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Special Events for 2023

Mark your calendars now for these fun events! And as always, we'll send you an invitation and program links before each one.

Bonus Event: Mineral Madness:
January 14 -15, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily on grounds.

Start your own mineral collection at stations around the grounds and enjoy our mineral sale to add more! Coati Kids Club members (and two accompanying adults and siblings 5 and younger) get free admission to the events either day.

Outdoor Skills for Young Explorers:
February 4, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Ed. Annex Classrooms 1-2 and on grounds.

Do you love to get out and explore? Join us to practice the basics of outdoor fun and safety - what to wear for the weather and the trail; good snacks to make to fuel your adventures; and how to set up a tent, read maps, and stay safe.

Sabino Canyon Ramble:
March 18, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Sabino Canyon. (Meet at overflow parking – see further details in registration email)

Let’s discover the beauty and life of Sabino Canyon on this family hiking adventure! Take a guided nature walk and pan for garnets with Sabino Canyon’s Volunteer Naturalists. Bring a sack lunch and stay longer to enjoy the canyon if you would like!

Kids’ Music Release Party and Bioblitz:
April 29, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., Ed. Annex Classrooms 1-2 and on grounds.

Our very own Michelle Miner has been making an album of kids’ desert music with her friends (check it out here). It is going live this spring, and we get a special preview of the musical magic today! Come make upcycled instruments and join in the jams. Afterwards, participate in the museum’s Bioblitz!

Saguaro Partners:
Part 1: Online introduction May 20, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Part 2, in-person at Ed. Annex Classrooms 1-2 and on grounds, June 24, 8 – 10 a.m.*

It’s the season for flowering and fruiting saguaros! We’ll explore how this remarkable plant thrives here and provides food and shelter to all who depend on it, including people. For our in-person program, we will harvest saguaro fruit just as the Tohono O’odham, the Desert People, have done for generations and explore the importance of the saguaro in their cultural traditions. (*note earlier start time—savvy desert dwellers know it’s best to be active in the cool hours!)

Monsoon Magic:
August 12, 4:30 – 6:00 p.m., Ed. Annex Classrooms 1-2 and on grounds.

What would our desert be without the summer monsoon? Discover how our summer rainy season shapes the land, plant and animal life, and culture of our region. We’ll meet animals that emerge in the monsoon and make rain-maker shakers to take home. Then explore the museum grounds on a Cool Summer Night!

Hooray for Javelinas!
Part 1: Online introduction October 14, 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Part 2, in-person at Ed. Annex Classrooms 1-2 and on grounds, October 21, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Ponder the peculiar peccary and hoof it on over for a behind-the-scenes encounter with our keepers to see how they keep our javelinas happy and healthy.

More Events of Interest:

• Save Our Saguaros, January through March. Get involved in activities to protect our desert from buffelgrass, learn about this threat, and what we can do to help. Participate in a buffelgrass pull! Find out more.