Archive All Issues June 2001

EXPERIENCE ARIZONA

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This month, join the seed-spitting fun of a watermelon festival, kick up your heels in celebration of National Trails Day and tour the art spaces of downtown Phoenix.

Featured in the June 2001 Issue of Arizona Highways

BY: Carrie M. Miner

experience • arizona

Festivals, powwows and get-togethers / by CARRIE M. MINER SLOT CANYONS/NATURE'S CATHEDRALS

Buried deep within the Colorado Plateau are labyrinths of narrow canyons, the most intriguing and photogenic canyons in the world. Enter this realm where light and sandstone come together to create a natural cathedral in the wilderness. Explore the region surrounding Lake Powell including these rare phenomena known as "slot canyons," with Jerry Sieve, September 22-26, 2001.

For more information and a complete schedule of the Friends of Arizona Highways photo workshops, call (602) 712-2004 or toll-free (888) 790-7042 or visit the Web site: friendsofazhighways.com.

OTHER WORKSHOPS

  • September 29-October 3
    Autumn at the North Rim with Peter Ensenberger
  • September 29-October 5
    Footprints of the Anasazi with Jerry Sieve
  • October 2-6
    High Country Adventure with Peter Mortimer
  • October 3-8
    Monument Valley/Canyon de Chelly with Jeff Kida
  • October 13-17
    Preposterous Landscapes with Gary Ladd
  • October 15-19
    Best of the West with Peter Mortimer

Arizona Highways Photography Exhibits CELEBRATING NATIVE CULTURES

Photographs by Jerry Jacka June 16-October 5 Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff (520) 774-5211

CELEBRATING OUR LAND, OUR PEOPLE

Photographs by Arizona Highways contributors July 2-July 31 Arizona Historical Society Museum, Tucson (520) 617-1145

November 4-January 3, 2002 Kolb Studio, Grand Canyon (520) 638-2489

FORGING ARTISTIC LINKS June 1; Phoenix

In the 20th century, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Oskar Kokoschka and other artists created an alternative arts culture by drawing inspiration from new and unconventional techniques. Now, nearly a hundred years later, cutting-edge artisans continue to follow avant-garde traditions, forging new links to society with their art.

In downtown Phoenix, more than 80 art spaces, studios and galleries showcase contemporary art. The young, hip artists frequenting this scene show some bold artwork that represents everything from avant-garde religious iconography to satirical commentary on women's status in society. Visitors to downtown get the opportunity to meet the artists and view their work each month during Artlink First Fridays, featuring self-guided tours of downtown art studios and galleries. Information: (602) 256-7539.

SEED-SPITTING FUN June 16; Glendale

Farmers settled Glendale, northwest of Phoenix, in the early 1900s, and agriculture flourished. But agriculture isn't new to the Valley of the Sun. A thousand years earlier, the Hohokam people laid the groundwork for growth, hacking out hundreds of miles of irrigation canals to water their fields. In 1949, Glendale businessmen and farmers united to increase the popularity of Arizona melons at the River Valley Melon Festival. By 1953, the festival had grown to a statewide gathering called the Arizona State Melon Festival.

Glendale's Watermelon Festival, the modern version of this event, celebrates watermelons, and includes such contests as seed-spitting and watermelon carving. Information: (623) 435-0556.

HAPPY TRAILS June 2; Pinetop-Lakeside

On the first Saturday in June, more than a million outdoor enthusiasts flock to their favorite trails for National Trails Day. Since 1993, this nationwide celebration has promoted public awareness and appreciation of America's many trails. All 50 states participate in this outdoor celebration, as do Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and the District of Columbia.

In Arizona, Pinetop-Lakeside has participated in celebrating the day since its inception.

SOLAR-POWERED CALENDAR June 14-28; Holbrook

The ancient Pueblo people left their mark by using the desert's rock surfaces as drawing boards. Their rock-art designs depict human forms, hands and tracks, animals and geometric designs. Some of the circular and spiral geometric designs function as solar observatories, marking the summer and winter solstices and the spring and fall equinoxes. As the sun's position changes during the year, shadows or sunlight mark the passing seasons when they are projected onto the petroglyphs.

Among the many petroglyphs in Petrified Forest National Park, the Puerco Pueblo Solar Calendar lights up for the summer solstice. Watch this primitive calendar in action with the park rangers each morning, June 14-28, from 8 to 10 A.M. Mountain Standard Time. Information: (520) 524-6228.

Other Events

  • Wool Festival; June 2-3; Flagstaff; (520) 774-6272. A celebration of sheep ranching.
  • Folk Arts Fair; June 2-3; Prescott; (520) 445-3122. Demonstrations of traditional arts.
  • Great Western Tube Float; June 9; Parker; (520) 669-2174. Floating 5 miles down the Colorado River.
  • Strawberry Festival; June 9; Strawberry; toll-free (800) 672-9766. A celebration with everything from strawberry pie to sparkling strawberry punch.
  • The Hubbell Trading Post; June 12; Flagstaff; (520) 779-4395. A brown bag lunch lecture by author Martha Blue at the Riordan Mansion.
  • Winslow Jaycees Fishing Clinic; June 16; Winslow; (520) 289-3383. Free fishing in the Clear Creek Recreation Area.
  • Bluegrass Festival; June 23-24; Prescott; (520) 445-2000. Jam sessions, street dances and performances.
  • Fair of Life Festival of Arts and Crafts Extraordinaire; June 30-July 1 and July 4; Flagstaff; (520) 779-1227. Arts and crafts, classic car displays and science activities.