The Evolution of Queen Creek

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Art in the Park at the Arboretum

If you have not been to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum you are really missing out on one of our local wonders. This place is amazing. Not only do they provide a beautiful area for walking and studying plants they also provide some nice programs for promoting local artists.

This Saturday they held an Arts in the Park art show.

the show was sponsored by the Soroptimists International of Gold Canyon. They did an excellent job with this Art fair.

There were some awesome jewelry artists showing their wares. I found some of the nicest quality beaded jewelry that I have seen in a long while.

Some of the most original art were these reclaimed art crosses from Desert Resurrections. These crosses are made from recycled wood and items found in the desert. The ultimate in recycling.

www.desertresurrections.com

I think a whole show of recycled art would be fantastic.

If you haven't been to the Arboretum yet I urge you to go there. It's a wonderful way to spend a day or morning. They have a picnic area if you want to have a little lunch with your family.

Please see their website for details.

http://ag.arizona.edu/bta/

Have a great week and let me know if have a favorite Queen Creek or Pinal County event coming up in the area.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Mesa Market Place Swap Meet

If you haven't been to the Mesa Swap Meet yet now is a great time to go. This time of year the vendor booths are full. Once the weather gets hot, and it will come quickly, the vendor booths pair down.

I love to take out of town visitors to this swap meet to get souvenirs. The prices are great and the variety is excellent.

You can find everything from cow skulls to cactus.

The vendor areas are shaded and you can buy food and drinks there including a nice cold beer.

There is usually some live entertainment near the food court. A great spot to enjoy a hot dog and a beer or a soda.

The odds are good and the goods are odd. You will find all sorts of interesting items that you may or may not be able to live without.

I think anyone would enjoy this place. If you are traveling and don't have enough room in your suitcase to bring something back, well you just buy a suitcase there. They have a ton of luggage and purse vendors.

This past weekend I saw vendors selling jewelry at discount prices. There were bead vendors, home decor and of course t-shirts galore.

(The only thing I can think of that I don't like about this place is the loud speaker with a man talking incessantly about the booths and deals you can get. I think it is wasted breath and unnecessary and sort of obnoxious.)