Yuma kicks off 2012 with full calendar
January events range from gunfights to marathon
YUMA, ARIZONA - Post-holiday blues are not on the calendar here in the nation's sunniest city - but January's lineup of events does offer something for everyone, from those who want to learn how their food gets from field to fork, to a fast marathon that's a great qualifier for the big-time races in Boston and New York. So hang up the 2012 calendar - and start marking these dates!
YVB offers Field to Feast agriculture tours Jan. 18, 19, 25 & 26 (other dates: Feb. 1, 2, 8, 8, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and March 1). These trips include picking produce that's transformed into gourmet lunch by Arizona Western College culinary students while participants enjoy a food safety lesson and a narrated coach ride through Yuma's verdant vegetable fields. For those with a background in agriculture, a special Farmer to Farmer "technical" tour will be held Jan. 10 (also Feb. 14). And if you'd rather explore our border cuisine at the table, don't miss our new Taco Trail progressive dinner tours Jan. 6 and 20 (also Feb. 3 & 17, March 2 & 16). Info and tickets for all of these YVB tours are available at the Visitor Information Center, 800-293-0071 or 928-783-0071.
For history buffs, don't miss the annual Gathering of the Gunfighters Jan. 14-15 at Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park. Sponsored by Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, this competition between re-enactment groups from around the region features authentic period costumes and gear and lots of virtual flying lead. More info, 928-783-4771 or www.historicyumaprison.com. Military history from another era will be showcased during Civil War Days at Yuma Quartermaster Depot Jan. 28-29. Also sponsored by the Heritage Area, this event features authentic re-enactors in mock skirmishes with real cannons. More info, www.yumaheritage.com or 928-373-5198.
Celebrate the military's past, present and future contributions to the community at the Spirit of Yuma Festival in historic downtown Yuma Jan. 13-15, which honors services members and veterans and showcases present-day military installations, the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. For more info, call 928-373-5028 or email perlita.wicks@yumaaz.gov.
Visitors can also discover the history of military testing at YPG's free Heritage Center museum from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays through the winter months (more info, 928-328-3394), or take a free public bus tour of MCAS Yuma Jan. 24, including a stop at the flight line (report to the main gate beginning at 8:30 a.m., buses depart on a staggered schedule from 9-11 a.m., more info, call 928-269-2942).
For shopping and browsing, the Yuma Civic Center hosts its annual Antique Show & Sale Jan. 7-8, the Yuma Home & Garden Show Jan. 13-15, the Desert Lily Quilters Show Jan. 20-21, the Mexicali Expo Jan. 22 and the popular Americana Indian Art & Jewelry Show January 27-29. More info, call 928-373-5043. Or check out the 7th Annual Woodcarvers Expo Jan. 14-15 at the Yuma Readiness & Community Center to see experts at work and bring home a hand-crafted work of art. More info, 928-373-5245.
Yuma's not lacking for entertainment either. Offerings at the Historic Yuma Theatre range from the blues to the New Shanghai Circus to Bill Haley's Original Comets (for tickets, call 928-373-5202 or www.yumashowtickets.com), you can have Dinner with Shakespeare (Jan. 8, 22) or an Operatic Feast (Jan. 27) at St. Paul Cultural Center's Gateway Little Theater (info at 928-783-3530), or enjoy Bluegrass in the Park Jan. 28 at West Wetlands Park (info at www.landspromotions.com).
And if all that doesn't leave you breathless, you're ready for the Yuma Marathon & Half-Marathon at Cocopah Casino & Resort Jan. 28. This race is known for its small-town feel - plus a fast, certified and chip-timed course that perfect for setting personal records! The race is sponsored by Caballeros de Yuma, get info at www.yumamarathon.com or 928-343-1715.
Ann Walker, 928-376-0100 (office), 928-210-9044 (cell), ann@visityuma.com
Visitor Information Center: 1-800-293-0071
www.visityuma.com
Yuma Visitors Bureau markets the Yuma area within the travel and tourism industry and to the general public. Direct travel spending in Yuma County totaled more than $566 million in 2010, supported nearly 5,800 jobs and generated $36.3 million in state and local tax revenues.
A longtime favorite with sun-seeking snowbirds, Yuma's population nearly doubles in the winter months, thanks to more than 23,000 spots in RV parks and resorts. The community also offers nearly 4,000 hotel rooms, conference and meeting facilities, and three casinos. For more details about Yuma's year-round attractions, special events - and the rarely "cloudy with a chance of tacos" forecast* - visit www.visityuma.com or call 800-293-0071.
* Yuma hotel guests will eat free every day the sun doesn't shine from Aug. 1, 2011 until July 31, 2012! For more information on our Centennial "free board" promotion, call us.
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