, and fast Irish jigs from bands Rave Review and Puca and the Wild Ones), inflatable art installations, a comic bookmobile, and a kid’s crafting station by Lucky Cat Social.
Vendors: Metal sculpture, jewelry, photography, handmade beauty products, and artisan foods from over 125 artists.
Food + beverage: Sonoran style carne asada, home cooked BBQ, Italian ice, fruit smoothies, and a full beer and wine garden.
Outside of the Firestone Building, where DAM pop-ups are held.
March 16, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm / corner of 6th Street + 6th Avenue under the pavilion in front of Let’s Sweat, Tucson / Free to shop
From the organizer(s)…
Desert Air Market (DAM) is a recurring outdoor popup market created and run by Tucson artisans for Tucson artisans since the Winter of 2020. As fellow creators, we uniquely understand the highs and lows of running a small business, and we created this one-of-a-kind pop up with a focus on our local creators.
March 16, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm / UA Cooperative Extension (4210 N. Campbell Avenue), Tucson / Free
Over 40 exhibits to increase your knowledge on efficient water usage and sustainable landscaping in the Southern Arizona desert!
Entertainment: Hands-on activities for all ages, free raffle for items and services, and a chance to take home one of 200 free trees from Civano Growers!
March 17 — October 6 / Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson / Included with admission
Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block (TMA) celebrates 100 years since its founding by looking at the relationship of art to time. The “Time Travelers: Foundations, Transformations, and Expansions at the Centennial” exhibition looks at significant artworks collected by the museum over the past century to reconsider their complex relationships to the past, present, and future.
Self-guided walking tour of haiku poetry printed on acrylic signage and placed in planters along Congress Street and Stone Avenue. The 20 poems are winners of an annual literary competition, submitted by the public and chosen by Tucson’s poet Laureate, TC Tolbert.
March 22 – 24 / Fourth Ave, Tucson / Free / All ages
Bi-annual, family-friendly tradition that hosts artists from around the world, decadent food, and local entertainment. Produced by local non-profit, North Fourth Avenue Merchants Association, proceeds are used to support the Avenue’s infrastructure, invest in surrounding neighborhoods, and host programs that promote arts, culture, and community.
Julia Patterson, who I met during the Hidden in the Hills artist studio tour in Cave Creek.
March 22 – 23 / Tubac School of Fine Art, Tubac / $270 fee
From the organizer(s)…
Have you ever said of an abstract in a museum: “Well, hrrmph, I could do that”? Time to find out!
This course welcomes, not only artists and art lovers, but all curious participants to the world of abstraction. Through this two-day course, you will practice letting go of expectations and creating with the abandon and joy of a child.
What got my attention:
I like the idea of giving the naysayers the opportunity to try it themselves! Regardless of the outcome, it sounds like a fun and freeing – maybe even therapeutic – class.
March 23, 10:00 am or 1:00 pm / Creative Kind at La Encantada, Tucson / $60 fee (includes supplies)
Choose charms and a chain, and create your own chunky charm necklace! Includes either a 14k gold plated or 14k silver plated “paperclip” chain (both hypoallergenic). You are also welcome to bring your own chain. Customize it with 6-8 charms that speak to you from an assortment of gold, silver, and enamel chunky charms.
2 separate class times: 10am–noon or 1-3pm
Workshop seats are non-refundable.
*Anywhere in the US: Free shipping on Creative Kind orders over $75
April 4 — August 31 / Poetry Center’s Jeremy Ingalls Gallery and the Center for Creative Photography’s Alice Chaiten Baker Interdisciplinary Gallery / 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.
Lara Ruggles with guest Kevin Heinle performing at Tucson Folk Festival.
April 4 – 7 / Jácome Plaza, Tucson / Free / All ages
From the organizer(s)…
Festival celebrating Americana and Folk Music traditions and all the wonderful variations, including bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, Celtic, and various styles of Latin and Mexican music! This annual family-friendly festival is held in some of the most historic sections of Tucson.
4/4: Official festival kick off party at Monterey Court.
4/5: Performer social and annual Stefan George Memorial Songwriting Competition on the Plaza Stage at Jácome Plaza.
4/6-7: Main event. Five stages downtown and more than 125 live performances.
April 7, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm / 4th Avenue + 7th Street, Tucson / Free to shop
From the organizer(s)…
It’s not just about commerce, it’s about community.
The Made in Tucson Market is a celebration of the risk-takers and dream-makers that personify the Tucson maker movement. It honors the authentic nature of the rugged desert and the unique spirits that call it home. It revels in the profound resilience and connection of our community.
Vendors: Pima County based artists and makers selling their own work.
Food + beverage: Food trucks, trailers, and booths.
Funds from Made in Tucson go right back into community projects like murals and events.
Lake at Kennedy Park, where the Maíz Fiesta will be held.
Tucson will host the first weekend of a month-long international food and culture celebration. The festivities will include regional food vendors, chef demonstrations, live music and entertainment, educational panels, art installations, and so much more celebrating the rich traditions of maíz.
4/11, 4pm:Noche de Maíz Chef’s Dinner at The Carriage House. Chefs from four UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy collaborate on wine-paired courses + hors d’oeuvres. $150/ticket
4/13, 4-10pm: Maíz Fiesta at Kennedy Park. Live music, art installations, and family-friendly activities. Free
4/14, 7pm:CIMAFUNK at The Rialto Theatre. Afro-Cuban Rockstar who aims to subvert classical Cuban rhythms with innovative mixes of funk, afrobeat and hip hop. $20/ticket advance or $25 at the door
Phillip waiting for an AZIFF screening to begin in Main Gate Square.
The Arizona International Film Festival (AZIFF) is a venue for independent filmmakers in search of an independent audience. Screening locations this year include The Screening Room (downtown), MSA Annex, Hotel Congress, UA Main Gate, and other venues throughout Tucson.
The Selection Committee will be announcing the finalists for the 2024 Festival by March 18.
April 18, 8:00 am – 10:00 am / Mission Garden, Tucson / Free / All ages
Help plant agave in the style of traditional Hohokam-era agave plantings on nearby Tumamoc Hill, while learning more about this food’s ancient methods and future possibilities. At the end of the planting, Archaeologist Allen Denoyer will demonstrate the use of a replica agave knife, used for cutting leaves off agaves in preparation for roasting.
April 19, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm / Hotel Congress Plaza, Tucson / $25/advance ticket / 21+
Concert to kick off the Agave Heritage Festival, featuring Grammy Award-Winning Mariachi Flor de Toloache with Som do Sisal, a 13-piece Brazilian Youth Orchestra that plays instruments made of repurposed Agave Sisal plants.
*The first 200 concertgoers will get an agave spirit sample courtesy of Mezcal Union!
Explore Mission Garden and learn more about agave from staff and volunteers, as well as environmental and cultural organizations from around the region.
9am: The Future of Agave. Panel discussion on why agave’s drought-tolerance may make it a key crop of the future.
10:30am: Agave Roast with the Hualapai Tribe. Members of the Hualapai Tribe will describe their own traditions and relationship to agave roasts, using a different type of agave and a different style of roasting pit than the Hohokam methods demonstrated in past years. They will then open the roasting pit and share tastes with visitors!
April 20, 10:00 am / AC Marriott, Tucson / $210 fee
Course exploring the history, production, and taste of six different agave spirits. Over the course of 2.5 hours, you will taste 6 different varieties, learning how to identifying aromas, flavors, and overall quality, as well as gaining the tools to better appreciate the many varieties of mezcal.
April 20, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm / Hotel Congress, Tucson / $65 /ticket / 21+
Signature event with over 50 artisanal and ancestral mezcals, an agave cocktail showcase, live music, agave art, and presentations from industry experts.
Each ticket also includes…
4 agave spirit tastes
1 beer sample
2 cocktail samples
paired food from the Cup Café culinary team
Mayahuel (agave goddess) mural by Rock ‘‘CYFI’’ Martinez.
April 27 – 28 / Oro Valley + Tucson / $25-32/ticket
The Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra (SASO) performs a series of concerts from fall to spring.
Saturday performances are 7:30pm at DesertView Performing Arts Center in Oro Valley. $32/ticket (includes tax + fees).
Sunday performances are 3pm at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Tucson. $25/ticket.
In the final performance weekend for the 2023/2024 season, guest conductor Giovanni Pompeo leads the orchestra in playing Verdi’s Overture to I Vespri Siciliani and a selection from Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5, in addition to Kalman’s Hudson Concerto and Rósza’s Spellbound Concerto, which will both feature pianist Alexander Frey.
ANYWHERE: Watch SASO’s series of livestreamed concerts from the 2020-2021 season, featuring smaller string ensembles on a socially distanced stage.
Community-building festival celebrating Asian cuisine, arts, and traditions in Mesa’s Asian District.
From the organizers: “The Asian Festival mission is to promote a peaceful world by increasing international awareness and cultural understanding.”
Entertainment: Mathew Ngau Jau, an indigenous cultural guardian from Borneo, will play a traditional stringed instrument called “sape,” as well as giving workshops on how it is crafted. Master Ong will perform Flow Arts, which is a mix of meditation, movement, and juggling.
Jan 12, 7pm – 10pm / Palabras Bilingual Bookstore, Phoenix
Jewelry-making workshop and lunar gathering with games, food, a place to work on creative projects/crafts, and space to reflect and set intentions.
Wear PJs, bring pillows and blankets, and a notebook. Optional: bring games and snacks to share.
Andria from Andria’s Tienda will be hosting a lunar bracelet make-and-take workshop ($10, materials included).
Wasted Ink Zine Distro, Palabras Bookstore, and Cuentos Café will all be open until 10pm!
*ANYWHERE: Palabras Bookstore has a $14.99/month Audiobook Membership, which gives you an audiobook credit each month, plus 30% off additional audiobook purchases!
3-hour, beginner-level workshop on Keum-Boo, an ancient Korean technique used to apply thin sheets of gold to silver. Attendees will apply this silver-gilt technique to a pair of earrings.
Supplies are included and so are 3 hours of studio time!
Jan 14 + on, 11am – 2pm / Palabras Bilingual Bookstore, Phoenix / Free
Weekly gathering to make, write, and mail postcards to Congressional reps to demand a ceasefire in Palestine. The postcard writing sessions will continue every Sunday until there is a permanent ceasefire.
If you’re unable to make it on Sundays, postcards and materials will be available in the backroom seating area anytime Palabras is open.
Contributions of stamps, postcards and cereal boxes (to be made into postcards) are needed!
While many MLK Day festivities focus on Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, the most pivotal years of his life may have come afterward, from 1965-1968. This community chat will focus on Dr. King’s life during those years and his stand against the Vietnam War.
Feb 3-4 / Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix / Free
Two-day festival with continuous live entertainment and hands-on activities.
Entertainment: Dragon and Lion Dances, folk dances, musical and cultural performances, Tai Chi and martial arts demonstrations, koi pond and other exhibits. Play a game of Mahjong, compete in a chopstick challenge, try a Chinese yo-yo, and have your English name translated into Chinese characters! There’s also an arts and crafts area for kids.
Vendors: Merchandise vendors with unique items.
Food + beverage: A wide variety of Asian food available from food trucks and food vendors. Also a beer garden.
Quijote hanging out under a bench at the Shops @ Town + Country.
Feb 10, 10am – 4pm / Shops @ Town + Country, Phoenix / Free to shop
Market with locally handmade jewelry, one-of-a-kind art, treats, apparel and accessories, and health and beauty goods.
Entertainment: Live local music all day and a raffle for prizes donated by vendors.
Vendors: Local Phoenix makers.
Raffle to benefit AZK9 Rescue.
*Happy hour specials on drinks, snacks, and free kids’ meals at The Macintosh (also at Town + Country) 3-6pm, Monday to Saturday – so you could stop by after the Makers Market!
Feb 10-11 / Arizona State Fairgrounds, Ag. Center Building, Phoenix / Free to shop
Annual sale of hundreds of deeply discounted used books, media, and other items. This is both a way to give the community access to books inexpensively, and a way to raise money for nonprofit organizations Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation and Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County!
Arizona State Fairgrounds charges a $12 parking fee that supports the Fairgrounds. VNSA does not receive any money from parking fees.
All unmarked standard-size paperback books are $2.
*Everything is half-price on Sunday (except for the books in Rare + Unusual)!
Valentine-themed excursion on a renovated vintage train! Couples can enjoy the scenery of a red rock canyon, as well as house made truffles, pralines, cupcakes, mousse cups, and other chocolate treats along the way. Passengers receive a Champagne toast upon boarding, service at their seats, and a variety of complimentary appetizers. There will also be full-service cash-bars with S’mores cocktails, strawberry Sangria, and premium liquors on the menu.
From the organizers: “…Since Arizona became the ‘Valentine State’ and the 48th star on the U.S. flag on February 14, 1912, this holiday is the perfect time to memorialize romance on the rails.”
Available February 10, 11 and 14.
All cars connect to open-air viewing platforms.
A portion of all train ticket revenue is donated to Liberty Wildlife Raptor Rescue program.
Feb 24 – Mar 3 / Mary D. Fisher Theatre + Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre, Sedona / $660/Gold Priority Pass (free entry to all screenings).
30-year-old festival of independent films from around the world, including features, shorts, documentaries, animation, foreign films, and student films. Over 140 films total!
Individual tickets will be available for purchase starting one week before the festival.
*Discounts on rental cars and lodging for Film Festival attendees.
– Southern Arizona –
Cut-paper mural by Justin Favela in the Popol Vuh exhibition at Tucson Museum of Art.
now – October 20 / Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson / Included with admission.
Exhibition that looks at the traditions of Maya storytelling and image-making from ancient times up to the present. As a starting point, it uses Mayan mythology from the Popol Vuh. Artwork by Guatemalan modern artist Carlos Mérida, which it inspired, complement the ancient work.
Fun fact: I thought this exhibition had ended, but when I looked at the date, I didn’t pay attention to the year. It actually runs until this October!
*First Thursday. On the first Thursday of the month, TMA offers extended hours (5-8pm), pay-what-you-wish admission, art and gallery activities, entertainment, and a cash bar. Reserve your free ticket online.
*Second SundAZe. Focused on intergenerational learning, the Second Sunday of the month features activities and art-making for kids, as well as docent talks, free performances, and pay-what-you-wish admission.
Scenery near Roche Tissue Diagnostics via Visit Tucson.
Jan 11 – May 3 / Ventana Gallery at Roche Tissue Diagnostics, Tucson / Free
Exhibition of work by artists who live, work, and/or were inspired by Oro Valley, in honor of the town’s 50th anniversary. It will be housed in an unconventional space – a gallery located on the campus of Roche Tissue Diagnostics!
1/24, 5-7pm: Opening Night Celebration. Experience the exhibition with the artists who created each work. The event will also feature wine, light snacks, and live music. Free admission with registration.
Jan 11-14 / Willcox Community Center, Willcox / $20 fee (+ activity fees)
Birding + nature festival that takes place annually during MLK weekend, which happens to be a great time to see sandhill cranes and other bird species in the Sulphur Springs Valley! Activities include field trips, tours, seminars, and a Nature Expo.
Jan 12-20 / Multiple venues in Downtown Tucson / Ticket prices vary by event.
Festival created to influence the discovery and celebration of live jazz performance and music education. It features world-class musicians, as well as up-and-comers.
Jan 13: Jazz Jam at Hotel Congress. Festival artists are paired together in unique ensembles that perform throughout the day. Tickets $45
Jan 15 (MLK Day): Downtown Jazz Fiesta at Corbett’s. Annual day of free performances.
Jan 20, 2pm: Blue Note Records 85th Anniversary Concert at Fox Theatre. Tickets $35-104 (including fees).
Outdoor seating area of AZ Hops + Vines in Sonoita.
Jan 13, 6pm / AZ Hops and Vines, Sonoita / $40/ticket
Twenties-themed release party to celebrate the new Tempranillo from AZ Hops + Vines! Dress like it’s Prohibition times. The Speakeasy password will be shared right before the event!
Entertainment: Big Band vibes and belly dancers! Live music from Bees Knees, a Pennsylvania band covering danceable hits from throughout the decades.
Food + beverage: Admission Includes a souvenir glass, appetizers, and your choice of a glass of wine!
Jan 13, 1pm / YWCA of Southern Arizona, Tucson / All ages / Free
An afternoon of discussions, cultural performances, and activities for the whole family. The event, hosted by League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson and the YWCA of Southern Arizona, is meant to bring people together and inspire action to create a more just and equitable world.
The Day is part of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing Transformation efforts.
Jan 13, 10am – 4pm / Sahuarita Lake Park, Sahuarita / Free
Second annual festival featuring immersive and experiential activities throughout the park. With REFLECTION as this year’s theme, the event will encourage attendees to explore personal and creative reflection, conscientious art-making, and multi-cultural and generational community performances. It will also feature floating art installations that will take the theme of reflection literally.
Entertainment: Live music, community chalk art competition, live plein air painting, mural unveiling, and kids’ crafts. There will also be an eclectic variety of performances unfolding throughout the day, including Mexican Folk Dance, immersive avant-garde, Celtic Dance, mariachi, and the Chinese Lion Dance.
Vendors: Up to 25 artisans exhibiting throughout the walkways of the Sahuarita Lake Park.
Food + beverage: BlackJack Citrus Infusions (Lemonade), Greater Faith World Church Intl. (BBQ), Moreno’s Roasted Corn, Mr. Ice Guy (Italian Ice), Springtide Catering (American Fare).
Beginning with a march from U of A Tech Park (MLK Way and 36th St) to Reid Park, this day of commemorating Dr. King’s legacy will culminate in a celebration at Reid Park’s outdoor performance center. There will be live performances, food, vendors, and informational tables.
Jan 26, 6:30pm / Fox Theatre, Tucson / $23-43/ticket (fees included)
Glow-in-the-dark performance that depicts an original story of a scientist who brings a friendly dinosaur to life. The dinosaur wanders away from home and finds a world full of creatures that light up the darkness.
From the organizers: “This glow-in-the-dark adventure is visually amazing and has been praised for its cutting edge blend of puppetry, technology and dance by audiences all over the world.”
Jan 27, 11am – 1pm / Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, Tucson / $65/class
Hands-on cooking class to make two Lunar New Year dishes! Instruction on preparing complete Chinese meals is part of the cultural center’s AANHPI-inspired health and wellness program. This series of classes continues through May.
Jan 27 – Feb 11:African Art Village on the Mercado District Festival Grounds. Outdoor marketplace with vendors from across the African continent selling artisan goods.
Feb 2-4 / Tubac School of Fine Art, Tubac / $420 fee
Workshop on the elements of color and how to mix oil paint to match what you see.
From the organizers: “Students will understand the strengths and limitations of every color on and off their palette. Students will then see how to choose their palette for each painting to support their specific color goal.”
Over 200 fine artists and craftsmen exhibit throughout Tubac, along roadways and plazas, and woven among the more than 125 art galleries, boutiques, specialty shops, and restaurants. There will also be live entertainment, horse-drawn trolley rides, and a large assortment of festival eateries.
Feb 8-11 / Tucson Convention Center, Tucson / Single-day admission $12 (+$1 convention center fee)
The world’s oldest and largest gem and mineral show. The 2024 show theme is “Pegmatites – Crystals Big and Beautiful!” (I don’t know enough to ever really get what their themes are about. )
Children 14 and under are free with a paying adult.
Feb 10, 10am – 3pm / Arizona History Museum, Tucson / Free
To commemorate Arizona Statehood Day, the Arizona History Museum will have free admission on February 10th, so you can explore the exhibits and learn about history.
Feb 17-25 / Tucson Rodeo Grounds, Tucson / General admission tickets start at $18
A Tucson tradition since 1925, the Fiesta celebrates real-life ranch skills and cowpoke culture. Events include bull and bronco riding, barrel racing, roping competitions, junior rodeo events, and a big parade.
Parking at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds is $10 per vehicle.
2/22: Rodeo Parade. Grandstand tickets are $12 (+ $2 fee). Or watch from the curbside for free (no tickets required).
A day when the EGA (Embroiderers’ Guild of America) encourages anyone who sews to practice their craft out in the open and share their passion for needle arts with others!
Mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina as the title character in a new production of Carmen set in the present day. By The Metropolitan Opera.
Jan 27 / livestream in movie theaters / varies (around $25/ticket)
Gritty, present-day reimagining of the classic opera Carmen. The new production shines a light on the labor struggles, gendered violence, and other power imbalances we are still facing today.
The January 27th performance will stream live to participating movie theaters. If it won’t be showing at a theater near you, you may be able to get a ticket to watch from home.
Encore screenings on 1/31.
More information on ticketing, streaming, and Met Opera on Demand.
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!
Happy Fall! Or should I say “happy last-gasp-of-summer”!?
Even if it doesn’t feel like autumn, we’re heading into September and October, and fall things are going on!
The Tucson Meet Yourself festival going on in front of the Old Pima County Courthouse.
So here’s the current Happenings List, my seasonal selection of goings-on for lovers of art, craft, culture(s), and nature.
*Goodies: The List is peppered with extras, freebies, and discounts! Just look for the asterisks (*).
While the in-person events are pretty much all in Arizona, you can skip down to the last section for Happenings and Goodies you can enjoy from virtually ANYWHERE!
I link to artists’ Etsy sites and may earn a small commission if you click through and purchase something. But no one has paid to be included in the List.
What Happenings on the List have you gone to? I’d love to hear about it! Send me an email or hashtag social media posts about your experience with #TCJreco.
now – September 30 / Gallery 4 at HD South, Gilbert Historical Museum, Gilbert / Included with admission.
Photography exhibitions inspired by two books by Ken Light, a documentary photographer and UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism professor.
With These Hands: A collection of Ken Light’s images of undocumented migrant children working in oppressive conditions on farms throughout the United States.
Picturing Resistance: Images from marches, protests, rallies, and demonstrations, showing people in the public view voicing their passion for change. Public protests embody dissent and express the urgency for policy change.
September 1, 4-8pm / Heard Museum, Phoenix / Free.
Grand opening and U.S. debut of the Early Days exhibition, a survey of Canadian Indigenous art from coast-to-coast-to-coast and from historical to contemporary pieces. Artist James Johnson (Tlingit) from Southeast Alaska will be demonstrating centuries-old carving techniques and sharing his approach to art.
Organized by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in collaboration with Indigenous scholars, artists, and traditional knowledge keepers, the exhibition will be at the Heard through the end of the year.
6pm: Artist talk with James Johnson about his perspectives on key pieces from the exhibition.
As part of First Friday, the museum, Café, and Cantina are open late.
Sept. 1, 2023 – Jan. 2, 2024: The exhibition will be at the museum through the end of the year.
September 9, 10am-2pm / Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix / Included with admission.
Re-opening of Yayoi Kusama’s interactive infinity mirror room installation, “You Who are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies” (2005). This special Fireflies-themed Creative Saturday features art programming, workshops, and specialty food and beverages.
*Save 10% on PhxArt memberships if you purchase by September 6 + use code FIREFLIES10. As a bonus, you’ll get admission to member preview days to see Fireflies before it re-opens to the public!
September 23-30, 7pm / Fountain Hills, Glendale, Goodyear, Phoenix / Free. (Donations accepted.)
Ballet on an outdoor stage with lighting and costumes! These performances kick off Ballet Arizona’s 2023-2024 season. Dancers perform excerpts from both contemporary and classical ballets, so you get a preview of what’s ahead.
Bring a blanket or lawn chair.
Go early to save your spot and watch the dancers warm-up against the backdrop of an Arizona sunset!
*If you go to Fountain Hills, you can take a self-guided art walk tour before the performance. There are 35 pieces in Fountain Park alone! (PDF map)
September 27 + October 11, 6pm / Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix / Tickets $8.
The last half of a four-film series celebrating Cuba’s complex history, which provides deeper context for the museum’s current exhibition Juan Francisco Elso: Por América (which runs until 9/17). Each monthly screening will be on a Wednesday at 6pm in Whiteman Hall on the first floor of the Phoenix Art Museum.
The special-engagement Juan Francisco Elso exhibition is in the Steele Gallery and requires a $6 ticket for adults (youth 17 and under are free)!
*Enjoy free general admission to the museum before the films (starting at 3pm), because all 4 screenings take place during Pay-What-You-Wish-Admission evenings!
October 6-14 / Quilt shops throughout the Phoenix area, Phoenix / Passports $10
The Hop Around the Valley: Maricopa County Shop Association Shop Hop is a Valley-wide celebration of local quilt shops with demonstrations, giveaways, and activities. Purchasing a passport to the Shop Hop allows you to join in the extra festivities and be entered for prize drawings. If you “hop” to all 9 participating shops, you’re eligible for even bigger prizes!
Now – September 14 / ‘Tis Art Center in the Mezzanine Gallery, Prescott
Exhibition of ceramic and mixed media sculptural works by Denise Incao. She creates her art using a spontaneous process, drawing inspiration from nature and her past travels.
*SECRETS: Guide to Prescott’s public art that includes a map to public art sites in Prescott, photos, and historical facts about each piece. It’s available at ‘Tis for a suggested donation of $3.
September 2-4 / Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza, Prescott / Free.
Art festival on the lawn of Prescott’s town square with artwork, crafts, and food vendors. Old West re-enactment group the Prescott Regulators and Their Shady Ladies will perform hourly.
*National Cabernet Sauvignon Day Special: $10 off a bottle of award-winning 2019 Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon at the Del Rio Springs Vineyard Tasting Room Sept. 1-3! The Tasting Room is located in the Old Firehouse Plaza, about a block away from the Faire.
Fine arts and crafts festival that takes place over the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends in a grassy park in Downtown Flagstaff.
Vendors: Juried selection of 70 artists from across the Southwest. Crafters include Created with Repurpose (upcycled lamps and book art), Kimbajul (jewelry) and HatsNThings By Shelly (crocheted hats. And things.)
Food + beverage: Square Root Foods, Hot Bamboo, Safari Samosas, Cody Coyote Kettle Corn, Lulu’s Italian Waterice, Single Speed Coffee Roasters, and the Shady Beer Garden, which features local and regional breweries and benefits Special Olympics Arizona.
Entertainment: Nonstop live music, including Craig Yarbrough, Flag5, Matt Bingham, Matthew Henry Hall, Rideshare, Sister and the Sun, Two Hand Union, Stan Clark and Tim Hogan, Paul and Friends, and TheatriKids.
Via Pinetop Lakes Golf + Country Club on Facebook.
September 2, 3:30pm / Pinetop Lakes Golf and Country Club, Pinetop / Free.
Live music and dancing on several summer Wednesdays and Saturdays. The event is free and open to the public! Bring your own lawn chairs or blankets to sit on.
Food + beverage: Hamburgers, hot dogs, adult beverages, and soft drinks available for purchase. (Cash only.)
Entertainment: Free line dance lessons at 3:30pm. Music by Lakesides 4:30-7:30pm.
Necklace on display at a past Prescott Indian Arts Market. Photo via Sharlot Hall Museum.
September 16-17 / Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott / Admission $15 per day.
Juried show featuring artwork from over 100 top Native artists in a variety of media, including oil painting, beadwork, pottery, and weaving. Plus music, performances, demonstrations, and food!
September 22 – October 1 / venues throughout Northern Arizona (particularly Flagstaff) / Free.
Annual 10-day event designed to promote awareness and enthusiasm for science in Northern Arizona and beyond. Established in 1990, it is the longest continuously running, entirely free science festival in the world.
This year’s theme is “The Mammoth World of Science” to highlight research and scientific discovery by Beth Shapiro, PhD, a pioneer in the field of ancient DNA.
Sept. 22, 7pm: Keynote Presentation “How to Clone a Mammoth” at NAU. Dr. Beth Shapiro will share her expertise on the science of de-extinction. Free keynote tickets are now available for reservation.
Other event reservations will be open for booking on Sept. 8.
September 30, 5pm. / High Country Motor Lodge, Flagstaff / General Admission Ticket $75
All-ages festival outside a refurbished mid-century motel off Route 66. Featured performers include Color Green, Sylvie, The Senators, Spencer Cullum + Rich Ruth, and Kacy + Clayton. Proceeds benefit the Glen Canyon Institute, which is working to restore the ecosystem of Glen Canyon and Colorado River.
Doors open at 4pm. Bands start at 5pm.
Food trucks and a full bar will be on-site. All attendees will be carded.
The show will go on rain or shine!
*Complimentary valet parking for all attendees presenting a valid Flagstaff Fadeaway ticket.
Masquerade + Fancy Dress Ball Advertisement from The Weekly Journal Miner, Dec 5, 1884 via The Sharlot Museum.
October 27, 10am – 1pm / Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott / Included with admission.
Learn about the history behind masquerade parties in the Arizona territory, while making a mask of your own during this pop-up program held in one of the museum’s exhibits. These monthly mini-programs give you the chance to engage with Arizona history in an interactive, hands-on way through crafts, games, and activities!
October 28 – November 1 / Tlaquepaque Arts + Crafts Village, Sedona / Free.
Five-day celebration of life and remembrance with large-scale installations and vignettes throughout Tlaquepaque. It’s also a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage.
Oct. 28: Special performances.
Oct. 28 – Nov. 1, 11am-5pm: Marigold Mural Project. Visitors can paint tributes to their loved ones on a 26-foot long community remembrance wall on the Calle Independencia. Paints and brushes will be provided on site.
now – October 20 / Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson / Included with admission.
Exhibition that looks at the traditions of Maya storytelling and image-making from ancient times up to the present. As a starting point, it uses the Mayan creation story, Popol Vuh, and a series of images by Guatemalan modern artist Carlos Mérida, which were inspired by it.
*First Thursday. On the first Thursday of the month, TMA offers extended hours (5-8pm), pay-what-you-wish admission, art and gallery activities, entertainment, and a cash bar. Reserve your free ticket online.
*Second SundAZe. Focused on intergenerational learning, the Second Sunday of the month features activities and art-making for kids, as well as docent talks, free performances, and pay-what-you-wish admission.
Catalina State Park, also at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
now – October 28, on Saturdays / Sabino Canyon Visitor Center, Tucson / Tickets $15/adult, $8/child + $8/vehicle Sabino Canyon Recreation Area fee
Evening tours through beautiful Sonoran desert on the Sabino Canyon Crawler. Normally, the electric shuttle’s daily rides end at 4pm. However, during the hottest months, they add an extra tour time on Saturday nights. Night tours start at 7pm in September and 6:30pm in October.
The Crawler offers year-round tours on a 7.4-mile route with automated narration about Sabino Canyon.
*Now through 10/14: Summer Family Rates to Sabino Canyon Dam. $15 per family rides on the Bear Canyon shuttle to Sabino Canyon Dam, where you can picnic in a shady spot.
“Solar Tower” by Jerald Jacquard, outside Tucson Museum of Art.
Now – October 1 / Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson / Included with admission.
Every-other-year exhibition of innovative and diverse new works by Arizona artists. It provides an opportunity for emerging artists to exhibit their art in a museum setting and to introduce it to the public.
A new juror from outside the state is selected to curate each Arizona Biennial, reviewing the works of hundreds of artists to create a cohesive exhibition that becomes an overview of artistic creativity in Arizona.
Copper spiral earrings, handmade (and photo by) by Patricia Healey Copper, an exhibitor at the upcoming Colors of the Stone show.
August 31 – September 3 / Casino Del Sol, Tucson / Free.
Colors of the Stone with To Bead True Blue and Artisan Workshops is a show that includes established and emerging glass artists, gem cutters, ceramists, bead makers, jewelry artists, mineral hunters, lapidaries, and goldsmiths.
Shop from a collection of artisan handcrafted products made from sustainable materials in natural colors and buy directly from the source.
September 1-3 / Tucson Convention Center, Tucson / Adult Full Weekend Membership Pass $64
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.
Artist Alley: Meet writers, pencillers, inkers, and colorists from all over the world. Some offer one-of-a-kind sketches and commissions at their tables (usually grouped together in one aisle or section of the exhibitor hall).
Game Area: Play video games – including vintage arcade games – board games, card games, and role-playing games!
Inclusive Quiet Zone: A welcoming place to take a break from the hectic convention floor.
*Hotel McCoy offers 15% off stays of 3 nights or more with code STAY – that means that for a 8/31-9/3 stay you’d pay $286.45 instead of $337!
Hub Restaurant participated in a past Sonoran Restaurant Week. (I think.)
10 days when many Southern Arizona restaurants offer special prix fixe menus for $25, $35 or $45 to encourage diners to try restaurants they haven’t been to, as well as revisiting old favorites. Ask for the Sonoran Restaurant Week menu at participating eateries.
Each year, part of the proceeds benefit a local non-profit, like the San Xavier Co-op Farm, a Tohono O’odham landowners’ cooperative committed to using healthy farming practices to grow traditional crops.
Over 60 local vendors, plus music, food trucks, and extended hours for MSA Annex shops the last Friday evening of the month. It runs from May through September, so this will be the last one of the year!
Annual three-day celebration of the folk arts of the Sonoran region that’s been going on for 50 years! It features food, artisans, dancers, musicians, and special exhibits from the richly diverse communities in Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico.
Where to start? Here are some TMY artists we’ve seen before:
Bonyang Michaels, who demonstrates beautiful Lao weaving on a large loom.
October 14-15 / Patagonia Town Park, Patagonia / Free.
Festival to showcasing the Patagonia community’s talent in a park nestled at over four thousand feet in the mountains of Southeast Arizona.
Vendors: 100 booths of the region’s top artisans who work in ceramics, textiles, glass, jewelry, wood, painting, photography, and metalwork. Plus, a library book sale!
Food + beverage: Food court with Patagonia Fire Department’s annual barbecue and a variety of food trucks.
Entertainment: Bluegrass, rock, jazz, and classical music performances from regional and local acts throughout the weekend at the Town Park Gazebo. For kids, there will be arts experiences, crafts, and youth music acts.
October 14, 2023 – 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.
October 20-22 / Railroad Park, Willcox / Admission $30-45
Festival with over 15 Arizona wineries, along with live music, and fine arts, artisan foods, and vintage vendors. Admission includes 10 tasting tickets + commemorative wine glass.
*Save $10 by purchasing admission tickets in advance instead of at the gate!
*Outside of the festival,wine tasting flights at Willcox wineries usually include a souvenir glass, which you can take with you for a discount at the next Willcox tasting rooms you visit!
November 5, 7pm / Fox Theatre, Tucson / Tickets $20-67.50
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.
September 1, 15, 29 + October 6, 5pm (ET) – 5:45pm / Free.
Informal discussions with National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) educators about selected artworks from the museum’s collection. Each chat will have a different theme and sampling of artworks, which you can see in advance.
All chats are scheduled on Fridays at 5pm (ET) for 45 minutes.
Registration is required in order to get the link to the event.
Limited to 45 participants each chat.
Art Chats will be all virtual until the Museum re-opens in late October, when some will move to being an in-person/virtual hybrid (“”Art Chat Live””).
September 6 – October 18, 10 am-3 pm / Class fee $360 + materials
Two-session Zoom courses using embroidery to explore the history of the national flowers of the United Kingdom. It is part of a series on the symbolic flora of the UK’s four countries taught by Lucy Barter, SFSNAD Creative Director. Each classic design will consist of cross filling, blackwork patterns, gold couching, pearl purl, and padded satin stitching.
Upcoming courses will be centered around the thistle of Scotland and the daffodil of Wales.
Materials: The kit for these classes will be sold separately. Your instructor will email you with further instructions.
October 14, 9am PDT / Free.
An annular solar eclipse is when the Moon only covers the center of the Sun, and there’s still a ring of light around it. The October 14th annular eclipse will be visible in parts of the Americas. However, the Exploratorium will be providing live coverage of the eclipse from the Valley of the Gods, Utah, so you can see it from anywhere in the world!
P.S. Photos are by me unless noted otherwise and linked to their source.
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