Coconino Center for the Arts — A Creative Way to Celebrate Mom

Mother’s Day is coming up soon, and it’s a good time to start thinking about ways to celebrate the people who care for us. Give the mom in your life the gift of art.

CCA membership with Arts+ Pass includes free exhibition entry, invitations to exhibition previews, discounted pricing on events, concerts, and workshops, and enrollment in the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, offering free admission and exclusive discounts to over 1,300 museums and institutions across North America.⁠ This means that, whether the mom in your life is near or far, this gift offers ongoing access to a variety of artistic experiences all year long!

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — Join us for our next Prevention Council Zoom meeting on May 6 to share your story

By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth

Please join CCC&Y for its next Prevention Council Zoom meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 7, 2026.

Christopher N. David, chief executive officer of Native Americans for Community Action Inc., will be the opening speaker. The Council meets the first Thursday of the month.

Our meetings provide our coalition partners with the opportunity to share the latest news about their projects that support children, youth and their families in Northern Arizona.

Want to be a guest speaker at our next meeting? Send an email to CCC&Y Executive Director Virginia Watahomigie at coalition@coconinokids.org​​​​​​​ to be placed on the agenda or to receive a Zoom link to our next meeting.

READ MORE​​​​​​​

May News at Sedona Arts Center

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This month, we are excited to present a new exhibition, FORM and FACE: Abstract Bodies + Masked Identities, in our Special Exhibit Gallery. Featuring work by Zarco Guerrero, Mike Medow, and Kevin Titzer, this dynamic show runs through May 31. Exploring the intersections of abstraction, the human form, and identity, the exhibition uses sculptural masks, figurative assemblage, and evocative materials to examine how identity is constructed, concealed, and revealed. It’s a truly compelling experience—don’t miss it.

United Way of Northern Arizona — Deadline for KinderCamp™ 2026 Coming Up (May 15)

If you’ve been a part of the United Way of Northern Arizona community for a while, you are already familiar with what KinderCamp™means for scores of preschoolers.

You’ve heard how this targeted intervention program, provided free to families, helps prepare 4- and 5-year-olds with little to no preschool experience so they are ready for that first day of school.

It’s the difference between a child walking into kindergarten ready to learn – and one who feels overwhelmed.

KinderCamp returns this June in Flagstaff, Williams, Holbrook and Pinetop-Lakeside, but we’re coming up on a critical deadline.

City of Flagstaff — Data centers zoning code update

FLAGSTAFF – – The City recognizes that data centers are a topic of significant interest for Flagstaff residents. City staff have been actively evaluating ways to safeguard the community by addressing possible impacts associated with data centers, including water use, energy demand, and other critical resources.

During the May 5 Public Hearing on data centers, staff provided the City Council with an update on a potential zoning code text amendment related to data centers. Given the importance of the issue, staff requested additional time to conduct broader public outreach and allow for more extensive community input. This additional time will also be used to further research available options. Staff will return to both the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council at a future date to share community feedback and receive further direction.

Sedona Arts Center — CALL TO ARTISTS — FRIDAY Deadline — 2026

Application Deadline: May 8, 2026
(This Friday)
Notification: May 15, 2026
Program Dates: June 1–25, 2026

Sedona Arts Center invites teens and college-age students (ages 15–22) to apply for Gallery 928, a paid summer art apprenticeship that pairs emerging artists with a master artist to design and create a public mural on the Sedona Arts Center campus.

Up to 12 apprentices will be selected for this immersive program. Each participant receives a $500 stipend and three free college credits through Yavapai College, along with hands-on experience in the full public art process — from concept to completion.

Gallery 928 also helps artists build essential professional skills, including teamwork, leadership, presentation, and résumé development, preparing them for future opportunities in the arts.

City of Flagstaff to begin roof replacement at Historic Milligan House

FLAGSTAFF — The City of Flagstaff will begin a roof replacement project at the historic Milligan House, located at 323 W. Aspen Avenue, starting Monday, May 11. The project is expected to take approximately one week to complete, weather permitting.

The Milligan House, built circa 1904, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the Department of Interior. It is architecturally significant as a unique representation of Victorian residential architecture in Flagstaff and carries additional significance for its connection to James C. Milligan, a local brickmaker and building contractor who played a major role in shaping Flagstaff’s historic commercial and residential landscape. 

City of Flagstaff Regional Plan 2045 — Have you received your ballot for the Regional Plan Election?

Do you have questions about the Regional Plan?

Click here to visit the Regional Plan FAQ page, which has been updated to include these topical questions:
What does the Regional Plan propose for the AZ State Land parcels known as Section 10 and Section 20?
Why is there an Employment District near Ft. Tuthill?
Does the Regional Plan 2045 require new homes to be all electric?

Friends of Flagstaff’s Future (F3) — Addressing Misinformation: Flagstaff Regional Land Use Plan 2045

City of Flagstaff voters,

There’s a lot of misinformation being spread in our community, on social media and by word of mouth, about ratifying the Flagstaff Regional Land Use Plan 2045.

F3 would like to directly address this misinformation by providing direct answers to specific misinformation. The questions and answers below are taken directly from the City of Flagstaff’s Regional Plan 2045 website FAQs.

Does the Regional Plan 2045 require that all new homes must be electric?

No, there is no policy that directly states that all new homes should be all electric. There is an action item in Chapter 10 to “Update the City Sustainable Building Resolution and Sustainable Residential Building Incentives to further implement net-zero energy standards.” The incentives could include points or options for all electric homes.

Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA) — Events & Opportunities for Economic Development Week (May 4-8)

(This) week is the 11th annual Economic Development Week, created by the International Economic Development Council in 2016 to increase awareness of local efforts to promote economic vitality and highlight programs that create jobs and opportunities for individuals and businesses.

Throughout the week there are opportunities locally and nationally to celebrate and access resources that help businesses – and communities – continue to prosper.

Explore May Classes & Workshops at the Sedona Arts Center

May is a perfect time to step into something new.

At Sedona Arts Center, creativity is meant to be experienced. Our May classes and workshops — from oil painting and jewelry making to iPhone photography — are designed to be welcoming, hands-on, and inspiring.

Whether you’re exploring something new or building on existing skills, you’ll learn from working artists in a supportive environment that values curiosity, craft, and creative joy — all in the heart of Sedona.

Annual Cinco de Mayo Dinner and Dance to be held at the American Legion on May 2 in Flagstaff

FLAGSTAFF — The American Legion Auxiliary and Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces will present their annual Cinco de Mayo Dance, featuring music by Ruben Hernandez, on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at the American Legion Mark A. Moore Post 3, 204 W. Birch Ave., Flagstaff.

• Dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. — $12
• Dance from 8 to 11 p.m.
• Tickets are $15 per person / $20 per couple.

Grand Canyon Weekly Wrap-up: April 27-May 1, 2026

Water Conservation Remains Critical Following New Pipeline Break

Grand Canyon continues to operate under water conservation measures. A new break in the Transcanyon Waterline was identified the evening of April 29 and as of Thursday afternoon, the break has been located along the North Kaibab Trail north of Phantom Ranch near the 4th footbridge. This latest development is a reminder that the system remains fragile and conditions can change quickly.

Flagstaff Festival of Science — Don’t Miss the Science Scavenger Hunt! (May 2)

The Scavenger Hunt is THIS WEEKEND!

REGISTER SOON! Don’t miss your opportunity to save your spot for one of Flagstaff’s most memorable spring events.

Join us May 2nd for the Science Scavenger Hunt—a city-wide adventure where teams build communication skills, creatively solve problems, think flexibly, and develop leadership strengths.

Teams of up to four will solve rhyming clues, discover science artifacts all over the city, and have a blast with friends and family!

Perfect for families, friends, coworkers, and curious minds of all kinds.

Don’t miss out!

https://scifest.org/scavengerhunt/

North Kaibab Trail access changes begin Oct. 15 for Transcanyon Waterline Project Work

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Beginning Oct. 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m., a section of the North Kaibab Trail in Grand Canyon National Park will close to all public access for critical pipeline rehabilitation work on the Transcanyon Waterline. The closure area will be between Redwall Bridge (2.5 miles north of Manzanita Rest Area) and the northern end of Cottonwood Campground.

This hard closure will remain in place through approximately February 2027. There are no alternative routes or detours available through this section of trail. This closure is necessary to ensure the safety of both visitors and work crews operating in a narrow corridor with heavy equipment and active construction.

The NAU Review — A new threat to river ecosystems + a new way to experience art

Warmer streams may weaken river food webs

Can you tell the difference when a stream gets warmer? The tiny living things that make that ecosystem their home can. In a new study, researchers from Ecoss found that microbes and aquatic insects are processing fallen leaves, twigs and bark more rapidly and releasing more carbon dioxide into the water and air. The findings could have implications for plants and animals in rivers across the western United States.

Friends of Flagstaff’s Future (F3) — Rio de Flag Invasive Plant Removal this Saturday, May 2

One of F3’s board members was awarded a Flagstaff Sustainability Office neighborhood grant to remove invasive plants in the section of the Rio de Flag that runs along Thomas Elementary school and reseed with native flowers and grasses.

The second of three plant pull events is happening this Saturday from 9am – noon. Meet at the east entrance to Bushmaster Park.

Sedona Arts Center — Explore May Classes & Workshops at SAC

Classes and Workshops
at Sedona Arts Center
May is a perfect time to step into something new.

At Sedona Arts Center, creativity is meant to be experienced. Our May classes and workshops — from oil painting and jewelry making to iPhone photography — are designed to be welcoming, hands-on, and inspiring.

Whether you’re exploring something new or building on existing skills, you’ll learn from working artists in a supportive environment that values curiosity, craft, and creative joy — all in the heart of Sedona.

Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth — CCCY Spotlight — Youth have fun chasing down stomp rockets in high winds and other activities at 2026 STEM Celebration

By the Coconino Coalition for Children & Youth

Winds exceeding 40 mph didn’t deter youth and parents from attending at the 2026 Annual Community STEM Celebration at the Fort Tuthill Fairgrounds on April 25.

In fact the youth appeared to have plenty of fun running down the stomp and air bottle rockets courtesy of the Coalition’s display at the annual celebration.

“Despite the cool and blustery weather, we had a turnout of close to 1,000 folks and certainly seemed like everyone had a great time,” said STEM City Coordinator Eli Cohen. More than 50 exhibitors took part in the free event.

“What an amazing day! Thank you to all of the incredible exhibitors who brought hands-on STEM experiences to life and shared your passion with our community. Your creativity, energy, and dedication made the event truly special,” the organization stated on its Facebook page.

Bilingual report — Coconino County Superior Court to present new installation during Flagstaff First Friday Art Walk on May 1

FLAGSTAFF — The Coconino County Superior Court will present new installation during Flagstaff First Friday Art Walk from 5 to 9 p.m. May 1.

This event will feature new art on display inside the courthouse from the CJCC Indigenous Initiatives Committee, along with opportunities to connect with various county departments and learn more about the services they provide. It’s a great chance to experience the courthouse in a new way while supporting community collaboration.

Flagstaff Festival of Science — Don’t Miss the Science Scavenger Hunt!

The Scavenger Hunt is THIS WEEKEND!
REGISTER SOON! Don’t miss your opportunity to save your spot for one of Flagstaff’s most memorable spring events.

Join us May 2nd for the Science Scavenger Hunt—a city-wide adventure where teams build communication skills, creatively solve problems, think flexibly, and develop leadership strengths.

National Park Service (NPS) — Grand Canyon National Park — South Rim Firewise Cleanup Extended through Sunday, May 3

We need your help in preventing wildfire severity! The 2026 Firewise Residential
Cleanup will occur April 18-May 3, 2026.
Please pile all pine needles and woody debris along your residential road in an
area accessible to vehicles for the crew to pick up. Park staff will begin hauling
debris the week of April 27.

The NAU Review — Giving Day, two more for NAU and celebrating professional achievements

Your guide to NAU Giving Day 2026

Not sure where to swing your Axe of Kindness this NAU Giving Day? Let us help! We’ve shared a few inspiring stories that illustrate the power your gift can wield, whether you donate to NAU’s general fund or choose a specific area of impact. Your Axe of Kindness will change lives and transform Arizona for the better, no matter how you give.