For Immediate Release

JoAnn Mickelson
Arizona Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds
602.403.6196
ar*********@ao*.com

Northern Arizona Beckons With Food, Wine & Cultural Events Throughout the Summer Months

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz., May 2014 – While Northern Arizona is famous for the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and other scenic wonders, the region also offers numerous food, wine and cultural events.

“There are special events taking place in cities across the northern part of the state almost every weekend during the summer months,” said JoAnn Mickelson, executive director of the Arizona Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds.

The association hosts GoCampingInArizona.com, a statewide travel planning website that features campgrounds, RV parks and resorts as well as other information of interest to travelers in Arizona.

Here’s a sampling of upcoming events across Northern Arizona in the coming weeks and months:

  • 24th Annual Zuni Festival of Arts and Culture, May 24 – 25, at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff: Features artists, performers and educators from Zuni, N.M., including the Zuni Pueblo Band and the Nawetsa Family Dancers who perform traditional Zuni dances. Visitors will also be able to meet and buy directly from Zuni artists. The event is created in partnership with the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center in Zuni, NM – musnaz.org
  • 5th Annual Flagstaff Wine & Food Festival, June 7, Pepsi Amphitheater: This event celebrates regional wines and food creations by some of Northern Arizona’s finest restaurants. There will also be live music and local art and food vendors. flagstaff365.com
  • 5th Annual Northern Arizona BBQ Festival, June 13 – 14, Williams: This event features a BBQ cook off competition on Saturday. There will be live entertainment, food and games as well as a beer garden with microbreweries.
  • 13th Annual Flagstaff Folk Festival, June 28 – 29, Coconino Center for the Arts: This event features 150 musicians on four different stages who will perform individually and in groups. There will be fiddlers and folk singers. flagfolkfest.org
  • Fourth of July Rodeo, July 4, Kayenta Community Rodeo Grounds, Kayenta: This event includes an all Indian Rodeo, country western dancing, roping demonstrations, wild horse races and fireworks.  kaytentarodeo.com
  • 81st Annual Hopi Festival of Arts and Culture, July 5 – 6, at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff: This has been a Fourth of July tradition since the 1930s and features award winning Hopi artists from the 12 Hopi villages. The event will include cultural presentations, storytelling, music and dances as well as more than 65 booths, which will showcase the work of Hopi basket and textile weavers, carvers, painters, jewelers, potters and quilters. musnaz.org
  • 17th Annual Arizona Highland Celtic Festival, July 19 – 20, Foxglenn Park, Flagstaff: This event celebrates all things Celtic, including music and athletics. There will also be historical reenactments, educational workshops and whiskey tasting. nachs.info
  • 65th Annual Navajo Festival of Arts and Culture, Aug. 2 – 3, at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff: Weavers and potters work side by side with jewelers and filmmakers during this colorful and exciting summer festival, which includes hoop and social dances as well as traditional and modern Native American music with the Pollen Trail Dancers and Blackfire. More than 100 of the finest Diné artists display and demonstrate their innovative expressions of traditional art forms. Cultural experts will talk about the customs and practices families use to keep their traditions strong. A Navajo linguist will also discuss the tribe’s intricate language, ancient legends and traditions. Visitors will also be able to hike with a Navajo ethnobotanist and learn about the Diné uses of local plant life. musnaz.org
  • 10th Annual Route 66 Days, Sept. 5 – 7, Flagstaff: This event, which is organized by the Route 66 Car Club, features over 400 classic and custom cars and hot rods. There will also be arts and crafts and food.route66carclub.com
  • Flagstaff Festival of Science, Sept. 19 – 28: This festival, the longest running event of its kind, features 80 events, including guided hikes in the forest and at archeological sites. It also includes star parties with astronomers as well as interactive science exhibits and presentations on prehistoric agriculture and sustainability and chemistry magic shows. scifest.org
  • 11th Annual Celebraciones de la Gente: A Lively Celebration of the Day of the Dead, Oct. 25 – 26, at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff: Learn about the Day of the Dead traditions and the role of Hispanics in Northern Arizona. Enjoy mariachi music, arts and storytelling. This is a celebration of all people of Latino and Hispanic origin, created in partnership with Nuestras Raices, an organization of Flagstaff Hispanic pioneers. musnaz.org

These are only a fraction of the festivals and other special events taking place this summer.

For more information on upcoming events in Northern Arizona and across the Grand Canyon State, please visit visitarizona.com

Information on campgrounds, RV parks and resorts and other Arizona specific travel information is available at GoCampingInArizona.com