ARIZONA STATE PARKS: For Immediate Release
Managing and conserving Arizona’s natural, cultural and recreational resources for the benefit of the people, both in our Parks and through our Partners. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Bilbrey at (602) 542-1996 or (602) 228-8518, or Monica Enriquez at (602) 542-6997. Contact by Email: pio(at)azstateparks.gov
(Phoenix, Arizona - July 27, 2009) - Oracle State Park offers a workshop and Bug Fest in August 2009.
Saturday, August 1: Mesquite Pod Harvesting Workshop from 9am to 12 noon. Mesquite is a life-giving tree for desert people and a source of high-protein food and medicine. Learn best practices of collecting and instructions on how to best preserve and store them for grinding into mesquite flour. Sample a mesquite milkshake and learn other mesquite-based recipes. Limited space; reservation required for the August 1 workshop from 9am-noon. The fee to attend the workshop is $5 in addition to the park entrance fee of $5 per vehicle. For information on harvesting prior to the workshop, and for reservations, call (520) 896-2425.
Friday, August 21 & Saturday, August 22: Bug Fest 2009. TBA; More information will be forthcoming.
Saturday, September 19: Naturalist Program: Gemstones and Copper Minerals of Arizona at 11am. Presented by Mineralogist Wolfgang Mueller, this presentation will take place in the living room of the Kannally Ranch House. Free with park entrance fee. Please call for a reservation at (520) 896-2425.
Saturday, October 3: Arizona State Parks celebrates the legacy of conservationist and author Aldo Leopold at the 10th Annual Fiesta de las Calabazas from 11am to 3pm. The annual harvest festival at Oracle State Park will also feature mesquite pod milling, music, food, archery, and more. Parking will be onsite at Oracle State Park. The special event fee is $10 per vehicle. Call the park for more information at (520) 896-2425.
Ongoing Weekends: Historic Kannally Ranch House Guided Tours. Tours are held at 10am and again at 2pm and are 45-minutes in duration. The four- level Mediterranean revival style adobe ranch house was built from 1929-33 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Guided tours are scheduled by reservation by calling (520) 896-2425.
Oracle State Park Summer Hours: Oracle State Park is open Thursday through Monday from 7am to 3pm. The park is closed to the public Tuesday and Wednesday (the main gate on Mt. Lemmon Road is locked). The American Avenue parking lot and trailhead remain open seven days, dawn to dusk. The park entrance fee through Labor Day is $5 per vehicle ($2 per person non-motorized entry on bicycle, horseback, or walk-in; kids free).
For more information about events at Oracle State Park call (520) 896-2425.
Oracle State Park is a 4,000 acre wildlife refuge in the northern foothills of the Catalina Mountains. Oracle State Park offers day-use picnic sites and over 15 miles of trail for use by hikers, bicyclists and equestrians. A four-mile section of the Arizona Trail passes through the park, connecting Mexico to Utah. Once part of the Kannally family cattle ranch, the unique Mediterranean style ranch house in the park is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The diverse vegetation, slope and elevation within the park provide habitat for a variety of animals.
For more information about the 30 State Parks, statewide hiking opportunities, off-highway vehicle trails, and other outdoor recreational and cultural opportunities in Arizona, call (602) 542-4174 (outside of the Phoenix metro area call toll-free (800) 285-3703) or visit AZStateParks.com. Follow us on twitter.com/AZStateParks.
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link to this page:
http://azstateparks.com/press/2009/PR_07-27-09.html
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