SAHUARITA, Ariz. – Now that we are past Labor Day and into September, preparations are well on their way for the 5th Annual Sahuarita Pecan Festival, an old-fashioned country fair with activities for all ages. Hosted by The Green Valley Pecan Company, it will take place on Saturday November 9, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Green Valley Pecan Company, 1625 E. Sahuarita Road, Sahuarita. Admission to the Festival will be free.
“The Festival gets more exciting every year, with new activities for folks of all ages”, said Deborah Walden-Ralls, FICO Director of Marketing. “We’re very excited to share what we have been hard at work on.”
The day’s festivities will kick off with the Pecan Classic Nut Run/Walk at 8 a.m. To register, go to taggrun.com. Register by Oct. 26, 2013 for your commemorative T-shirt.
This year’s festival attractions include a KID’s Zone, sponsored by Tucson Medical Center. The KID’s Zone will include bounce houses, carnival games, petting zoo and pony rides.
As in years past, there will be arts and crafts vendors in the marketplace to start your holiday shopping. Also, food vendors from throughout Southern Arizona will be preparing great BBQ and other local fare along with sweets and treats. Borderlands Brewery will be serving its very special ‘La Morena’ nut-brown beer made with Green Valley pecans!
The entertainment area will feature performances by ‘80’s and the Gentlemen,’ traditional Tohono O’odham dance, Mariachis and our famous pecan cracking contest.
The Heritage area will showcase Arabian horse demonstrations, tractor pull contests, antique tractor displays, and the heritage tent where guest can learn about traditional basket weaving, and agriculture and history of the Santa Cruz River Valley. Horse-drawn wagon rides into the orchard for pecan harvest demonstrations will be available for either a food or monetary donation to the Green Valley-Sahuarita Community Food Bank.
Presented by FICO and The Green Valley Pecan Company SahuaritaPecanFestival.com (520) 791-2062
New this year is the Sahuarita Pecan Pie Contest sponsored by Mama’s Hawaiian Bar-B-Cue. The entry fee is $10 and entrants will receive a one pound bag of pecan halves for baking. Registration forms can be found at either Mama’s Hawaiian Bar-B-Cue location in Sahuarita or at the Pecan Store or at www.sahuaritapecanfestival.com.
Also new this year is a Facebook scavenger hunt where guest have the chance to win prizes while posting on The Green Valley Pecan Company Facebook page. Like us at facebook.com/greenvalleypecancompany to keep in touch.
A key focus of the Pecan Festival is the support it provides local community organizations.
Sponsorships and vendor participation and other activities enable the Sahuarita Pecan Festival to financially support the work of these local groups. The community partners for the 2013 Sahuarita Pecan Festival include, Sahuarita 4-H, Walden Grove Athletic Department, Sahuarita Explorers, Optimist Club of Green Valley and Valle Verde Rotary.
Festival attendees can take advantage of the free shuttle service from around Sahuarita to get to the Festival grounds.
Also, parking will be available immediately south of the festival grounds for $5.00 per car for the day; a portion of the proceeds going to local community organizations volunteering at the Sahuarita Pecan Festival.
The Sahuarita Pecan Festival has averaged nearly 12,000 attendees each year. Over the past four years, the Festival has raised more than $13,000 and 2,600 pounds of food for local charities.
For the latest updates, please visit the official Festival website at Web: www.SahuaritaPecanFestival.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/greenvalleypecancompany