Spring is just around the corner and not only are wildflowers popping up in the desert, so are a ton of festivals, workshops, exhibitions, and other intriguing events.
In fact, I’ve picked out 55 of them from Australia, Italy, New Zealand, South Korea, and across the U.S. to share with you.
I thought you might like to attend a traditional pottery festival in South Korea (#54) or hunt for mushrooms in Australia (#46), wander amongst tulip fields (#37) or cherry blossoms (#40), go to a Star Wars Day screening at a cultural center (#5) or an office party that’s actually a dance performance (#23 + #30), see contemporary Aboriginal Australian art in Reno (#32) or ancient terra cotta warriors in Wellington (#50), attend Arizona’s longest-running film festival (#15) or its festival with the shortest films (#7). I’m also including a few summer and fall events that require advance booking, in case you’d like to learn wood oven cooking in an Italian farmhouse (#49) or photograph brown bears in Alaska (#2), for example.
If you could go anywhere on the list, where would it be?
+Alaska
1. Gertrude Svarny: UKUQANAADAN
Now – Apr 14
Anchorage Museum, Anchorage
Exhibition of work by Unangan artist, carver, and weaver Gertrude Svarny, who interprets her history and culture using traditional materials, such as local mineral pigments, seal intestine, and sea lion whiskers.
2. Bear Extravaganza!
June 23-25 or July 5-7
Sterling and Lake Clark National Park (Meet at Homewood Suites in Anchorage)
3-day photography tour in bear country, where you can view about 20-40 bears each day with Lisa Langell plus an additional photography instructor. Includes all meals, transportation (including round trip sea plane flights to/from lodge) and lodging (1 night in Sterling and 2 nights in a lodge adjacent to Lake Clark National Park.) $2695 per person
+Arizona
3. Spring Out to Lunch Concert Series
Now – Mar 14, Thursdays at 12:30pm
Wells Fargo Garden performance area at Mesa Arts Center, Mesa
Weekly outdoor concerts featuring a variety of music. Bring a folding chair or blanket. Pack a picnic lunch or purchase food on-site. Free.
4. NAU’s College of Arts and Letters (CAL) Film Series
Now – Apr 30, Tuesdays at 7pm
Cline Library at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff
Film series on youth in the movies with films about coming of age. A local film expert introduces each film and puts it in context. Each film is followed by a discussion. Free. Donations accepted.
- The CAL film series blends well-known audience favorites along with lesser-known movies, as well as a mix of genres, artists, and decades, moving chronologically from past to present so that audiences can see the evolution of the art form.
- Free parking behind Cline Library in lot P13 with permit. Create a Guest Account at nau.edu/guest. Then contact NAU Parking by calling 928-523-6623 or emailing ask.parking@nau.edu. Print an evening parking permit for each film and display it on your vehicle dashboard.
5. Irish Cultural Center Events
Downtown Phoenix
- Now – Jun 27: The Irish in Latin America exhibition in the McClelland Library’s Exhibit Hall. Traveling exhibit of twenty-three informative panels on the history of Irish immigrants and their descendants across Latin America from 1611- 1968. Tickets $10 (free for ages 6 and under).
- Mar 16, 10am: St. Patrick’s Day Parade, starting at 3rd Street and Sheridan. Free.
- Mar 16: St. Patrick’s Day Faire at Hance Park, following the Parade. Irish music and dance performances, food, crafts, Irish clubs, vendors, and children’s area. Tickets $12 (free for ages 12 and under). Free parking at 1850 North Central Avenue garage and round-trip event shuttle (9am-6pm) with purchase of St. Patrick’s Day Faire Ticket.
- May 4, 1pm: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” screening in the Great Hall. Part of the Irish Family Film Series held on International Star Wars Day, this is a celebration of modern cinema in Ireland, where parts of the movie were filmed. Costumes encouraged. Free.
6. Sedona International Film Festival
Feb 23 – Mar 3
Sedona
25th anniversary celebration of this festival with over 160 independent films from around the world, including features, shorts, documentaries, animation, foreign films, and student films. 10-ticket pack $130.
7. Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Tucson Events
- Mar 2, 11am-2pm: Soundwalk with MOCA. Urban hike through downtown Tucson’s streets, washes, gardens, and parks led by local field recordist David Dearmore, who will help you discern the distinct sounds of the city using a combination of “naked-ear” and amplified listening. Participants are encouraged to bring their own recording gear, though some will be provided. Not wheelchair accessible. Registration recommended. Fee $30.
- Mar 29, 2:30-9:30pm: Echo Chamber: a day of experimental music performances in The Great Hall. Admission $5.
- Apr 27: New Histories: AZ Juried Youth Art Exhibition. MOCA Tucson’s inaugural juried statewide youth art exhibition for painting, sculpture, photography, video, performance, and all 2D/3D and time-based mediums.
- May 24: 5 Minute Film Festival on Cox Plaza. Festival of documentary, short films, animation, and experimental video that are 5 minutes in length or shorter by filmmakers living or working in Southern Arizona. Free.
8. Molé Feast
March 2, 10am–2pm
Amerind Museum, Dragoon
Prepare three traditional Oaxacan Molés — Molé Negro (which uses over 20 ingredients, including bittersweet chocolate), Molé Rojo (which adds dried fruit), and Molé Manchamantales (the “tablecloth stainer” with vibrant red chiles and tomatoes, fresh pineapple, plantain, and honey, and no chocolate). The feast will be rounded out with roasted chicken, rice, tortillas, and a spicy hot chocolate pudding for dessert. To register, call Amerind at 520-586-3666 or email Debbie@amerind.org. Cost: $85 for non-members (feast included!)
9. Field to Feast Tour
March 6, 8am-1:30pm
Visitor Information Center, Yuma (201 N. 4th Ave.)
Half-day farm tour. Hands-on harvesting instruction from a local grower followed by lunch made from the produce you picked. Includes transportation, some veggies to take home, and a healthy, field-fresh lunch. Tickets $55.
10. Modern Calligraphy Workshop
March 7 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The Bungalow@Heritage Square
Learn how to upgrade your handwritten projects with modern calligraphy. You will receive attentive instruction, time to make a few projects, and a goodie bag of supplies to take home, including an instruction booklet. Fee $20 – $22
11. Art Detour
Mar 14-18
Downtown Phoenix
Five-day, multi-faceted exploration of Phoenix arts and culture at approximately 100 artist studios, galleries, pop-up spaces and other venues, open to the community. Meet artists, see and shop for art, and enjoy live performances.
- Mar 14: Opening night Art D’Core Gala at Warehouse215 at Bentley Projects to benefit Artlink Inc. Advance tickets: $20/person, $35/pair. At the door: $25/person, $45/pair. Creative cocktail attire encouraged.
- Mar 15-17: Self-guided art space tours, performances, and events.
- Mar 16, 11am: Guided tour of the art and architecture of Burton Barr Central Library.
- Mar 18: Creative City Symposium.
12. Spring Heritage Pecan + Wine Festival
Mar 16- 17
Community Field, Camp Verde
Wine tasting and all-ages festival with a pie baking contest, archaelogy fair, canoe and kayak racing, 40 vendors, and activities for kids.
- Mar 17, 11am: Pecan Pie Contest. Competition for the best pecan pie made with local ingredients.
13. Arizona Quilters Guild Quilt Show
March 21-23
Mesa Convention Center, Mesa
Non-juried show that gives quilt makers the opportunity to share their work with the community. There will be quilts on display, lectures, vendors, quilt appraisals ($75), and a live auction. One-day pass $15 / two-day pass $20.
- Mar 21, 5-8:30pm: Preview night. $5 admission.
14. Chef’s Wine Dinner Series
Mar 23 + April 25
Garden at Bar Bianco, Phoenix
Monthly four-course meal with local and seasonal ingredients hosted by Bar Bianco. Each dinner will be paired with wines from a different winery. Reception starts at 6:30pm with dinner to follow. Tickets $150-250.
Featured wineries:
- Mar 23: POE
- Apr 25: Chef’s Choice
15. Arizona International Film Festival (AZIFF)
April 10-21
The Screening Room (and other venues), Tucson
Film festival with a focus on independent cinema and diverse cultures.
16. Agave Heritage Festival
Apr 23 – May 5
Downtown Tucson
Celebration of the agave plant that includes culinary events, art, music, garden tours, and seminars.
17. Verde Valley Birding + Nature Festival
Apr 25-28
Cottonwood
4-day event with guided walks, workshops, vendors, and exhibitors focused on the Verde Valley habitat. Register online by April 17 or on-site starting April 24.
- Apr 27, 6:30-8pm: Food + Fun: For the Birds at Calavera Mexican Restaurant, (747 S Main St., Cottonwood). Mixer with a taco bar and musical program and storytelling by Still on the Hill. $40 advanced registration required.
- 2019 Featured Artist Michelle Haveri.
- Keynote Speaker: John Marzluff, Professor of Wildlife Science, University of Washington.
- Camping available at Dead Horse Ranch State Park.
18. Sedona Spring Artist Open Studios Tour
April 26-28
Studios throughout the Verde Valley
Tour over 50 artists’ studios in Sedona and nearby towns. Free.
19. Free Comic Book Day
May 4, 10am-5pm
Gotham City Comics and throughout Downtown Mesa
Participating downtown Mesa businesses will give away over 10,000 comic books (while supplies last) and host meet-and-greets with comic book artists. There will also be live music, a cosplay contest and a scavenger hunt. Free.
+California
20. Bright Black World
Now – Mar 30
Casemore Kirkeby Gallery, San Francisco
Exhibition of new work by artist Todd Hido. It explores the dark topography of the Northern European landscape during his first foray extensively photographing territory outside of the United States.
21. Origami in the Garden²
Now – Apr 14
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont
Outdoor sculpture exhibition of larger-than-life origami creations by Jennifer and Kevin Box.
22. Blue Boy Restoration Project
Now – Sep (estimated)
Huntington Art Gallery, San Marino (Pasadena)
Watch the process of conservation work on the iconic painting The Blue Boy (ca. 1770) by Thomas Gainsborough each Thursday and Friday, 10am – noon + 2-4pm and 2-4pm on the first Sunday of the month. This is one segment of Project Blue Boy, which is ongoing from September 22, 2018 to September 30, 2019.
- Free admission with advance reservation 1st Thursday of every month, 10am–5pm.
23. Happy Hour
Monica Bill Barnes + Company’s immersive dance show at an after-work office party.
- Mar 28, 6pm at The Loft – Weill Hall, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park. Tickets $25-45.
- March 30, 7 + 9:30pm at Laxson Auditorium (Arts Room 108), California State University Chico, Chico. Tickets $35.
24. Public Program: Land + Texture: Exploring Iceland For Content In Artists Books
Apr 2, 6–8pm,
San Francisco Center for the Book, San Francisco
Book artist and letterpress printer Brooke Holve reports back on Book Iceland, her 2018 residency project, where she led artist book workshops focused on the process of making and inspired by Iceland’s landscape.
- Presentation begins promptly at 6:30pm.
25. Spring Open Studios
April 6-7, 12-6pm
1890 Bryant Street Studios, San Francisco
Open studios event at a center for fine artists and craftspersons including bakers, ceramicists, designers, jewelers, musicians, painters, photographers, printmakers, sculptors, and vintners.
- Apr 5, 6-9pm: Friday Preview Reception.
26. Jackalope Art Fair
A weekend of shopping featuring local, hand-selected artisans, crafters, and DIY enthusiasts selling original fashion, jewelry, ceramics, paper goods, housewares, art, and photography. Both locations below are handicap accessible, open to all ages, and allow leashed pets. Free admission.
- Apr 27-28, 10am – 5pm: Central Park, Pasadena.
- May 18-19, 11am – 7pm: Downtown Burbank Arts Festival (San Fernando Blvd), Burbank.
+Colorado
27. Home Is Wherever You Park
Now – Mar 30
Forney Museum of Transportation, Denver
Exhibit of vintage camping trailers that looks at the history and various styles of the “Home away from home.” Museum admission $12.
28. Winter Park Express
Mar 1-3, 8-10, 16-17, 23-24, 30-31
Denver Union Station
Historic weekend train trip from Denver Union Station to Winter Park, which originated in 1912. Tickets $39, $49, $59, subject to availability.
29. Annual Denver March Pow-wow
Mar 22-24, 10am-10pm
Historic Denver Coliseum, Denver
Performance of historical tribal dances by over 1,000 American Indian Dancers, accompanied by 30+ drum groups. $7/day, elders (60+) $3, children under 6 free
+Massachusetts
30. Happy Hour
Mar 12-16, 6pm
District Hall, Boston
Monica Bill Barnes + Company’s immersive dance show at an after-work office party. Tickets $35.
+Nevada
31. Hearts4Vegas Touring Exhibition
Now – Apr 15
Veterans Memorial Community Center, Las Vegas
A traveling exhibition of items sent to Las Vegas from all over the world expressing love and support in the aftermath of the tragic events of October 1, 2017.
32. The Inside World: Contemporary Aboriginal Australian Memorial Poles
Now – June 23
Nevada Museum of Art, Reno
94 works by contemporary Aboriginal artists from Arnhem Land. Traditionally, these poles (named lorrkkon or larrakitj) marked the final point in Aboriginal mortuary rites. Today, they are made as works of art. Museum admission: $10 (free for children under 5)
33. VESSEL: Ceramics of Ancient West Mexico
Now – Aug 17
Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, Las Vegas
Exhibition exploring form and function through ceramic vessels from West Mexico. Suggested voluntary contribution: $5
+New Hampshire
34. Enormous Tiny Art Show
Nahcotta gallery, Portsmouth, NH
Year-round exhibition both online and in the gallery with hundreds of pieces of original art — each ten by ten inches or smaller — made by artists from all over the globe. The aim is to give art lovers the ability to acquire well-curated, small works of art.
- Opening is Mar 1, 6-8pm.
- You can also view and purchase Enormous Tiny Art online.
+New York
35. Local Roots Dumpling Making Party
Feb 28, 6:30pm
WeWork, New York
Learn how to make your own dumplings with cookbook author Cathy Erway. Workshop is open to the public. Admission $50 (including online ticket fee).
- Followed by baked bao demonstration and snacking on dumplings.
- Complimentary beer available courtesy of WeWork.
- To celebrate the year of the pig, you can take home 1 pack of Local Roots ground pork for making more dumplings.
36. Rini Music
Apr 20, 7pm
Rockwood Music Hall Stage, New York
Concert of Indian electronica and art rock. Ages 21+. General admission $10.
- Doors: 6:30pm
- Two drink minimum.
+Oregon
37. Wooden Shoe Tulip Fest
Mar 23 – Apr 2
Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, Woodbury
Festival with fresh flowers and food. Stroll through 40 acres of blooming tulip and daffodil bulbs with views of vineyards and distant mountains. All ages and dogs (on leashes) allowed.
- Individual admission (one person for one day) $5
- Family car day pass (one carload of people for one day) $20
- Season pass (one carload of people for the entire festival) $40
- Children ages 12 and under are free.
+Tennessee
38. Annual Spring Tennessee Craft Fair
May 3-5
Centennial Park Lawn, Nashville
Outdoor event celebrating and supporting American handmade craft.
+Virginia
39. Spring Wine Festival + Sunset Tour
May 17-19, 6-9pm
Mount Vernon
Sample wines made in Virginia, while enjoying views of the Potomac River. Tickets $42-52
- Take a Mansion tour and visit Washington’s wine cellar. Learn about the Founding Fathers’ successes and failures with wine.
- Bring a blanket and relax on the lawn.
- All proceeds benefit the ongoing preservation and restoration of Mount Vernon and its educational programs.
+Washington D.C.
40. National Cherry Blossom Festival
Mar 20 – Apr 13
National Mall area
- Mar 23, 5pm: Opening Ceremony at Warner Theatre. Performance of selections from the new musical “Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.” Advance tickets required. $5 fee.
- Mar 30, 10am-4:30pm: Blossom Kite Festival at Washington Monument Grounds. Kite competitions and demonstrations, public field for flying your own kite, kids’ kite-making activity station, and kite vendors. Free.
- Apr 13, 10am-12pm: Parade along Constitution Avenue with floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands, and entertainment. Standing along the route is free, Grandstand Seating $20.
41. Shenson Chamber Music Concerts
National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA)
Annual concert series of women musicians. Free, subject to availability. Registration required.
- Apr 10, 7:30pm: Aletheia Piano Trio.
- May 8, 7:30pm: Amaranth Quartet.
42. NMWA’s New York Avenue Sculpture Project
Now – Sep 20, 2020
New York Avenue (east of the White House)
Public art space featuring changing installations of contemporary works by women artists. Currently on display is Huellas y cicatricez (Traces and scars), four totemic sculptures by Mexico City-based Betsabeé Romero that speak to themes of human migration and the natural environment. The structures are constructed from carved tires with gleaming metallic paint and interior lighting.
+Washington
43. Spencer Finch: The Western Mystery
Now – Mar 3
Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle
Installation of suspended glass panes that are, in the words of the artist, “creating a moving abstraction of a sunset.”
44. Open Sesame! The Magic of Artist’s Books Revealed
Mar 1 – Jun 9
Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (BIMA), Bainbridge Island
Installation of Artist’s Books, a lesser-known art form, which may combine drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, gluing and binding, sculpture, photography, textiles, creative writing, and storytelling. While many university libraries have artists’ books in their Special Collections, BIMA seeks to make the art form more visible to the public. Free.
INTERNATIONAL
+Australia
45. St Erth Workshops
St Erth Gardens, Blackwood, Victoria
- Mar 31, 2pm: Flower Power: A Complete Flower Garden. Learn how to have a variety of flowers all year round. Fee: $49
- Apr 14, 11am: Starting Your Apple Orchard. Learn about the best cider-making fruit varieties and rootstocks, and how to grow and maintain your own fruit trees at home. Afterwards, tour the St Erth orchard and stay for the afternoon cider making session. Fee: $49
- Apr 14, 2pm: Cider Making At Home. Learn about the basic equipment you need to brew your own cider. Fee: $49
- Apr 28, 11am: Basketry With Natural Fibres. Intimate Masterclass on gathering and drying natural fibres, and weaving with Random weave and Stitching weave methods. Bring your own snips. All other materials supplied. Includes a light lunch and glass of wine. Fee: $99
- May 19, 2pm: Organic Pest Control. Learn how to control pests and weeds in your garden the natural way. Fee: $49
46. Anzac Day Mushroom Hunt
Apr 25, 12-4:15pm
Gellibrand, Victoria
Introductory workshop on Kingdom Fungi in the Otways region, as well as wider Australian and global contexts. Fungi will be discussed in regard to their ecological roles, edibility, and toxicity. Fee: $50
- 90-minute interactive session on the basics of fungus identification where participants will get to handle, examine and identify various fungi.
- 2-hour foray through various local ecosystems to search for species of interest.
+Italy
47. Carnival of Venice
Now – Mar 5
St. Mark’s Square, Venice
Pre-Lenten celebrations with revelers in elaborate masks and costumes.
- Feb 28 – Mar 3, 3:30-5pm: Daily mask contests.
48. Salone del Mobile.Milano
Apr 13-14
Fiera Milano, Rho (Milan)
Showcase for Italian furniture and design trends. Admission €25 online / €29 at the door
49. La Tavola Marche Classes
- Jul 3-6 or Sep 4-7: Wood Oven Workshop. Includes 3 nights’ accommodations, welcome dinner, Wood Oven class with snacks, wine + handmade apron gift. 3 dinners, 1 lunch, breakfast daily. €1080/couple or €864/single
- Oct 15-20: Made in Le Marche: D.O.C. Wine Tour, Artisan Meat and Cheese Market Trip, Craft Beer Tasting + 3 Cooking Classes. Includes 5 nights’ accommodations, welcome dinner, 3 half-day cooking classes with meals, wine + handmade apron gift, 1-day wine tour with lunch and transportation, Pizza Night Dinner, Apecchio market tour and tasting, breakfast daily. €1025/person (Price based on double occupancy.)
+New Zealand
50. Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality
Now – Apr 22
Toi Art, Level 4, Wellington
Exhibition featuring eight of the famous 2,300-year-old terra-cotta warriors found at the tomb of China’s First Emperor, two full-size horses, two half-size replica bronze chariots, and over 160 works of ancient Chinese art (from 1046 BCE – 220 CE) crafted from gold, jade and bronze. Admission $9.
51. Māoriland Film Festival
Mar 20-24
Ōtaki
New Zealand Film Festival that welcomes Indigenous filmmakers from around the world to celebrate Indigenous creativity and storytelling.
52. CubaDupa
Mar 30-31
Wellington
Festival with a wide range of street performances, including theater, bands, and opera, as well as a parade and interactive art installations. 2019 performers include Cha Wa (New Orleans), Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra (Canada), Electric Fields (Sydney), Hot Potato (Sydney), Alien Weaponry (NZ), Touch Compass (NZ), Tunes of I (Wellington), Phoenix Foundation (Wellington). Free.
+South Korea
53. Awakenings: Art in Society in Asia 1960s – 1990s
Now – May 6
National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon
Large-scale international exhibition illuminating the social, political, and cultural changes that occurred throughout Asia from the 1960s to the 1990s and subsequent changes in Asian contemporary art. Includes approximately 170 works by 100 major artists from 13 Asian countries: Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
54. Mungyeong Traditional Chasabal Festival (문경 전통찻사발축제)
Apr 27 – May 5
Mungyeongsaejae Open Set in Gyeongsangbuk-do
Festival of traditional ceramics. Visitors will be able to join in traditional tea ceremony and pottery-making programs, operated by local artisans.
55. Yeon Deung Hoe (Lotus Lantern Festival) (연등회)
May 3-5
Jongno Street, Cheonggyecheon Stream, Jogyesa Temple, and Bongeunsa Temple, Seoul
Thousand-year-old festival to celebrate Buddha’s birthday and wish the world happiness by lighting lanterns.
- May 3-12: Exhibition of Traditional Lanterns.
- May 4, 7-9pm: Lantern Parade on Jongno Street (from Dongdaemun Gate to Jogyesa Temple). Thousands of lanterns will create waves of light flowing through the heart of metropolitan Seoul. Anyone can participate.
- May 4, 9:30-11pm: Cultural performances at Jonggak Intersection. Lively group dance under a rain of flowers.
- May 5, 4-7pm: Traditional Cultural Events in front of Jogyesa Temple. Folk performances including songs, dances and rope walking, along with Buddhist performances, plus a variety of hands-on cultural experiences, such as lantern making and temple food tasting.
- May 5, 7-9pm: Yeondeungnori (Final Celebration) from Insa-dong to Jogyesa Temple. Following the performance groups, another lantern parade will be held to express the aspiration for peace and happiness all over the world.
The Happenings List is sourced from a combination of places I’ve visited, Instagram posts, posters I’ve walked by, internet rabbit trails, small-town community bulletin boards, email lists I’m on, and old fashioned hearsay. I fact check as much as I can and edit event descriptions for length and clarity.
I can’t go to everything (no matter how much I’d like to), so I’d love your feedback on any Happenings you’ve participated in!
-S
See captions for photo credits. Uncredited photos by Phillip or Stephanie Liebold.
