COMES TO DOWNTOWN CAREFREE

MARCH 30 – APRIL 1

CAREFREE/CAVECREEK/N. SCOTTSDALE (March 7, 2012) – The Culinary Festival of Chocolates, Confections & Fine Art will take place from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Friday, March 30 through Sunday, April 1, at Carefree Desert Gardens in Carefree.

The event takes place throughout the four acre botanical park located in the heart of downtown Carefree at 101 Easy Street, adjacent to the world famous Carefree Sundial.

A culinary marketplace, fine art sale and Easter festivities including an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids will take place at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Admission to the event is free.

Creative confections, decadent chocolate creations and a variety of delicious delectables will be woven throughout the gardens, with a large variety of fine art and crafts also available for purchase, directly from the artist.

Musical and other entertainment will take place on the Carefree Amphitheater stage throughout the event.

The festival featuring sweet treats and entertainment is part of a new series of events taking place in the Town’s new park set against the backdrop of Black Mountain and considered the crowned jewel of Carefree.

Sponsors include Kiwanis of Carefree who present the Easter Egg Hunt.

According to Carefree resident and area businessperson Laura Shutt, the event is ideal for the community. “As a local resident it gives me great pleasure to see how these new events add life and vitality to our close knit community. I love what is happening in downtown Carefree,” Shutt said.

The inaugural event is sponsored by Magic Bird Festivals. For more information, visit www.magicbirdfestivals.com or call 480-488-2014.

BENEFIT FOOTHILLS CARING CORPS

MARCH 29 AT EL PEDREGAL IN SCOTTSDALE

CAREFREE/CAVE CREEK/N. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., (March 7, 2011) – Get ready for delicious food tastings, live music and entertainment under the stars as the non-profit Foothills Caring Corps hosts their 8th annual Taste of the Foothills Celebration and Cashing & Caring event on Thursday, March 29.

The festivities take place from 5 – 8 p.m., at el Pedregal, 34505 N. Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale. Participating restaurants include Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbeque, Café Bink, Carefree Station, El Encanto, Firecreek Coffee, Latilla at the Boulders, Harold’s Corral and Venues Café.

The Cash & Caring benefit raffle drawing will be held throughout the evening when three winners will receive cash prizes. A live auction and game of chances prize board drawings will also take place.

Cash & Caring raffle tickets are on sale now, and at the event, and cost $100 each, three for $275 or eight for $500. Participants need not be present to win.

Proceeds will benefit the Foothills Caring Corps, a volunteer based service organization whose primary mission is to promote independence and enhance the quality of life for older residents in the northeast Valley.

Admission to the event is free. Attendees are encouraged to support the evening with the purchase of raffle tickets or participation in the other fund raising opportunities at the event. RSVP is recommended. For information or raffle tickets, call 480-488-1105 or visit www.foothillscaringcorps.com.

The Foothills Caring Corps provides vital services that include mobile meals, medical transportation, handicapped accessible van transportation, respite and caregiver relief, wellness programs, shopping trips, social opportunities, friendly visits, administrative and handyman assistance.

In 2011, the organization’s volunteers donated more than 40,000 hours to assist residents throughout Carefree, Cave Creek, North Scottsdale, North Phoenix and other areas within Maricopa County.

The annual Taste of the Foothills and Cashing & Caring event is one of the organization’s largest fundraisers each year.

For tickets and more information, call the Foothills Caring Corps at 480-488-1105.

Award winning Native American art, music and dance are coming to downtown Carefree Arizona as Magic Bird Festivals presents the Carefree Indian Market and Cultural Festival.

The three-day Indian cultural festival takes place from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., February 17 – 19, at Carefree Desert Gardens, 101 Easy Street in downtown Carefree. Live performances are slated at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m., daily.

Set amid the town’s new four-acre cactus-filled botanical gardens and adjacent to the town’s famous Carefree Sundial, the first-ever cultural festival will feature live hoop dancing and musical performances, along with Native American arts and crafts made by tribal member artisans from throughout the country.

Admission is free. More information is available at www.magicbirdfestivals.com.

A specialty food market will provide Native American and festival favorites such as Indian made fry bread with the full variety of toppings, Indian home baked goodies and more, plus a full offering of typical fair and festival foods.

World champion hoop dancers Brian Hammill and Tony Duncan are scheduled to perform in the lineup that also includes Native American flute players Alex and Melissa Maldonado and Randy Kemp. Other artists include Damian Charette and jeweler Dina Huntinghorse.

Tribes from throughout the country will be represented at the juried exhibit and sale which features arts and crafts including jewelry, pottery, baskets, carved stone fetishes, woven rugs, bead work, Kachina dolls, clothing, drums, flutes and more.

All arts and crafts at the Carefree Indian Market and Cultural Festival are recognized under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 to ensure authenticity, quality and collectability. All artists are members of federally or officially State recognized tribes or are certified as Indian artisan by the governing body of an Indian tribe as a non-member Indian Artisan.

Many of the performers are also participating artists in the event, said Roberta Toombs Rechlin, president of Magic Bird Festivals.

“We are honored to present the first Indian cultural event in downtown Carefree. We feel privileged that such talented and world-renown Indian artists have agreed to participate in this first-of-a-kind event for the town. The serenity of the new botanical gardens and the beautiful backdrop of Black Mountain create a special environment of intimacy that we believe the artists and attendees will cherish,” she said.

Carefree Mayor David Schwan agrees. “Our new cactus gardens are the perfect setting for this type of authentic cultural event, recognizing the diverse people that make Arizona great,” said Schwan.

Toombs Rechlin hand selected each artist and performer who was invited to the event by researching and attending Native American celebrations throughout the Southwest. “All of the artists are Native American tribal members who were hand selected to be a part of this inaugural event.”

Artists and performers include:

Alex Maldonado

Brian Hammill

Tony Duncan

Randy Kemp

Damian Charette

Dina Huntinghorse

Easy Street – Downtown Carefree Arizona

Friday, December 9 – Sunday, December 11

DATES AND TIMES:

Friday,10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday,10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday,10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Three Days of FREE Holiday Festivities & Entertainment

Electric Light Parade and Holiday Fireworks Extravaganza – 6 p.m. Saturday

25 Tons of Real Snow

Christmas Gift and Food Market

Live Music and Carolers

Highlights Include:

• Friday – Late Night Shopping and Free Concert
• Saturday – Electric Light Parade and Holiday Fireworks Extravaganza
• Sunday – Pet Day! Pet Parade and Doggies of the North Pole
• Other events include visits with Santa, Nutcracker Ballet excerpts, horse-drawn carriage rides, a farmers market, a North Pole mailbox and much more.

Carefree Christmas Festival

Retaining much of the small-town hospitality and unique Arizona heritage that visitors have come to cherish, this legendary Resort has welcomed guests to an awe-inspiring retreat for nearly 50 years.

With a newly completed multi-million dollar renovation, this vibrant resort has re-emerged as a new “Go-To” destination for travelers across the country. Discover resort rooms and privately owned residential-style villas that are uncommonly spacious and feature uncluttered panoramic views of the Continental Mountains. Designed for the discriminating guest, The Sonoran Suites at Carefree is a luxury hotel-within-a-hotel. Rich with numerous upgraded amenities, guests will delight in luxurious accommodations featuring rainfall showers, granite counter tops and flat panel TVs.

A distinctive dining experience can be enjoyed in the Lariat Restaurant & Lounge where the totally new menu offers traditional yet innovative cuisine. Whether you are in the mood for thick, juicy steaks or succulent seafood dishes, The Lariat is sure to please every palate.

Unwind with a tennis match on one of five championship tennis courts or perfect your swing on some of the area’s most challenging golf courses. Enjoy a signature cocktail while lounging by a Serenity Pool or indulge your mind, body and soul with a desert spa treatment at The Spa at Carefree. Stroll through the Resort’s beautiful Botanical Gardens along side a trickling stream surrounded by desert wildflowers and towering Saguaro. Whatever your whim, you’ll discover an uncompromisingly authentic Southwestern vacation waiting for you at Carefree Resort.

New desert botanical garden in Town of Carefree includes rare Crested Saguaro and Boojum Tree as the result of generous donation by local landscape company.

EVENT: Carefree Desert Gardens Grand Opening Celebration and Dedication.

WHEN: Sunday, November 13, 3 – 5:30 p.m. (dusk)

· Kick off, 3 p.m.

· Dedication, 3:15 p.m.

· Ribbon Cutting, 3:45 p.m.

· Docent tours, 4:00 p.m.

WHERE: Carefree Desert Gardens, 101 E. Easy Street, Carefree.

COST: Free.

WHAT IT IS: Grand opening and dedication ceremony of Carefree Desert Gardens, a new desert botanical park situated on four acres and featuring hundreds of unique desert plants in the heart of downtown Carefree.

INFORMATION: Town of Carefree, 480-488-3686, www.carefree.org.

The public is invited to attend the grand opening of the Carefree Desert Gardens, a new botanical garden that features hundreds of cacti, including several rare specimens, that have been installed in the town center near the world famous Carefree Sundial.

The event starts at 3 p.m., Sunday, November 13 and continues until dusk near the town center at 100 Easy Street in Carefree. Guided tours of the gardens will be held starting at 4 p.m. Admission is free.

The grand opening will honor Mark and Juanita Wdowiak of Desert Foothills Landscape who donated both the cacti and the labor for the new four-acre gardens.

The gardens weave their way along Carefree’s Easy Street among features that include the recently renovated Carefree Sundial, the Carefree Amphitheater, a waterfall, art and sculpture, a giant gila monster slide, plus numerous shops and restaurants.

A rare Boojum Tree and Crested Saguaro are among the many desert cacti featured at the park, which will be open every day during daylight hours.

Carefree Desert Gardens was the brainchild of Wdowiaks and two master gardeners, Carefree residents June Reilly and Marilyn Maloney. Their vision for the town center quickly blossomed when the Wdowiaks agreed to design the project and donate hundreds of plants as well as the landscaping labor.

For the Wdowiaks the experience is just one of a number of philanthropic projects in which they have been involved. They also generously contributed landscaping to the Carefree Rural-Metro Fire Station and the Desert Foothills Library in Cave Creek.

Carefree was established in 1959 by town founders K.T. Palmer and Tom Darlington and celebrated its 25th anniversary of incorporation in 2009. The Town has nearly 3,500 residents and is located only minutes north of Phoenix and Scottsdale.

We have become regulars and eat there quite often. We’ve come to know everyone at the restaurant which is family owned and operated, and truly feel that we are treated more like friends and family and not just customers. If you are looking for a special place for a special occasion, a place to entertain guests from out of town (we do often) or dinner with nice ambiance and great food then this is the place. You will not be disappointed. It does get busy in season so a reservation would be a good idea.

Bon Appetito!

Carefree resident Phyllis Strupp is the author of The Richest of Fare: Seeking Spiritual Security in the Sonoran Desert, winner of the 2005 Independent Publishing award for best mind-body-spirit book. Written exclusively for the City Sun Times, Strupp shares her eight favorite ways to experience Carefree, where she resides with her husband Peter Strupp.

1. Sunrise and sunset

Ernest Hemingway said he never missed a sunrise or sunset. My record isn’t that good, but almost! To our west, New River Mesa lights up with the red glow of sunrise. Every now and then, the moon can also be seen setting in the west at daybreak. Our area enjoys some of the best sunsets in the world, and we have a special “sunset patio” from which to watch them, with a fire pit to keep us warm in the winter. A full moon rising behind a saguaro-studded mountain is another awe-inspiring sight.

2. Hummingbirds

My favorite desert critter is the hummingbird. They weigh less than an ounce, yet they are so fast, feisty and fearless! In spring and fall, migrating hummers pass through to spend summers as far north as Canada and winters in the tropics. Carefree is at the northern edge of hummers’ winter range, so we have Anna and Costa hummingbirds year round. We have plants that attract hummers outside every window in our home so we can watch them throughout the day. I also enjoy sitting on a bench in the Carefree Town Center and watching the hummingbirds sip nectar from flowering native plants.

3. Sears Kay Ruins

The Hohokam Native Americans mysteriously disappeared from this area centuries ago. Remains and petroglyphs attest to their former presence. The Sears Kay Ruins, located just east of Carefree, offer an easily accessible way to learn about the Hohokam way of life amidst breathtaking views of the entire Valley.

4. Outdoor dining

Peter and I love eating outdoors at a Carefree restaurant, enjoying mountain views and a romantic dinner. . . . and I don’t have to miss the sunset!

5. Labyrinth at Spirit in the Desert

Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center in the middle of Carefree has a wonderful labyrinth at the back of their property that is open to the public. This labyrinth sits right on the desert near Black Mountain…you can feel the ancient mountain’s presence as you walk the labyrinth.

6. Aromatherapy

No, I mean the outdoor kind! Desert plants have an astringent, clean smell in the prevailing sunny dry weather. When I smell a plant blooming on my daily walk, I look around to identify the source, as a way of staying in touch with the desert’s subtle seasons. But my favorite desert smell of all is that of the land after it rains. The smell of creosote in the humid air reboots my soul—it makes me feel fully alive from head to toe.

7. Stargazing

Thank goodness that the people of this community have so adamantly protected the dark skies. There are no streetlights in our neighborhood! I love looking up at the sky at night. The Milky Way can be seen all year round, along with an ever-changing cast of constellations and planets. Invariably I’ll see a shooting star. This is the best way I know to reconnect with the divine—to look up at the starry sky and remember that the universe is 14 billion years old.

After a home style breakfast at the Black Mountain Coffee Shop in Spanish Village, my daughter and I wondered around downtown Carefree checking out the art galleries and eclectic shops, while my husband and son-in-law took the grandkids to the playground in the park. I fell in love with a very large painting at the Wild Holly Gallery. Fortunately, they ship anywhere, since fitting it into a small plane with three people would have proven problematic.

We strolled together through the Botanical Garden, a work in progress throughout the park. The variety of beautiful exotic plants and cacti was amazing. This spectacular world class Garden is a donation to the Town by a local company, Desert Foothills Landscape. Wow! We were told that it would be finished in the fall, with a Grand Opening Ceremony November 13th, which we plan to attend.

The park is also home to the newly refurbished iconic 72′ long Carefree Sundial, the second largest in the world, installed in 1959 by the Town founders. A friendly resident took a family photo of us by the Sundial.

After dropping the kids off at the babysitter’s, the adults headed to the northern part of town, where we “girls” treated ourselves to messages, manicures, and pedicures at the Carefree Resort’s Spa. The “boys” played a round of golf at the private Desert Forest Golf Club across the street, and we met for lunch at the Resort’s Lariat restaurant.

My daughter and I ventured out again later to share an authentic afternoon tea at the English Rose Tea Room on Easy Street, while our “boys” enjoyed cigars at the Cellar 13 cigar bar on nearby Tom Darlington Drive. The entire family ate a delicious dinner at The Carefree Station, which includes the rooftop Bev Heaven where we watched a spectacular sunset while sipping drinks.

We return to Flagstaff tomorrow morning, but eagerly anticipate our next visit to the quaint Town of Carefree.