Coconino County Fair — Enjoy four days of fun this Labor Day weekend. 10 a.m. Also, Flagstaff Art in the Park at Wheeler Park. Featuring excellent art, food, live music, kids activities, and beer garden. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
GCC Celebration of Art Kicks off in September
The 13th annual Celebration of Art kicks off this month at Grand Canyon. Beginning September 11th, artists will be coming to the South Rim to paint outside on location for one week. During this time, the public will be able to view the artists as they paint, capturing the ever-changing light and shadows of the canyon.
This year’s event will be a hybrid of on-site and online programming to welcome a wide variety of art enthusiasts. Here is the current schedule of events.
Now through September 18: Interested people can view the online catalog and preview studio paintings. Studio painting intent-to-purchase request forms are available to submit online, and are linked from each painting in the catalog.
September 3-18: There will be an online silent auction featuring specially selected original pieces from each participating artist.
September 11-17: Artists will be painting “en plein air” (or, outside on location) throughout the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
September 17: A featured artist will paint outside near Verkamp’s Visitor Center from 3 – 6 p.m.
As August winds down and we settle into new routines, we’re embracing the cooler mornings and evenings, and celebrating summer’s last long weekend, Labor Day. We hope that you and your family have plans to enjoy some time off, or to spend some time outdoors!
During August, our team took our second summer break to recharge ahead of what we’re expecting to be a busy fall season. We’re keeping a close eye on what’s happening in Congress while we continue to advocate for important investments to be part of the final budget reconciliation bill– these are long-term investments that will protect our nation’s public lands and waters for generations to come, create jobs, and advance environmental justice. Learn about the budget reconciliation process in our breakdown blog that will explain them and how you can help make sure your representatives know why this is so important!
It’s officially time for one of Flagstaff’s favorite events; the Flagstaff Oktoberfest!
After having to cancel in 2020, The Flagstaff Oktoberfest, will celebrate 12 years on Saturday October 2nd in Wheeler Park, in Downtown Flagstaff.
But the fun doesn’t end with music, food and drinks. As always, we will have all our favorite contests during this event, such as the Hops on Birch Men’s and Women’s Beer Stein Holding Contest, The Frozen T-Shirt Contest, The Vienna Beef Weiner Man Race and Satchmo’s BBQ Brat Eating Contest!
The Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS) pathway and the southbound bike lane along the west side of Fort Valley Road/Hwy 180 will be closed between Deanna Way and Forest Avenue from Wednesday, September 1 to Friday, September 3. This closure will be in place from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Detour signage will be posted to direct Fort Valley Road/Hwy 180 FUTS traffic to the Rio de Flag FUTS Trail.
This closure is required as construction crews will be paving Beal Road and the west edge of the Beal/Fort Valley Road intersection as part of the Coconino Estates Improvements Phase I Project.
Park staff have been busy with Search and Rescues (SARs) recently. Unfortunately, many of these events have been recoveries for apparent suicides. Times continue to be full of turmoil and stress—please, take a moment to check in with loved ones and with yourself. Working in remote areas away from close family and friends can add additional challenges during an already stressful time.
We would like to thank all of the search and rescue personnel and additional searchers from many other work groups who helped with two major SARs in Surprise Valley and Hermit Trail. Luckily, in both instances, all visitors were transported safely to the South Rim. Additional thanks go to Arizona Department of Public Safety for their support during multiple SARs over the last few weeks.
Sedona Arts Center is seeking artists for the Souls of Forgotten Objects exhibit to take place December 3 -23, 2021 in the Special Exhibits Gallery of the Arts Center.
This is a golden time in Flagstaff, with fields of sunflowers blooming and everything lush from the monsoon. It’s a reminder that even in the midst of extended drought, life-giving rains can come to see us through.
As a nonprofit museum, we face a drought in our finances as well. Though we’ve reopened to six days a week, visitor numbers are not rebounding to anywhere near pre-pandemic numbers. Admissions revenue cannot come near to making up for what Covid has cost us. We had planned to hold our annual fundraising Gala dinner this weekend, but Covid has again made it unwise to ask people to gather together for a meal.
Drawing on our experience of navigating unexpected challenges this past year, we have shifted gears and brought the fundraising auction online. With more than 100 items in a range of prices, from vintage baskets to paintings by Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton, Merrill Mahaffey, Michelle Condrat, and more. Go to event.gives/MNA to browse the auction and encourage your family and friends to do the same. I am grateful to our gala sponsors and auction donors for their generous support.
If we don’t see you Saturday at the Member Appreciation Day, we do hope to see you here soon.
Thank you for your support of MNA.
Online learning opportunities are perfect for students who are interested in taking one of our educational opportunities, but prefer to work at home. These learning opportunities provide a well-rounded experience in various visual art mediums.
Our workshops are live online learning experiences with one-on-one interaction between student and instructor. Click here to see all our online learning opportunities
Be a part of something special! The Coconino County Fair is hiring for this year’s Fair. Coconino County Parks & Recreation typically hires over 50 part-time, temporary employees every year to help produce the Coconino County Fair, the largest event in Northern Arizona with over 40,000 people attending the event over Labor Day weekend.
The 72nd annual Coconino County Fair is back this Labor Day weekend, September 3 – 6 at Fort Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff!
We return to an in-person Fair this year, complete with live entertainment, community & 4-H exhibits, livestock shows & 4-H auction, fair food, carnival rides, vendors, beer garden, and more!
To celebrate and recognize Flagstaff’s Hispanic roots, Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces invites the public to attend its sixth annual “Flagstaff Summertime Tardeada — Mariachi and Folklorico Festival” from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 21 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 224 S. Kendrick St., Flagstaff.
The event is FREE, open to the public and has drawn upwards of 400 visitors in past years. See image below for the full schedule.
What is a Tardeada? It’s a vibrant afternoon festival and social dance celebrating Flagstaff’s Hispanic culture and community history. The Coconino County Board of Supervisors is the premier sponsor.
On Monday, August 16, NPS Acting Director, Shawn Benge, issued an update for masking requirements for shared indoor and designated outdoor spaces. Outdoor mask zones have been identified for all people regardless of vaccination status (see NPS Memo here). These are the same zones that previously required mask-wearing for unvaccinated people due to the crowded nature of the area and the inability to effectively socially distance.
Sedona Arts Center is planning for the future and we’d love your feedback! Our short questionnaire will only be available until August 25, 2021, so please complete our survey today!
The Sedona Arts Center invites input from residents and visitors alike. Your insights, critiques, hopes, and priorities help inform our community’s long-term planning.
Grand Canyon National Park Deputy Superintendent Louis Rowe has announced the selection of Angela Boyers as Chief Ranger for the Division of Visitor and Resource Protection.
As Chief Ranger of Grand Canyon National Park, Boyers will manage a complex program that includes law enforcement, emergency services, wildland and structural fire, aviation, fee collection, backcountry operations, and a regional dispatch center.
On Aug. 26, 1991, Coconino Community College opened its doors on Fourth Street in Flagstaff to serve students in Coconino County by offering local, affordable, quality education.
This year, events are planned across the county to celebrate CCC putting students first for the last 30 years.
Where and when?
To kick off a year of fun and celebration, CCC will be having birthday parties at all three locations in the county:
Tuesday, Aug. 24, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Lone Tree Campus, 2800 S. Lone Tree Road.
Thursday, Aug. 26, 4 to 7 p.m., at the Fourth Street Campus, 3000 N. Fourth St.
Friday, Aug. 27, 4-7 p.m. at the Page Center, 475 S. Lake Powell Blvd., in Page.
The number of cases nationally and locally continues to increase.
The rolling 7-day average for Arizona increased to 2,408 new cases per day this week, which is a substantial increase over last week’s average number of cases of 1,825. Arizona has now had seven consecutive days cases with over 2,000 new COVID cases per day.
According to the CDC, Coconino County remains in high community transmission status (while the county is in substantial or high transmission, all individuals, whether vaccinated or not, must wear masks while indoors in all government buildings unless you are in a private office space).
Hullabaloo is a community festival featuring giant puppets, a bike parade, costume contests, 2 performance stages, a huge kids area, local vendors, craft brews, cocktails, delicious food, lots of vendors and so much more! Sat. 10 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m.
Art galleries and businesses open their doors with special art exhibitions and more. 6-9 p.m.; free.
This year’s Coconino County Fair is Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-6
at the Fort Tuthill County Park Fairgrounds in Flagstaff, AZ. We return to an in-person Fair this year, complete with live entertainment, community & 4-H exhibits, livestock shows & 4-H auction, fair food, carnival rides, vendors, beer garden, and more!
And speaking of community exhibits, did you learn new skills or pick up new hobbies during COVID? Maybe you joined the sourdough craze or took a deep dive into a new hobby, and whether it was for fun or out of necessity, why not share your creation at the County Fair? Enter your prized possession – in everything from Fine Arts to Open Poultry – through The Fair Book. Some entries deadlines are as soon as Aug. 7.
World Ranger Day July 31
On July 31, the park will celebrate World Ranger Day. World Ranger Day is commemorated worldwide on July 31st to commemorate rangers killed or injured in the line of duty and to celebrate the work Rangers do to protect the planet’s natural treasures and cultural heritage. Be on the lookout for NPS-wide messaging on our social media pages.
Be on the lookout for NPS social media posts celebrating World Ranger Day later this week.
Flash Floods and Lightning Awareness
As we continue to navigate monsoon season, we would like to take a moment to discuss the dangers of flash floods and lightning within the Grand Canyon. Flash floods are distinguished from regular floods by having a timescale of fewer than six hours between rainfall and the onset of flooding.
Celebrate Sedona was specifically designed for the Arts Center be more connected locally. We are so excited about bringing more people to our campus – those who would not typically attend one or our events, classes or programs. We want to introduce what we do to our entire community in a casual, engaging way that is all about fun. So local musicians, food, wine and beer, artist demos, and more, will be available. Some of our events will be themed to whatever is going on in the community, our programming, or tied to an upcoming holiday. This event is free and open to everyone – so please come take a look. We would love to have you!
Heritage Festival of Arts and Culture, Museum of Northern Arizona. Week four of celebrating of Indigenous cultures. 10 a.m.
If you test positive for COVID-19, immediately inform your supervisor and our NPS Public Health Consultant. This is to ensure proper public health protocols are followed and that any exposure is minimized.
Ronan King, Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Public Health Service
Mobile: (202) 891-8599
Email: ronan_king@nps.gov
For all email correspondence, please also cc: Chris Glime, Captain, U.S. Public Health Service
Mobile: (202) 641-3518
Email: christen_glime@nps.gov
It’s not an exaggeration to say that over the past 18 months, the Navajo Nation was one of the areas hardest hit by the pandemic. As of this week, the tribe reported a total of more than 31,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 with 1,362 deaths attributed to the virus, according to the Navajo Department of Health.
Over the past year, however, the vast tribal area that includes land in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, has gone from having one of the highest per capita infection rates to one of the highest vaccination rates in the country. Navajo President Jonathan Nez recently said that more than 70 percent of those eligible for the vaccine have received it.
That change prompted Navajo leaders to allow a limited reopening of the Navajo Nation to tourists this month. Navajo Nation roads are now available to visitors and tribal parks are opened at 50 percent capacity. On Monday, Twin Arrows Casino Resort also reopened, which is a huge boon to our regional economy.
Due to monsoonal activity and heavy rainfall, Grand Canyon National Park will rescind Stage 2 fire restrictions as of 6 a.m. Friday, July 16.
Grand Canyon National Park will remain in stage 1 fire restrictions which requires that a campfire always be in a designated fire ring within a maintained campground. Inner canyon users can use gas cook stoves, but campfires and other open fires are never allowed below the rim. River users should continue to follow the conditions of their permit regarding fires along the Colorado River.
Visitors should continue to be fire aware and use extra care when visiting their public lands.
As of 6:00 a.m. July 6, Coconino County has moved back to Stage 2 Fire Restrictions in coordination with the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests.
In line with the movement to Stage 2 Fire Restrictions, Coconino County Parks and Recreation has reopened trails including Soldiers, Bridge, Two-Spot, Gold Digger, and Pumphouse Nature trails, and allowed access to the Highlands Trail, Flagstaff Loop Trail, and Harrenburg Wash.
Additionally, Fort Tuthill Disc Golf Course, Fort Tuthill Bike Park, the stables at Fort Tuthill, the Archery Range at Fort Tuthill, and ramadas are now open.
Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival. Live performance of Shakespeare’s two most famous plays. 2 p.m.
2021 Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce Independence Day Parade The 2021 Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce Independence Day Parade will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 3 in Historic Downtown Flagstaff.
Coconino County is in Stage Three fire restrictions in the unincorporated areas of the county, including on private lands, in coordination with similar actions by the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests and other agencies in the area. Fire restrictions are effective June 23, 2021 at 8 a.m.
Please be careful with fire and follow current fire restrictions. Read more.
PC: “Indiana Dunes Campsite at Night” by Rob Saker is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
Spend the day on the Continental Country Club golf course enjoying live entertainment. 3 p.m.
Summer arrived in a cloud of smoke last Monday, though luckily for us at the museum, we are far from the path of the Rafael Fire and the shifting wind clears the air around us. We are grateful that these increasingly frequent summer fires are not endangering the museum and that we can continue to welcome visitors Tuesday through Sundays with a safe and inspiring indoor visit. I know many of you are eager to get out and about after staying at home for so long and we are pleased to welcome you to MNA.
Online learning opportunities are perfect for students who are interested in taking one of our educational opportunities, but prefer to work at home. These learning opportunities provide a well-rounded experience in various visual art mediums.
Our workshops are live online learning experiences with one-on-one interaction between student and instructor. Click here to see all our online learning opportunities
The Black Business Expo Juneteenth Freedom Day Celebration will be held fro 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 19 at the Murdoch Community Center,
The Community is encouraged to come out and support Black Owned and managed Businesses in our community.
Are you a black owned/manage business or artist and want to participate. Register at southsideflagstaff@gmail.com or call 928-226-7566.
Stage 2 Fire Restrictions & Extreme Fire Danger
As of June 11, Grand Canyon National Park, along with Coconino County, City of Flagstaff, and the Kaibab and Coconino National Forests have transitioned into Stage 2 fire restrictions. As a reminder, Stage 2 restrictions prohibit any outdoor wood burning and charcoal fires. This does not include liquid petroleum or LPG fueled devices that can be turned on and off such as stoves, lantern, or heating devices. Stage 2 also prohibits outdoor smoking except within an enclosed vehicle.
Flagstaff Folk Festival, Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music. 70+ acts of Folk Music on 2 stages at The Museum Club. 10 a.m.
On Thursday, June 17 there will be a pop up event from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Tusayan IMAX (no registration needed). More information and the flyer for this event can be found here.
On Friday, June 18 the Grand Canyon Clinic will host a COVID-19 vaccine event. Registration is required ahead of time and the full flyer for the event can be found here. To schedule an appointment for the event or at any other time, call the clinic directly at 928-638-2551.
I have a new favorite stop on my morning walks across the museum campus to my office – the studio space where young artists are working with master artists Dan and Arlo Namingha as part of our Namingha Institute. MNA has a long history with the Namingha family of artists, and a strong collection of work by Dan, Arlo, and Michael Namingha, which you can now view online.
The ability to browse MNA’s collections online is one of my favorite features of our newly rebuilt website. The address is the same as before – musnaz.org – but the website has many other new features, including easy links to buy ticketsto visit the museum now that we are open six days a week, Tuesday through Sunday, or to sign your kids up for Discovery Summer Camps, which begin June 14.
After selling out in just 3 days, we worked with Coconino County Parks & Recreation and Health & Human Services to safely add more tickets to the 13th Annual Viola Awards on Friday, June 18th at the Pepsi Amphitheater.
Tickets for spots on the lawn are now being sold in pods. Each pod can have a maximum of 6 guests. You can purchase tickets now for a pod of 2-6 guests. There are currently a handful of pod tickets available.
Additionally, we have a limited number of sponsorship tables available. All tickets for lawn pods and sponsorships can be purchased here.
Don’t wait – purchase your tickets for the 13th Annual Viola Awards today!
If you have any questions about tickets or the Viola Awards, please email Sarah Downing or call 928-779-7159.
VRP Operations: Memorial Day Weekend Report
Rangers were busy this past Memorial Day Weekend with a high volume of calls for Search and Rescue (SAR), Emergency Medical Services, and Law Enforcement incidents.
Many thanks to those who assisted in responding to these calls for service! Photo right: EMS, SAR, and LE personnel use a Sked Stretcher to lift a patient who fell near Mather Point over the weekend. A Sked Stretcher is used in areas that require high angle and/or technical rescue.
The 31st annual Grand Canyon Star Party will be held virtually June 5-12, 2021. The park will bring the wonders of the night sky into the virtual realm through a series of live video premieres on Grand Canyon’s official Facebook page.
Each evening from June 5-12, Grand Canyon National Park will premiere two videos at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. PDT. The weeklong Star Party Speaker Series will feature nine special guest speakers. This year, the event will spotlight on the cultural astronomy of the Grand Canyon region-with speakers who represent some of the 11 traditionally associated tribes of Grand Canyon. Viewers will learn cultural astronomical perspectives from representatives of the Paiute Indian Tribes of Utah, Diné(Navajo Nation), Hopi Tribe, and the Pueblo of Zuni. Additional presentations will focus on the archaeo-astronomy of the ancestral Puebloan peoples of the Grand Canyon region.
With guidance from Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) and consideration of the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on outdoor activities and large events, Coconino County Parks & Recreation will produce the 72nd annual Coconino County Fair as an in-person event this Labor Day weekend, September 3 – September 6, 2021. Last year’s Fair was modified to an all-virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn about the use of natural dyes for screen printing or painting fabric. Virtual event. 3 p.m.
Coconino County is in Stage One fire restrictions in the unincorporated areas of the county, including on private lands, in coordination with similar actions by the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests and other agencies in the area. Fire restrictions are effective May 14, 2021 at 8 a.m.
All of Coconino County parks and natural areas remain under Stage One fire restrictions; charcoal/wood grills are not allowed and no campfires are allowed outside of the campground area, visitors may use liquid gas stoves only on improved surfaces. Please be careful with fire and follow current fire restrictions. Read more.
Navajo Nation Information
Wearing a mask in public is mandatory.
All Navajo Nation Tribal Parks remain closed to visitors. This includes: Antelope Canyon – Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park, Marble Canyon, Coal Mine Canyon, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Four Corners Monument, and Little Colorado River Gorge.
The Navajo Nation is currently in a Shelter in Place order, which includes daily curfew hours from 11:00 P.M. MDT to 5:00 A.M. MDT.
Specific guidance for the Navajo Nation can be found on the Navajo Nation website.
After a very long pandemic year, the arts scene in Flagstaff is re-emerging, bringing music, performance and visual arts back to eager northern Arizona audiences.
Go to the calendar page of the historic Orpheum Theater and you’ll see there’s already half a dozen shows booked for next month, including two comedians, a mini blues festival (seven hours, five featured performers) and a Pride Party.
Meanwhile, June 4 will mark the formal return of the First Friday ArtWalk (now called ArtWalk FLG). The Viola Awards – Flagstaff’s answer to the Oscars for the arts and sciences community – will hold its ceremony on June 18. Then in July, Theatrikos will be back with an outdoor show at The Arboretum.
xAfter selling out in just 3 days, we have worked with Coconino County Parks & Recreation and Health & Human Services to safely add more tickets to the 13th Annual Viola Awards on Friday, June 18th at the Pepsi Amphitheater.
Tickets for spots on the lawn are now being sold in pods. Each pod can have a maximum of 6 guests. You can purchase tickets now for a pod of 2-6 guests.
Additionally, we have a limited number of fixed seat tickets and sponsorship tables available. All tickets for lawn pods, fixed seats, and sponsorships can be purchased here.
If you have any questions about tickets or the Viola Awards, please email Sarah Downing or call 928-779-7159.
Visitors to Grand Canyon National Park this Memorial Day weekend and through the summer season can expect long lines, full parking lots and crowded conditions.
To make the most of a visit to the park during this time, park rangers recommend the following pro tips:
Pro Tip: Make sure you’re ready for your visit by checking the park website to begin planning your trip. Public health measures are in place including capacity limits, temporary closures and modified operations. As the NPS monitors and responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, the park is working closely with the NPS Office of Public Health to use the latest science to guide decision making. Additional details are available at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.
Coconino County Emergency Management has recently launched a ‘one-stop-shop’ fire restrictions website. This new resource includes links to the County Wildfire Defense Ordinance 2021-02, GIS Mapping specific to restrictions, prohibitions of each of the three Stages of Restrictions, and links to all authorities that issue fire restrictions.
Coconino County Emergency Management will maintain this page with appropriate real-time updates, usually following Monday afternoon fire restriction updates.
Grand Canyon National Park remains in Stage 1 fire restrictions at this time with fire danger on both the South and North Rims as ‘Very High.’ As a reminder, Stage 1 fire restrictions are implemented in the park year-round on both the South and North Rims (all campfires must be in designated fire rings and open flames are never allowed below the rim). For more information on Stage 1 fire restrictions and to view the most updated fire information for Grand Canyon visit the park’s Fire Information and Management Website.
Inquiries regarding fire information can also be directed to our public affairs office at grca_public_affairs@nps.gov.
Online learning opportunities are perfect for students who are interested in taking one of our educational opportunities, but prefer to work at home. These learning opportunities provide a well-rounded experience in various visual art mediums.
Our workshops are live online learning experiences with one-on-one interaction between student and instructor. Click here to see all our online learning opportunities
Things are looking brighter and it’s not just the sunshine filtering through the pine branches. After months making plans for the summer, while closely monitoring the increasing vaccination rate in our community and falling number of infections, we are now able to open up a bit more.
Starting June 1, the museum will be open six days a week, from Tuesday through Sunday, meaning you have more opportunities to visit this summer.
We’ve already opened registration for the Discovery Camps to museum members, and will soon open to nonmembers. We’re also accepting applications from artists for booths at our Heritage Festival, which will be held four weekends in July.
