Fourth of July Fireworks from Tempe 4th - Presented by Kiwanis Club of Tempe

Arizona is proud to present Fourth of July 2011 events all around the state. Here’s a vibrant burst of Arizona 4th of July events, listed by region or city, exploding all over our great state:

(All events below will occur on Monday, July 4, 2011 unless otherwise noted.)

Northern Arizona

• Grand Canyon – No fireworks in or around the National Park.
• Williams – Home Town Fourth of July. The celebration on July 4th and will include a fabulous parade, local BBQ, ice cream social and family activities. Visit www.williamschamber.org.
• Flagstaff – The 15th Annual Flagstaff Fourth of July Parade and Fire-Safe Fireworks – Celebrate the most spirited community events in Flagstaff. More info, visit flagstaffarizona.org
• Sedona – No fireworks in Sedona.
• Showlow – FreedomFest 2011 – Annual 4th of July Parade, festival events & the best fireworks display on the mountain. For more, visit showlowfreedomfest.com.

Central Arizona

• Tempe – Tempe Town Lake Festival or “Tempe 4th” on Tempe Town Lake. Produced by the Kiwanis Club of Tempe, this huge event at Tempe Beach Park opens at 4pm and will feature live music, family fun, a splash zone, an inflatable village, impressive food court and of course, the 60th Annual Kiwanis Club of Tempe Fireworks Spectacular – best fireworks show in the Valley – shot from Mill Avenue bridge. The spectacular family night Fireworks Show will be choreographed to patriotic and classical music and begins at 9:10pm. Get details on parking, tickets and attractions at tempe4th.com.
• Prescott – City of Prescott’s Fourth of July Celebration at Pioneer Park, located off Commerce near Willow Creek Road. All-day carnival, live music and the largest fireworks display in the tri-city area. Free admission for music and fireworks; pre-sale carnival wrist bands can be purchased for $12 or at the gate for $15. Fireworks show begins at 9:00 pm. For more information on tickets, attractions, events and parking, visit cityofprescott.net/events.
• Phoenix – Freedom Wireless Fabulous Phoenix Fourth is the largest free fireworks event in the state. Come down to Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Rd. in Phoenix. Three stages of local entertainment, Kids’ World, classic car exhibit, food and refreshment vendors; the fun begins at 6pm. Expect large crowds and be sure to bring your blanket, lawn chairs and coolers. Even-bigger-than-before Fabulous Fireworks start sparking at approximately 9:30 pm.

Southern Arizona

• Tucson
  • ‘A’ Mountain Fireworks Show Desert Diamond/City of Tucson/Pima County fireworks show from“A” Mountain at Tucson Convention Center parking lot, with food vendors, beer garden, car show. Visit tucsonaz.gov for more information.
  • Let Freedom Sing’ Concert Arts Express celebrates America’s birthday with a concert of patriotic songs staged at Centennial Hall, University of Arizona. Visit arts-express.org for information.
  • Tucson Padres Star-Spangled Spectacular with Fireworks Tucson Padres vs Reno Aces holiday baseball game features All-American fun and food followed by a fireworks display at Kino Stadium. For information and tickets, visit web.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=t549
• Benson – Benson July 4th Celebration Benson will celebrate the 4th of July with its annual parade, a water fight between volunteer fire departments, and a family dance at Lions Park. See bensonvisitorcenter.com for details.
• Marana – Star-Spangled Spectacular with Fireworks Arizona Pavillions hosts Marana’s fireworks show, with children’s fun, ice cream stations, live music, and beer garden. Learn more at marana.com
• Tombstone – July 4th Celebration with Fireworks Enjoy a family-style July 4th celebration with a round robin softball tournament, food booths, and street entertainment – all starting at noon. Free admission; sponsored by Knights of Columbus and Tombstone Vigilantes. Come to Medigovich Field and Allen Street at dusk for fireworks presented by the Tombstone Fire Department. Visit tombstonechamber.com for a map and details.
• Tubac – Tubac Golf Resort’s Independence Day Extravaganza with Fireworks Tubac’s annual fireworks celebration features family activities, food vendors, kids’ face painting, DJ and live music, fireworks, and special VIP packages for guests at Tubac Golf Resort & Spa – tubacgolfresort.com.

If you have additional events to share, please feel free to post them in our comments!

Photo credit: NASA_goddard CC BY 2.0

When we were kids, my sister and I loved the 1980 PBS series Cosmos with Carl Sagan. Something about his deep, soothing voice and that gold cordoroy blazer just drew us in. Well, that, and the fact that as daughters of a NASA spokesperson and an accomplished teacher, we were reared on a steady diet of science, art and philosophy. That was me at age 5.

Now that I’m a mother, I am thrilled that there is an emerging children’s museum in Prescott, Arizona. Located inside Prescott Gateway Mall, the spot… a Child’s Museum is an “emerging” museum in the throes of its fundraising and awareness phase.

Judy Paris, president of the Children’s Museum Alliance and founder of the spot… a Child’s Museum explained, “The museum promotes STEM programs (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics so we are eager to begin our science programs. The initial method will be through Science Saturdays which are comprised of specific topics in the field of STEM presented by an expert. We expect to have these special Sci Sat programs monthly on a variety of subjects.”

the spot’s inaugural Science Saturday is this weekend, Saturday, May 22 from 10:30am until 1:00pm at their space inside the mall (next to Dillard’s.) Children will experience the theme of the event, “Exploring the Solar System” with guest speaker, Stacy DeVeau, who is the Director of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University’s NASA Educator Resource Center.

“Stacy was involved very early with us, even before we became a non-profit. She was excited to hear we were researching the possibility of a museum since she is a former teacher and now the NASA educator located at ERAU. We have had many chats with ERAU about partnering to bring STEM programs to young children so they are energized to follow careers in those fields. Stacy is passionate about this as well and was a member of our charrette team who developed our primary concepts for the grand vision,” said Paris.

Children will also get to participate in hands-on art and engineering activities. Because the spot is not only focused on STEM principles but also ties in all the fine arts as well as our Arizona heritage and culture, the special event’s activities will also include poetry, literature and art.

“Stacy will introduce children to basic aspects of the solar system,” Paris continued. “Children will be able to identify the planets, learn how they differ, gain knowledge about size, weight and distance. They will design their own planets, create an alien, and use solar system stamps and stencils to create a card or poster.”

Children will listen to poetry about planets by Jen Ulm, author of the children’s book, Planetary Personalities, who will be on hand to do a reading from her book and one-on-one time for literary exploration.

“It should be an out-of-this-world experience!” Paris quipped.

Dr. Sagan once wrote: I am often amazed at how much more capability and enthusiasm for science there is among elementary school youngsters than among college students.

the spot… a Child’s Museum embodies the same passion for introducing children to discovery-based and inquiry-based learning early in their lives. Research shows that many children (and many adults) learn better when education includes hands-on experiences. Paris explained, “Hands-on learning is absolutely critical to young children. Sometimes it’s better to do something than to read it in a book. Children need to be active and doing things in order to learn and create those experiences in their brains that they can call upon later when they are reading books and they are doing mathematical problems, that they have those experiences to back up the principle.”

Science Saturday is an ideal way to give your child the experiences to back up the principles they’re learning in school. And it’s the first of many events at the spot in which central and northern Arizona families can support their children’s education and their community.

“This is another major step for us at the museum. It is the first in a series of science programs that we want to bring into the lives of young children. It takes energy, time and money to bring these programs to children so we may clearly demonstrate to the community the value of our museum. We continue to be a core group of volunteers who want to enhance the education of children and embrace families through unique experiences.”

Tickets are limited, so be sure to buy online before the event. Tickets are available through ShowUp.com and cost $10 (plus a $2 service fee) per 1 adult + 1 child. The event is targeted toward children ages 5 – 12.

If your 5 year old is anything like the 1980 version of me, I’m certain he or she will be fascinated by this weekend’s Science Saturday. And I’ll bet you a Milky Way bar that your child will say, “This is my spot! My place of discovery. When can we go back to the spot?”

Okay, this is such a cool idea… and I mean “cool” literally.  Get out of the summer heat of Phoenix (or whereever you are) and escape to the cool high-country of the Verde Valley for this ongoing summer event.  Take the Verde Canyon Railroad’s “Grape Escape” and enjoy great wines, good food and splendid scenery.

Gazing at the glorious expanse of Verde Canyon in full summer bloom, while sipping a fine wine in the luxuriating comfort of a Verde Canyon Railroad, is the epitome of bliss.  The Grape Train Escape wine-tasting events sweep into this serene wilderness sanctuary on select Friday evenings between June 5th and September 4th.  The lavish service is non-stop from the time the train departs the depot at 5:30 p.m. for a round trip to the ghost ranch of Perkinsville until returning at 9:30 p.m.

For info: www.verdecanyonrr.com

The first wine delight is savored with accompanying exotic appetizers as the train leaves the station. The setting sun’s interplay of light and shadow casts entrancing illuminations on the red rock cliffs and the valley’s lush foliage takes on a glow of spun gold. World-renowned photographers have dubbed this the “magic hour” for capturing awe-inspiring images.

Between the delectable foods and a variety of superb wines, passengers merrily move back and forth between the climate-controlled coaches and the open-air car’s refreshing breezes offering up 360 degree views. The softening light entices elk, deer, fox and many forest creatures to the water’s edge of the Verde River for a reviving drink. Great blue heron, ducks and other waterfowl cruise the river in the fading light.

The train’s narrator enriches the journey with fascinating facts of the area’s history, geology, archaeology, and ecology, spiced with humor-tinged folklore.

On the return trip from Perkinsville darkness falls over the canyon. It’s time for a dessert wine, fruit and chocolate as nature stages her celestial extravaganza. The night sky is splayed with the diamond brilliance of stars, the beguiling moonbeam’s hint of romance, and mystifying shapes from the train’s headlight dance on the canyon walls.

Throughout the journey favorite wines are available in full bottles or by the glass, as are cocktails, beer and specialty train drinks.

Slip away from the city and board a Grape Train Escape for an evening of divine pleasure.   This popular excursion runs on the following Fridays:  June 5 & 19, July 10 & 24, August 7 & 28, and Sept. 4, 2009.  For reservations call 1-800-293-7245 or book on-line at www.verdecanyonrr.com. Extend your stay at one of our comfortable area inns listed on our Web site.

The Verde Canyon Railroad depot is located in Clarkdale, 25 minutes from Sedona, two hours north of Phoenix and one and one-half hours south of Flagstaff. Passengers are encouraged to arrive approximately one and one-half hours prior to departure.

photo credit: five eyes on flickr.com

Tip the scales from ordinary to extraordinary in celebrating Dad on his special day.  Throw Papa ON the Train for Father’s Day on June 21,2009.  Riding the rails with loving sons and daughters in the relaxing climate-controlled cars of Verde Canyon Railroad will weigh in as a golden memory. The train gently slaloms through the pristine wilderness of Verde Canyon with breathtaking views around each bend. Cottonwoods and mesquites display their fullest bloom alongside the winding Verde River; wildflowers in flashy ruby, cobalt and gold blaze the hillsides, and crimson sandstone cliffs jut into the azure sky.

Keeping in mind the old saying, “the way to a man’s heart….,” come early and treat Dad to the Copper Spike Café BBQ on the outdoor patio to commence the Father’s Day festivities.  Then with his special gift in hand, Throw Papa on the Train for a fun-filled afternoon. Dad will delight in the historical narration of the once-flourishing copper mines and the rugged men who completed this rail line in 1912.  He’ll sport a boyish grin as the train passes through the 680-foot manmade tunnel and over the lofty S.O.B. trestle-style bridge.

Verde Canyon Railroad

Dad will feel like a king, bestowed with a special gift and surrounded by pampering rail staff. He’ll ponder how dads from the past took their roles as the “head of household” as the train’s narrator points out the ancient Sinagua Indian cliff dwellings and old homesteader ranch house on the valley floor.  Stroll with Dad to the open-air cars for a superb view of the huge nest of Black and Decker, the resident bald eagle couple. Catching sight of their fledglings testing their wings in flight will warrant giving Mom an extra hug as sons and daughters remember her encouragement to chance new horizons.

Leaving the bustling city behind to drink in the soothing elixir of nature’s beauty, spiced with tales of the Old West, is a way to show your love and gratitude to Dad for his years of parenting that will long be remembered.

The round trip to Perkinsville and back departs the depot at 1:00 pm and returns at 5:00 pm, just in time to treat Pa to toe-tapping entertainment and a feast of cowboy vittles at the nearby Blazin’M Ranch Chuckwagon Dinner Show.

For train reservations call 1-800-293-7245 or book on-line at www.verdecayonrr.com. The cowpoke dinner show can be conveniently booked at the same time.

The Verde Canyon Railroad depot is located in Clarkdale, 25 minutes from Sedona, two hours north of Phoenix, and one and one-half hours south of Flagstaff. Passengers are encouraged to arrive approximately one and one-half hours prior to departure.