Tubac’s 51st Annual Festival of the Arts; February 10-14, 2010. For more information, call 520-398-2704 or visit www.tubacaz.com/festival.asp. © Doty Keith >> Click on image to view it larger in a separate window.

February 2010 Events
If there’s a better month to enjoy Arizona, we don’t know what it would be. From snow-skiing and sledding in the high country to golf and hiking in the desert regions, February simply means fun. For world-class events, try the Heard Museum’s Hoop Dance Championships in Phoenix, Tucson’s Gem and Mineral Show or Sedona’s International Film Festival. For entertainment with a Southwest flavor, check out Tubac’s Festival of the Arts, the Cochise Cowboy Poetry and Music Gathering or La Fiesta de los Vaqueros rodeo in Tucson. And be sure to visit Arizona’s mountain regions for snow-filled fun. Whatever you like to do, remember, it’s a short month, so live it to the fullest.

Note: Dates and activities could change. Before planning to attend events, phone for fees and to confirm days and times.
The activities in this calendar were chosen by the editors of Arizona Highways magazine to let our readers experience slices of life in Arizona, especially events that are unique to the state. For a full listing of monthly events in Arizona, go to arizonaguide.com.

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Living History Presentation; February 20; Prescott; 928-445-3122; www.sharlot.org; Fort Whipple is a perfect venue for “Red, White and Black: Race and Ethnicity in the Frontier Army.” Learn about Arizona’s military past through this presentation from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

20th Annual Prospectors’ Family Fun Day; February 20; 602-771-1612; www.mines.az.gov; Learn all about Arizona’s mining history while having fun. Event activities include gold-panning, lapidary and faceting demonstrations, stamp mill crushing, metal detecting, and jewelry making for the kids. Featured displays include fossils, gemstones, dioramas and mining equipment.

Parada del Sol Parade; February 20; Scottsdale; 480-990-3179; www.paradadelsolorg. Are you tough enough to wear pink? That’s the theme of this years’ annual parade that marches through Old Town Scottsdale in a colorful cavalcade of nearly 150 groups. After the pageantry, keep the party going on “Pink Street” (Main Street) at the Trail’s End celebration – a huge block party with food and drink, a kid’s area, pony rides and live music.

Annual Historic Home Tour and Quilt Show; February 20-21; Globe; 928-425-4495 www.globemiamichamber.com. This tour begins at the historic railroad depot at Sycamore and Broad streets. Participants will see some of the state’s most historic homes and buildings, including some that date to the early 1900s. The tour will also make a stop at the Pieces of Friendship Quilt Show that includes a collectibles and antique sale.

Eat, Drink, and Ski Merry; February 21; Flagstaff; 928-220-0550; www.flagstaffnordiccenter.com. If the title alone doesn’t entice you, how about the description: Cross-country ski your way through Flagstaff Nordic Center’s woodland trails, stopping along the way to savor a progressive gourmet buffet that includes wine.

Humanities Lecture Series; February 21; Prescott; 928-445-3122; www.sharlot.org. Sharlot Hall Museum’s Blue Rose Theater presents Tom Collins with Karen Churchill for “Arizona’s Army Belle: Carrie Wilkins and her Lovelorn Suitors.”

85th Annual La Fiesta de los Vaqueros; February 21-March 1 2009; Tucson; 520-741-2233; www.tucsonrodeo.com. Don your boots for this “Celebration of the Cowboys,” featuring bull riding, bareback and saddle bronc-riding, steer-wrestling, tie-down roping, team-roping and women’s barrel-racing. The Tucson Rodeo Parade rolls through town with more than 200 western-themed floats, marching bands, folk dancers and outfitted riders.

16th Annual Sedona International Film Festival; February 21-28; Sedona; 928-282-1177; www.sedonafilmfestival.com. Sample the work of independent filmmakers this month in one of Arizona’s most beautiful settings. More than 130 new films will be screened as well as some Hollywood classics. An opening-night reception, workshops and dessert parties are also included.

The Waste Management Phoenix Open; February 22-28; Scottsdale; 602-870-0163; www.phoenixopen.com. Known as “The Greatest Show on Grass,” this PGA golf tournament at the TPC Scottsdale is famous for its people-watching and party atmosphere. Watch your favorite golfers and later, join the crowds enjoying nightly entertainment at the famed Birds Nest.

Laura Tohe at the Heard Museum; February 23; Phoenix; 602-252-8848; www.heard.org. Native Navajo Laura Tohe discusses oral and written literature among Southwest indigenous writers and storytellers.

Annual Parada del Sol Rodeo; February 26-28; Scottsdale; 480-990-3179; www.paradadelsol.org. This PRCA-sanctioned rodeo is a time-honored tradition for the “West’s Most Western Town.” Attended by some of the world’s toughest competitors, this rodeo features bronc-busting, barrel-racing, steer-wrestling and bull-fighting, as well as rodeo dances both Friday and Saturday nights.

Fountain Hills Great Fair; February 26-28; Fountain Hills; 480-837-1654; www.fountainhillschamber.com. Check out the 480 artists and craftspeople from around the world who display their work at this juried show on the Avenue of the Fountains. On Sunday, the hot air balloon rally launches at dawn from Fountain Park.

Snowball Slide; February 27; Flagstaff; 928-779-3029; This annual event at Flagstaff City Hall is put on by the Assistance League of Flagstaff. Come purchase your “snowball” for a chance to win one of 21 great prizes, including the grand prize of $2000. The fun begins early with clowns, face-painting and food. At noon the “snowballs” spill down the slide and the winners are revealed.

Katsina Dolls: 100 Years of Carving; February 27-September 30; Phoenix; 602-252-8848; www.heard.org. This exhibition focuses on the history of more than a century of kachina doll carving. Selections from Heard Museum’s extensive collection offer insight into the artistic process.

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