The Art + Craft of Route 66

I happened to visit Flagstaff the year Route 66 celebrated its 90th anniversary.

View across Historic Route 66, west of Flagstaff — Historic Route 66 between Flagstaff and Williams, AZ

Now, a decade later, my mom and I will be returning for the famed road’s Centennial Celebration.

Mural in heritage square in flagstaff — Mural by Joe Sorren outside of Diablo Burger in Flagstaff

aRT 66

While we’re there, we’ll also be exploring the art and craft in Route 66 communities – like artisan ceramics, jewelry, food and beverages, sculptures, weaving, mixed media, and murals. We’re planning to visit community craft spaces, quilt shops, museums, artist studios and galleries, historic sites, and more!

Once we’re done, we’ll create a guide, so you’ll be able to visit our favorite spots too!

High Country Motor Lodge, Flagstaff, Arizona — High Country Motor Lodge, Flagstaff

We’re calling the project aRT 66.

And since I’m all about attainable goals, we’re going to start small, exploring the (roughly) 66 miles from Homolovi State Park in Winslow to the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff.

rugs from the Hubbel Trading Post on display at Tucson Festival of Books — Rugs from the Hubbel Trading Post on display at Tucson Festival of Books

If we’re able to, we’ll expand our project to visit more of the Route this year, but there’s a lot to see even in that comparatively small section of Northern Arizona.

Is there a place you’d love to visit on Route 66?

Flagstaff Heritage Square — Heritage Square in Flagstaff

More Route 66 Centennial Info

Flagstaff Route 66 Birthday Celebration

6/6 at 10am
In Heritage Square (Historic Downtown Flagstaff)
Full day of festivities: sky writing, live music, craft stations, reenactments, a classic car show, interactive street murals, a photo booth
Activities for kids include balloon animals, face painting, bookmobile with storytelling area, and a coloring station.
At dusk, there will be an outdoor screening of the movie Cars

All Route 66

Find more Route 66 festivities and projects taking place throughout the year on the Route 66 Centennial site.

Route 66 mural outside Matador Coffee Roasting Company, Flagstaff — Matador Coffee Roasting Company, Flagstaff

March 4, 2026April 5, 2026

Spring Happenings: March – May 2026

The Happenings List

This is my handpicked list of intriguing things going-on throughout Arizona – as well as some you can join in anywhere!

What to know…

*Stars highlight discounts, extras, and other goodies!
Pricing listed is typically the approximate price for 1 adult, single-day general admission.

$ = under $25
$$ = $25-74
$$$ = $75-149
$$$$ = $150-299
$$$$$ = 300 and up

While the list focuses on Arizona events, I highlight several ways to participate ANYWHERE.

Anniversaries and Commemorations

March is Women’s History Month.
April is National Poetry Month, Global Volunteer Month, and Arab American Month.
May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders Heritage (AANHPI) Month, as well as Jewish American Heritage Month.

For more Heritage and Awareness Months, check out the American Alliance of Museums list.

“An artery of transportation, an agent of social transformation, and a remnant of America’s past, [Route 66] stretches 2,400 miles across two-thirds of the continent.”

–National Park Service Travel Route 66: Essay Series

Route 66 Centennial – Route 66 turns 100 this year, and there are celebrations all along the iconic highway – some of which are on this List! We’ll also have more for you coming up on the art and local flavor along the so-called “Mother Road!”
U.S. Semiquincentennial – a.k.a. the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence or America250. Branching off of that are initiatives like Vote250, which encourages voter registration, as well as Trails250 and Birding250, which promote spending time outside.

Embroidery that says — Embroidery by Badass Cross Stitch

ANYWHERE

Intro to Embroidery Workshop with Badass Cross Stitch

online via Zoom
March 7, 12pm MST

Small group, no-pressure workshop where you’ll learn about embroidery materials, how to get set up, working with patterns or designing your own pieces, and how to backstitch.

Instructor: Shannon Downey a.k.a. Badass Cross Stitch
Register via Eventbrite
Fee is pay-what-you-can

“More Than Human World” Workshop Series with Miller

online via Zoom
March 9, 16, 23, 30 at 5pm MST

Interactive workshops over Zoom that will include both guided exercises within your own space and opportunities to share with the community. Specifically designed for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, these workshops will offer ways to connect to elements of the natural world and feel more grounded when life seems overwhelming.

Free. Registration required.

Continue reading “Spring Happenings: March – May 2026”

February 17, 2026April 9, 2026

Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival: Part 2

Updated February 2026.
Originally posted March 2020.

While the Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival has great fabric and pattern vendors (some of which we featured in Part 1 of this post), that’s not all that’s there.

Quilt shop clock — Quilt shop cuckoo clock from Cheryl Ann’s Design Walls booth

You can find booths for guilds and organizations devoted to keeping handmade traditions alive. There also are lots of vendors selling tools, embellishments, and materials that go along with quilting and other types of crafting. It’s impressive how many of them have invented, made, or designed the products they’re selling!

Continue reading “Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival: Part 2”

January 28, 2026April 9, 2026

Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival: Patterns + Fabric

Although I haven’t been to the Phoenix Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival since I moved to Tucson, I wanted to update information about the last show I went to and the vendors I met. The 2026 show starts tomorrow (January 29). Not all of these vendors will be there, but plenty more will be participating!

Enjoy!
–S

It’s Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival weekend in Phoenix!

Last year, I went to two days of the Festival – one with my Mom and one with sister-in-law Dinah and friend Kelli.

The first day, we ended up parking in a lot that was actually meant to be for a dog show, which we needed to walk through to get to our Festival.

The second day, I parked there on purpose. We walked past booths of dog stuff and people with impeccably groomed and well-mannered dogs. I really wanted to ask one of them if their dog was available to tutor our little rascal Quijote. But that’s not why we were there.

Walking into the Festival building meant being surrounded by a dazzling array of colors and patterns, handcrafted items, crafty inventions, and big ticket items like long arm sewing machines. It was fun to check in with favorite vendors from the past, meet new ones, and see things I hadn’t before.
Continue reading “Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival: Patterns + Fabric”

January 23, 2026April 9, 2026

7 Books to Check Out: New Titles by Tucson Writers

It’s a new year, but don’t miss these books released by Tucson authors in 2025!

undersea mural — Mural by Jessica Gonzales on the side of Antigone Books, Tucson

Order, order!

I’ve included links to order via Bookshop.org, but you can also check your favorite local bookstore.

Fun fact: Most bookstores that sell new books can order just about anything in print, whether they carry it or not. If they don’t have an online shop, call or stop in.

Find an independent bookstore near you. Or order from any of the ones listed below.

If you prefer to browse in a brick-and-mortar shop, I’ve listed independent Tucson- and Phoenix-area bookstores that say they have a particular title in stock. (I didn’t bother which stores you can order these books from, because the answer is any of them.)

Barnes and Noble also had a few of these books available in certain stores, so you can check there if that’s the option closest to you.

Urban Trails Tucson book at a desert trailhead. — Via Trails Inspire / Sirena Rana

Book List

1. Urban Trails Tucson

by Sirena Rana

You may know the author from…

Her Arizona Trail advocacy, as well as her photography and writing about hiking and the outdoors.

About the Book:

This book is part of the Urban Trails series, published by Mountaineers Books. It’s a look at nearly 50 trails in Tucson and the surrounding areas. Each trail has a several-page description, along with maps and photos. Even before you get to those, there is tons of information about desert wildlife, Tucson culture, hiking tips, and local pronunciation. There’s a handy map and chart that will allow you to quickly find a trail based on location and length, as well as kid- and/or dog-friendliness.

Continue reading “7 Books to Check Out: New Titles by Tucson Writers”

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