Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Celebration

DATE: Nov. 11 & 12
TIME: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
PRICE: Included with Garden admission or membership

Celebrate Arizona’s Native American communities at the Garden with storytelling, music, dance and culture. The Garden has officially opened its redesigned Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Trail where guests can discover a variety of ways native people use desert plants for food, textiles, medicine and shelter. Special performances include comedy from Teresa Choyguha and Gilarious Wolf Brown, Waila music by Gertie and the T.O. Boyz and storytelling from Yellow Bird Productions. Visit with artisans from local tribes as they demonstrate basketweaving, pottery, etching and more. Some artist will have their artworks for sale during this special weekend.

Music & Performances

Sunset Plaza

10 a.m. | Aarick Mack (Bird Singing), Dance & Singing
1 p.m. | Gilarious Wolf Brown, Comedy
1:30 p.m. | Teresa Choyguha, Comedy
2:30 p.m. | Gertie NtheT.O.Boyz, Waila Music

Ullman Terrace
Performances by Yellow Bird Productions

Intertribal Dance Celebration | 10 a.m.
Apache Adventures, Storytelling | 11 a.m.
Circles of Life, Interactive Hoop Dance | 12 p.m.
Healing Music, Native Flute | 1 p.m.
Native Tales of Renewal, Storytelling | 2 p.m. (Sunday-only)
Intertribal Dance Celebration | 3 p.m. (Sunday-only)

Artists & Demonstrations

Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail & Sunset Plaza

Gabriel Martinez | Shell, leather and woodworking
Gregory Hill | Woodcarving
Jiivik | Shell etching
Kathleen Vance | Tohono O’odham utilitarian pottery vessels
Kevin Sekakuku | Jewelry & Kachina Dolls
Lisa Hendricks | Gila River basket weaving (Saturday-only)
Melvina Garcia | Traditional Pottery
Nui Notions | Bookmarks, bags and earrings by Ashley Pasquel (Saturday-only)
Paul Molina | Graffiti Art
Randy Kemp | Flute
Rebecca Williams | Weaving
Sabori Designs | Handmade original Saguaro Cactus rib jewelry by Aaron Sabori
T. Choyguha | Shell necklaces, earrings, bracelets and t-shirts
Watauna Velarde | Weaving

Hands-on Activity

Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail

Cochineal Concoctions | Make your own natural dyes and artwork using Cochineal bugs | 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Discovery Stations

Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail

Yucca
Saguaro
Prickly pear
Mesquite
Agave