Events

August 6-10
Southwest Wings Birding & Nature Festival

The 2008 Southwest Wings Festival will be held at the Windemere Hotel and Conference Center in Sierra Vista from August 6-10. The event includes self-guided and professionally guided nature tours for all ages, plus exhibits and programs about Southern Arizona birds, butterflies and critters. Find more information at Southwest Wings Birding Festival or call (520) 678-8237.

August 8-10
Vigilante Days (Tombstone)
Friday morning festivities begin at 10 am with the National Anthem, and there will be continuous street entertainment until 4 pm. On Saturday, the cooks set up for the chili cook-off at 8 am. Chili cups will go on sale at 1 pm. If you don't get there early, you will miss out on some really good chili. There will also be street entertainment from 10 am-4 pm on Saturday. The 22nd annual 10K run begins on Sunday at 6:30 am. More street entertainment from 10 am until 4 pm again on Sunday. Some of the participants scheduled this year include: The Daughters of Fatima, The Tombstone Territorial Actors, Gail Martin, Ron Hale our Singing Vigilante, and The Yuma Vigilantes.

August 30-September 1
Labor Day Rodeo (Sonoita Fairgrounds, Sonoita)
Each day the pre-rodeo starts at 1 p.m. with kids events. Rodeo follows with wild horse race, bronc riding, steer wrestling, bull riding and more. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for 5-12 year-olds. Children 4 and under are admitted free. Monday is Military Appreciation Day with admission half-price for all military with ID. Show your American spirit by wearing red, white and blue! For more information call (520) 455-5553.

September 13
Home and Business Expo (Sierra Vista)
The 12th Annual Chamber of Commerce Home and Business Expo will be held in Buena High School from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information and booth registration call (520) 458-6940.

September 13
National Day of the Cowboy Benefit (Bisbee)
The Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee will be sponsoring a fundraiser for the National Day of the Cowboy Organization in Bisbee’s City Park from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 13. There will be live music by local artists Nightlife, Terry Wolf, Pat Gahn and “Fiddle Jake” Wise. The Helldorado Mavericks from Tombstone will present a staged gunfight and cowboy poet Bud Strom will act as the host of the show. The $8 donation which will go the the National Day of the Cowboy nonprofit organization.

September 20
Sierra Vista Fiddle Contest
The Cochise County Youth Orchestra Sierra Vista Fiddle Contest, now in its fourth year, will be held Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park bandshell. Admission is free and the public is invited to come out and enjoy a day of music and fun. Bring your own chairs or blankets to sit on. Rain location will be the Buena High School cafeteria.

Last year’s contest attracted fifty contestants from many states; ages of fiddlers ranged from 5- to 80-years-old. Competitors are divided into age categories as well as special divisions for Twin Fiddle, Trick & Fancy and Guitar Accompanist. Trophies, ribbons and more than $3,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to fiddlers throughout the day.

For information about the contest, call David Kaemmer at 220-1166 or e-mail dave@dkmusicstudio.com. For info about the Cochise County Youth Orchestra, visit www.ccyo.info.

September 25-28
Cochise County Fair (Douglas)
Come to the Fair! Enjoy carnival rides, 4-H demonstrations, livestock auctions, collegiate rodeo, bull riding, food concessions, retail booths, animal exhibits, arts and crafts, and live entertainment. Lots of fun for the kids. Gates open at 10 am Thursday through Sunday. Gates close at 10 pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 5 pm on Sunday. County Fairgrounds, Leslie Canyon Rd., North of Douglas. Despite cuts in funding by the state legislature, the Cochise County fair will still be held this year. For full information visit the fair website.

October 2 - 5
Rex Allen Days (Willcox)
This annual celebration honors the late Rex Allen, Willcox's own silver screen cowboy. Activities include golf tournament, parade, country fair, rodeo, turtle race, softball tournaments, cowboy dances and a country music concert. For more information call the Willcox Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture at 520-384-2272 or visit http://www.rexallenmuseum.org

October 31 - November 2
Tombstone Western Music Festival
Adults: $15.00
Students with student ID: $10.00, Kids under 12 are free
The talent lineup this year includes: Patty Clayton, Kip Calahan, Due West, Doc Stovall, Joe Bethancourt, Journey West, Justus and the Montanas, and Bill Barwick, the Voice of the Western Channel.

Ongoing:

May to October, Thursday noon to 5 pm
Sierra Vista Farmers' Market
Enjoy fresh local produce from the Sierra Vista Farmers' Market. Growers present salad veggies, fresh garlic and specialty items such as snow and sugar snap peas. New vendors will also bring pinon, juniper, cypress and other native trees. The market is open from noon till 5 every Thursday at the northwest corner of Wilcox and Carmichael streets on the West End.

May to October, Saturday 8 am to 12 noon
Bisbee Farmers' Market
Every Saturday morning during the warmer months Bisbee-area growers market a wide variety of locally grown or handmade items at Vista Park in the Warren Area of Bisbee. A variety of workshops take place here as well as occasional live music and other happenings. Call (520) 432-3554 or 1-866-2BISBEE for more information.

July - October
"U-Pick" Produce Season (Willcox)
The U-Pick farms offer nuts, fruits and vegetables, meats, honey, jellies, baked goods - everything from Apples to Zucchini. But you don't have to pick--most of the farms have ready-picked items for you to purchase. There are also Peach, Cider and Pumpkin festivals. For more information, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Produce Brochure, Willcox Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture, 1500 N Circle I Rd, Willcox, AZ 85643.

Nature Walks at Ramsey Canyon Preserve
The preserve is owned by The Nature Conservancy. Beginning in March and running through to October, guided nature walks are offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 9 am. Preserve opens to the public at 8 am. Call ahead to confirm walk dates: (520) 378-4952.

Arizona Folklore Preserve
The Arizona Folklore Preserve features entertaining and informative performances by celebrated folk artists including Arizona's Official State Balladeer, Dolan Ellis. Closed for Summer Vacation July 7 - August 15.