Category: Events

May at the Museum of Northern Arizona

This week Museum members came to see the new Designed to Move exhibition, and I had the joy of watching their delight. In stunning photographs by Taylor James, seeds are enlarged and lustrous. Poppy seeds resemble bumpy planets. The fluff on willow and clematis seeds glows. One young boy shook a seedpod and exclaimed “Dad, it’s nature’s music!”

Indeed, this exhibition reveals the music, art, and engineering within these essential but often overlooked parts of our world. It’s a revelation, and a reminder of how easy it is to take for granted things that enrich our lives.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — May 8-12, 2023

This week, prescribed fire treatments began on the Grapevine segment, approximately 0.5 miles south of the Duck on a Rock Overlook along Highway 64 (Desert View Drive). The Grapevine project area totals 865 acres and is bound by the Kaibab National Forest’s boundary to the south and the E4/Long Jim Canyon Road to the north. Following completion of the Grapevine project, crews will initiate ignitions on the Lonetree project area, totaling approximately 926 acres. Ignitions may be complete as early as Friday, May 12, but may be extended through the weekend based on favorable weather conditions. A map of the project areas can be found here.

CCC&Y provides a variety of options to help families, community members

COCONINO COUNTY — The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth continues to connect families and community members with a number of options, including free educational resources, city resource guides, calendars of upcoming family events and a variety of programs offered by our more than 100 individual and nonprofit members.

Flagstaff annual Cinco de Mayo celebration to be held May 5 at the American Legion

The Flagstaff annual Cinco de Mayo celebration will be held from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday, May 5 at the American Legion — Mark A Moore Post 3, 204 W. Birch Ave., Flagstaff.

Hosted by the Auxiliary and Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces, the event includes a dinner ($12) from 5 to 6:30 p.m., and the dance from 7 to 11 p.m.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: May 1-5, 2023

Tusayan’s first annual Cinco de Mayo celebration will take place on Friday, May 5 at the Squire Resort. The fiesta takes place from 3 to 7 p.m., is family-friendly, free, and open to the community. 

There will also be lawn games, piñatas, a Mariachi band and a variety of authentic Mexican foods for guests to enjoy. The drive-in movie, Coco, will be begin at 5:30 p.m. 

The Cinco de Mayo event is new this year and reflects the town’s goal of offering more activities and recreational opportunities for visitors and residents alike. A full flyer with more details on the event is available here. 

Discover Flagstaff — Find spring events this week with Flagstaff 365

Discover Flagstaff publishes Flagstaff 365 Happenings on a weekly basis to highlight local events happening in and around Flagstaff. “Flag Happs” is distributed throughout Downtown Flagstaff, displayed in kiosks and storefronts, and also available at the Flagstaff Visitor Center. Below are some highlights of the week.

Exhibits Sought for 74th Annual Coconino County Fair

Coconino County will celebrate the 74th Annual Coconino County Fair on Labor Day weekend, September 1 – 4, 2023, at the Fairgrounds at Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff, Ariz. County residents are invited to join the fun and tradition by entering a public exhibit. Every year the fair showcases the best recipes, artwork, crafts, collections, livestock, home grown vegetables, flowers, and more to the over 40,000 visitors who attend the fair every year.

The Fair features exhibits from all ages and skill levels and many departments give out special awards and prizes, including ribbons and gift cards for exemplary exhibits. Cash prizes are available in many areas thanks to sponsorship from the Friends of Coconino County Parks. Public, private, charter, magnet, and home schoolteachers are encouraged to save student portfolios to exhibit in the schools building. Any participant who submits five entries or more in one department will receive a complimentary fair admission ticket.

The NAU Review — Grad becomes sustainability star, FUSD middle schoolers visit NAU, an epic journey to graduation and NAU’s first In Memoriam

Sophia Swainson was working as a server when she got a text message that changed her life—a job posting for a student worker position at NAU’s Office of Sustainability. It was a big change, but she took it and never looked back. As she prepares to graduate, she’s looking at jobs in the sustainability nonprofit sector, confident that the perseverance that got her through the challenges of college will help her as she takes on conservation.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — Youth experience variety of STEM-related activities during 2023 STEM Celebration

COCONINO COUNTY —
Hundreds of visitors experienced a variety of STEM-related activities and exhibits during 2023 STEM Celebration held Saturday, April 29 at Fort Tuthill.

Presented by Flagstaff STEM City, the 10th annual event featured more 70 indoor and outdoor exhibits offering a variety hand-on activities and demonstrations including robotics, mini rocket launches, a trebuchet catapult launcher, helicopter and heavy equipment displays.

Sponsors included Tgen, APS, Coconino Community College, Coconino County, KSC and the Flagstaff Unified School District.

Some of the exhibitors included Coconino High School and its CocoNuts Robotics Team, Willow Bend Environmental Education Center, W.L. Gore & Associates, Northern Arizona University, Tynkertopia Inc., the Flagstaff Police Dept. Bomb Squad, Grand Canyon Youth, the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth, the U.S. Geological Services Geology and Biology departments, City of Flagstaff Open Spaces, the Museum of Northern Arizona, Lowell Observatory, Guardian Air, Mountain Line, the Phoenix Truck Driving School, the Flagstaff Fire Dept., City of Flagstaff Public Works and the KAFF Radio Remote.

Coconino County Parks & Recreation May 2023 Update

FREE Event AWWE Presents: A Bird Walk

Join wildlife experts in this season’s first bird walk! We will meet at Rogers Lake County Natural Area (7 miles SW of Flagstaff on Woody Mountain Road / Forest Road 231, at the first Rogers Lake entrance sign as you arrive at the County Natural Area). Bring your binoculars, sturdy shoes, a sunhat, a notebook and pencil, and perhaps your camera! This event is free, but registration will be required.

Notes: We will hike up to 3 miles. Bring whatever you want for hiking, and dress appropriately for the weather. Bring binoculars and bird guide if you have them – we will have some binoculars for those that don’t.

Board of Supervisors Approves Updates to Coconino County Fair Fees

At their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve fee changes for the Coconino County Fair, effective starting with the 2023 fair.

The Coconino County Fair ticket prices have not increased since 2008, and the changes reflect growth, increasing costs, and staffing needs. 

Theatrikos May Newsletter: Powerful and Poignant Dance Nation Opens May 19

In Dance Nation, an army of competitive dancers navigates ambition, friendship and desire as they plot to take over the world. Our pre-teen heroines, played by a multi-generational cast of women, know that every plié is a step toward finding themselves and unleashing their power. This show, by Clare Barron, was a 2019 Pulitzer Prize Finalist.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — April 24-28, 2023 — Town of Tusayan Cinco de Mayo event on May 5 and more news, events

Tusayan’s first annual Cinco de Mayo celebration will take place on Friday, May 5 at the Squire Resort. The fiesta takes place from 3 to 7 p.m., is family-friendly, free, and open to the community. 

There will also be lawn games, piñatas, a Mariachi band and a variety of authentic Mexican foods for guests to enjoy. The drive-in movie, Coco, will be begin at 5:30 p.m. 

The Cinco de Mayo event is new this year and reflects the town’s goal of offering more activities and recreational opportunities for visitors and residents alike. A full flyer with more details on the event is available here. 

Flagstaff STEM Celebration Coming Saturday, April 29

You’re Invited to the 
10th Annual STEM Celebration!  
Saturday, April 29, 2023 
1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Fort Tuthill Fairgrounds 

STEM City and its partners are pleased to sponsor

this community-wide event to

celebrate Flagstaff’s designation as

“America’s First STEM Community.”   

Hands-on activities and demonstrations

engage children and adults in the broad range of

STEM opportunities throughout northern Arizona.   

The NAU Review — Discover the Undergrad Symposium, learn about the creator of ‘Lost World’ and how climate warming alters forests’ memory

Every year, hundreds of undergraduate students in all disciplines become researchers—either joining a professor’s lab or creating their own research project, including getting their own funding. That work culminates at the Undergrad Symposium, a daylong event in which students present their research to the NAU and Flagstaff communities. Experience the 15th annual symposium on Friday at the High Country Conference Center. All events are free and open to the public.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — City of Flagstaff proclaims April 2023 as Child Abuse Prevention Month

COCONINO COUNTY — The City of Flagstaff proclaimed April 2023 as Child Abuse Prevention Month on during an official ceremony attended by members of the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth on April 4 at the Flagstaff City Council chambers.

The proclamation was presented by Mayor Becky Daggett to CCC&Y Board members Heather Marcy, Deputy Director, Northland Family Help Center; Laura Rosensweet, M.Ed, Community Impact Manager, Education Forward AZ; Jacelyn Salabye, MSW, Native Americans for Community Action; with CCC&Y Executive Director Virginia Watahomigie attending via Zoom.

Read More

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y one of four organizations in Arizona to be selected for the Vitalyst Health Foundation’s System Change Grant and more news, events

COCONINO COUNTY —
The Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth was one of four organizations in Arizona to be selected this year for the Vitalyst Health Foundation’s System Change Grant.

We will receive $175,000 over three years to develop, in conjunction with the City of Flagstaff and Coconino County, a mental model change ensuring trauma-informed and resilience information is understood at City and County levels and enacted as policy change. The goal is to improve patient engagement, treatment adherence, health outcomes and provider and staff wellness.

April 3 – 9 is Public Health Week in Coconino County

Since 1995, the first full week of April has been recognized as National Public Health Week (NPHW) to champion the health of all Americans.

Locally, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors (Board) recognized this observance and proclaimed the week of April 3 – 9 as Public Health Week in Coconino County.

During this week, we celebrate the efforts of public health and social services professionals, their achievements, and the impact they make on the wellbeing of all. Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS), whose Mission is: empowering people, confronting inequities, influencing policy, and bettering lives, is at the forefront of this important work.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: March 27-31, 2023

Fundamentals Program returns to Albright Training Center

A redesigned NPS Fundamentals Program has relaunched! The staff of Horace M. Albright Training Center (HOAL), a National Park Service employee development facility located within the park, are excited for the return of NPS’s keystone Learning and Development program: NPS Fundamentals. The NPS Fundamentals Program has been redesigned into a three-part training opportunity for new permanent employees in agency. The program serves as the foundation for all careers in the NPS. The program’s mission is to invest in new employees, deepen their understanding of the NPS mission and operations, and build their commitment to the NPS core values.

Coconino County Parks & Recreation — Public Meetings (March 22) for Proposed Fair Fees

Coconino County Parks and Recreation is inviting you to attend presentations to learn more about the proposed Coconino County Fair fee updates.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22 beginning at 6:00 PM through Microsoft Teams. We expect these presentations to last approximately 1 hour including the Q&A. You can learn more, RSVP to those meetings, and provide comments at coconinocountyfair.com/feeupdate. The public may also post comments and questions to the Fair’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CoconinoCountyFair.

NAU Review — World Water Day, learn about NAU students’ Super Bowl activities and a look at NAU en Español

What sustainable freshwater management looks like in Arizona

World Water Day is an annual United Nations observance day held on March 22. The day highlights the importance of freshwater and the need for sustainable management of freshwater resources—a pressing issue for all. Abe Springer, professor of ecohydrogeology in the School of Earth and Sustainability, shared his expertise with The NAU Review, giving insights on the critical importance of sustainable freshwater management and why it is essential to ensure a healthy future for our planet.
Read the blog

Check out the Galleries at Sedona Arts Center!

NOW FEATURING:
Ed Buonvecchio, Mary Heyborne, Casey Cheuvront, and Sue Horine

Our Gallery showcases the largest selection in Sedona of artwork by local artists. If you are seeking a rare piece of fine art, a gift of exquisite jewelry, appreciate stunning photography, or looking for a lovely keepsake from your visit to Sedona, the Arts Center has it all and more. The Arts Center is a 501(c)3 organization that offers all purchases without sales tax – almost a 10% savings.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up — March 13-17, 2023

Grand Canyon Trails Update and Flash Flood Safety 

Possible flash flood and rockfall activity this week and throughout the next month  

Increased precipitation and seasonal snow-melt may lead to enhanced flood risk along creek drainages in the inner canyon. Backpackers and hikers should be especially aware of elevated flows in rivers, creeks, washes, and low water crossings. Low water crossings may become impassable due to flooding or flood damage. 

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCC&Y 2023 Legislative Position

To CCC&Y members and participants,

In lieu of taking individual positions on bills this year: CCC&Y has had a voice at the table for many advocacy positions that support our partners and others to advocate for the well-being of children and families in our State.  We also continue sharing action alerts and updates from our trusted partners so that you can stay informed and utilize the Request to Speak system to show your support or opposition.

Many of the bills are evolving so quickly that an organization with our limited resources would risk doing you an injustice by taking a formal position that may need to change multiple times in this current climate.  However, please know we are at the table and will continue to voice concerns and support during this session.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library — Happening at Your Library week of 3/13/23

View this email in your browser March 13th, 2023 Connect with your community Adult & All-Ages Events Youth Events Book Clubs Technology Help To request a reasonable accommodation for any type of disability, please call 928-213-2331 (Downtown Library) or 928-213-2348…

Sedona Arts Center — NOW SHOWING! 42nd Annual Juried Members Exhibition

42ndAnnual
Juried Members Exhibition and Sale
March 6–31, 2023

Sedona Arts Center’s 42nd Annual Juried Members’ Show, our community’s largest and longest-running group exhibition of visual art in Uptown Sedona is now showing! Free to the public and all the works are for sale, with no sales tax included.

Visitors will find everything from painting and watercolor to metal, wood, jewelry, and fiber art. A focus is also placed on drawing, mixed-media, photography and digital art. The Members’ Show is steeped in tradition and remains open to all current Arts Center members, whether seasoned professionals or new and emerging artists.

The show is open 10am – 5pm Monday through Saturday, and 12 – 5pm on Sunday in our Special Exhibitions Gallery.

Opening Reception / Meet the Artists
Friday, March 10 from 4 to 6pm

March at the Museum of Northern Arizona

March certainly arrived like a lion. Beautiful as all this snow is, I’m looking forward to some more lamb-like weather and eventually some spring flowers. While we may not see those flowers until April or May, we have lots to look forward to at the Museum this month, including fun activities for kids during spring break next week. It’s another example of our efforts to broaden our engagement with visitors and the community, as identified in our Strategic Plan.

This is also the final month for the exhibition Baje Whitethorne Sr: Náátsʼíilid/Rainbow Light, which has been nominated for a Viola Award in Visual Art. If you haven’t seen it yet, come in to enjoy a burst of vibrant color by one of Flagstaff’s preeminent artists. Then come back on March 25 for a closing event to celebrate Baje and this marvelous exhibition, which was curated by another Viola honoree – Alan Petersen.

Grand Canyon National Park Announces Tips for Spring Break Travel and Shuttle Bus Schedule

Visitors to Grand Canyon National Park can expect long lines and full parking lots during the spring break season, which spans from early March through mid-April. As a result of increased visitation, traffic regularly backs up at all entrance stations, with wait times of up to one to two hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Parking lots begin reaching capacity by 12 p.m. and shuttle bus wait times may be prolonged.            

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: Feb .27-March 3, 2023

Grand Canyon National Park experienced its eighth busiest year ever in 2022 with 4,732,101 visits. Last year’s visitation was more than 200,000 above the previous year at a 4.5% increase. Grand Canyon also went from the fourth most visited national park to the second most visited. (#1-Great Smoky Mountains National Park).  

Visitation to Grand Canyon reached its highest level ever with approximately 6.4 million visits in 2018. Although 2022’s reduced visitation lessens the stress on the park’s resources, park operations still rely on the revenue from all income sources. Fewer visitors translates to reduced revenue for park programs. Federal Lands Recreational Enhancement Funds (aka FLREA), transportation fees, and concession franchise fees are still reduced compared to pre-pandemic years. Funds from these sources support many programs across the park and park managers continue to work on programming costs with these smaller revenue projections in mind for this fiscal year. 

The NAU Review — DART=success!, Hip Hop National Champions, expanding nursing and celebrating Women’s History Month

Remember DART, NASA’s attempt to redirect an asteroid? Results are in. It worked.
After ramming a spacecraft into a small asteroid last fall, researchers knew almost immediately that the mission had worked—that the impact changed the asteroid’s orbit. A new study authored by Cristina Thomas found that the orbit changed by a whopping 33 minutes, suggesting that the momentum of the ejected material was a significant contributor to the change. The study is published in Nature alongside three other articles detailing findings from this groundbreaking NASA mission.

Sedona Arts Center — More Art Classes and Workshops to Explore!

Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years.

Click here to see all of our classes and workshops

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — We All Need Someone to Lean On

COCONINO COUNTY — The Coconino Coalition for Children and Youth (CCC&Y), sees you! We see all the ways you support folks in your neighborhood and our community! You are helping to “bring back the village,” and you’re doing great! 

Let’s face it, life can be challenging, and too often, we are collectively stressed. Stress is normalized. We can acknowledge that some stress is good for us, keeping us thinking and maybe even providing us a boost to take necessary action. However, maintaining health requires that we offer ourselves opportunities to decompress. CCC&Y hopes you gift yourself with time to reconnect with yourself and those closest to you. 

During this winter season, CCC&Y invites you to cozy up with some tea and a warm blanket and take a few mindful moments to recognize and honor your inner self and notice your thoughts, feelings, and sensations. (“Mindfulness for Parents and Professionals”). If our opportunity for Mindfulness feels supportive to you, we invite you to share it with others. 

Coconino County Parks & Recreation March 2023 Update

Book Corner

Blustery weather makes for the perfect time to curl up with a good book! 50 Things to do in the Urban Wild by Clare Gogerty is a book to get the creative juices flowing by giving you ideas for how to connect to your local area. Although written in the United Kingdom, the book is applicable to people living anywhere, including the diverse landscapes of Coconino County. Topics include how to create a leaf journal, how to identify trees in winter, cloud spotting, city hiking, and restoring natural habitats. Get inspired to enjoy your local trail system, nature, and wildlife. Maybe you can even learn skills that you can enter in the Coconino County Fair, with topics including growing plants and incorporating nature in art!

The NAU Review — Super Bowl dreams, Garcia Family Honors Scholars Program impact, A Long Christmas Ride Home and Notes from the President

Super Bowl 2023: For these student reporters, it doesn’t get better than this
When sophomore Ava Nichols enrolled at NAU with a dream of becoming a sports reporter, she knew that in addition to the Final Four and annual spring training, Arizona was set to host the Super Bowl. Just the thought of being in the same state as such major sporting events made her that much more excited to move out west. She never expected, however, that she would be one of five NAZ Today students selected to cover Super Bowl Media Week. And if that wasn’t enough, she was also given a game day media pass, giving her field access to cover the game—something most career reporters can only aspire to.

United Way of Northern Arizona — Nationally Recognized Leader Liz Archuleta Chosen as New President & CEO

Liz Archuleta, highly accomplished and nationally recognized leader, and former Coconino County Supervisor who has been serving as a presidential appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture senior leadership team, has been chosen to be the new President & CEO of United Way of Northern Arizona (UWNA).

“We are thrilled to have such a highly respected and accomplished leader as Liz join us,” said UWNA Board President Mike Kelly. “Her ties to UWNA and commitment to our program of work go back to 1997. During that time, she’s championed many efforts at UWNA. She’s been a Board chair, led an annual campaign and a capital campaign, been the chair of the Summit Society, and spearheaded a special 50th anniversary drive to support the KinderCamp program.”

Grand Canyon National Park Weekly Wrap-up: Feb. 13-17, 2023

Cultural Demonstrator this weekend at Grand Canyon Visitor Center

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 17, 18, and 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., stop by and meet Zuni fine art painter, Anthony Gchachu. He will discuss how he conceptualizes and executes his paintings.

Watch him work and learn how Zuni culture and art have influenced his unique painting style that uses layered acrylic paints to create texture, depth and movement to generate emotions.

This series is made possible with grants from Grand Canyon Conservancy. 

Board of Supervisors Approves Fort Tuthill County Park Management Plan

At their February 6, 2023 special session, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors approved the Coconino County Parks and Recreation Fort Tuthill County Park Management Plan.

In the fall of 2022, the public was able to provide comment on the draft of the Fort Tuthill County Park Management Plan, which were factored into the final draft. The plan’s table of contents include the natural environment of the park, cultural resources and history, public use and facilities, and long-range planning. These topics address issues as varied as dark skies, weed control, emergency use, water conservation, preserving open spaces from damage, and preserving historic structures. 

Public Comment Period for Proposed County Fair Fee Changes is now Open

The public is invited to comment on proposed Coconino County Fair admission fee changes until April 11, 2023.

The proposed recommended fees affect admission prices for adults, seniors, and active-duty military/veterans as well as the parking fee. Youth ticket prices would not change for the 2023 Fair but would change in 2024. Attendees ages 5 years and younger will not be affected by this change The Coconino County Board of Supervisors reviewed the fee changes at the regular meeting on February 6, 2023 and approved a 60-day public input process. 

City of Flagstaff announces Presidents’ Day Closures

City Hall offices at 211 W. Aspen Ave. will be closed in observance of Presidents’ Day on Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. City Hall offices will reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 21 with hours of 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

City of Flagstaff facilities that are closed on Presidents’ Day include:

East Flagstaff Community Library (3000 N. Fourth St.)
Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library (300 W. Aspen Ave.)
Hal Jensen Recreation Center (2403 N. Izabel St.)
Joe C. Montoya Community and Senior Center (245 N. Thorpe Rd.)

Sedona Arts Center — Check out these upcoming Art Classes and Workshops

Art Classes & Workshops at Sedona Arts Center
Sedona is surrounded by a magical landscape of red rock formations and high desert hills with beautiful Oak Creek meandering through it all. Come experience the Shangri-La of the Southwest, a beautiful learning environment with Art Colony roots going back nearly 100 years.

Click here to see all of our classes and workshops