Fall Festival Fever
RED ROCKS MUSIC FESTIVAL Classical music fans will want to attend all four performances of Red Rocks Music Festival at Sedona Creative Life Center. On Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m., enjoy A Dialogue Through Music. From…
RED ROCKS MUSIC FESTIVAL Classical music fans will want to attend all four performances of Red Rocks Music Festival at Sedona Creative Life Center. On Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m., enjoy A Dialogue Through Music. From…
ELLIE’S CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE: $8 When Ellie Shugrue was a kid, her favorite movie was The Parent Trap. In the flick, the twin girls eat Oreo cookies dipped in peanut butter, so Ellie had to…
A CONTEMPORARY TAKE ON SOUTHWEST DESIGN What do you do when you want to retain your new home’s Southwest roots but also incorporate your own contemporary style? That was the dilemma presented to Stephanie Larsen, owner…
FLY LIKE AN EAGLE Remember when you were a kid and all you wanted to do was fly? The Hualapai Tribe, owners of Grand Canyon West, have made that possible – sort of. The destination debuted…
Scott Newth pulls out several binders filled with photocopied documents from the 1800s, maps, diagrams, and pages and pages of research on rock art in the Verde Valley. You’d swear he’d been researching the…
TODAY In the black cinder fields northeast of Flagstaff, the fierceness of the wind makes your eyes water and your nose run. Prickly brush grows from coal-colored sand, and gnarled pine trees stand sentinel. Occasionally, you…
You might say Jane Alexander’s acting career is the stuff that dreams are made of. She earned an Oscar nomination for her film debut in The Great White Hope (1970) but only after she starred in…
Norman Petty is the most famous person you’ve probably never heard of. He was a music industry whirlwind: instrumentalist, songwriter, audio engineer, talent manager and, most important, an independent record producer. The 20 Top 40 hits…
The first six sound movies photographed on location in Sedona were produced by the Fox Film Corp. between 1930 and 1933. Last of the Duanes, El último de los Vargas (a Spanish-language version of Duanes simultaneously…
35th Annual Christmas Boat Parade of Lights Put on a sweater and gather along the shores of Lake Havasu in the far western corner of our state for London Bridge Yacht Club’s 35th Annual Christmas Boat…
When it came time to make plans for November’s Native American Heritage Month, Ken Zoll, executive director of Verde Valley Archaeology Center, had an idea. Ken sits on the advisory board for Verde Valley Sinfonietta, and…
In Sedona, everything is better in October. Daytime temperatures slowly start to drop and the summer monsoon storms dissipate. It’s also an ideal time to explore Pumphouse Wash in Oak Creek Canyon. Five miles of…
Under a big-top tent on the field at Posse Grounds Park, wine lovers leisurely made their way from one winery to the next, sipping on glasses of red, white and rose. They nibbled on squares of…
Lake Havasu State Park If the name Lake Havasu conjures up images of girls gone wild on spring break, you’re not completely off the mark: It’s still a party hot spot for coeds in March and…
Like many good stories, this one begins with a bottle of wine. It was October 2015, and Eric Holowacz and Paul Amadio had recently moved to Sedona; Eric relocated from Baton Rouge, and Paul had most…
Everett McGill stands at the back of Oak Creek Espresso wearing all black with a haircut that wouldn’t be out of place on a 20-year-old Dolce and Gabbana model. We both raise an eyebrow at what’s…
When you push open the glass door of Twede’s Cafe located on a busy corner in North Bend, Washington, you experience one of two sensations. If you’re a fan of David Lynch and Mark Frost’s early-90s…
Butterfly Garden Inn The burgers at Butterfly Garden Inn in Oak Creek Canyon are easily one of Sedona’s best-kept secrets (until now, of course). Some people might not even realize that there’s a kitchen mixed in…
Mary Senseney The first thing that strikes you about Mary Senseney’s Village of Oak Creek garden is its orderly, well-manicured and thoughtfully executed design. But when you stroll through the courtyards and along flagstone pathways, you…
Never underestimate the importance of a single act of kindness. It was the late ’90s, and Danielle DuBoise was sitting in front of Whitney Tingle in eighth-grade math at Big Park School in the Village of…
When you think of Bruce Hornsby, you probably automatically think of his 1986 hit, The Way It is, which earned him a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1987. What you may not know is that…
On April 1, 1952, a 1-kiloton atomic bomb, part of the U.S. military’s Operation Tumbler-Snapper – aimed at developing tactical nuclear weapons – was detonated at Area 5 of the Nevada Proving Ground, later known as…
Arizona Nordic Village Arizona Nordic Village, formerly known as the Flagstaff Nordic Center, changed hands in October 2015, and last winter the cross-country-ski playground began encouraging snow bikes to come out and play. It also added…
Four years ago, the Sedona Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau decided to kick things up a notch and make Sedona a destination for the holidays. Los Abrigados Resort & Spa had announced the end of…
Have you been naughty or nice this year? If your answer is the latter, then visions of sparkling jewelry might be dancing through your head. Leave this story lying around, and drop a (not-so) subtle…
Dia de los Muertos Don’t fear the dead – honor them at Tlaquepaque’s Dia de los Muertos Celebration on Oct. 29. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a traditional Mexican holiday that…
Denise and Larry Garnello, owners of Magic Clothing in Sedona and Crystal Magic in Sedona and Flagstaff What is your favorite hike and why? Sugarloaf Summit because it’s a 5-minute walk to the trail from our house,…
The crowd began to gather about an hour before the fashion show began, grabbing seats or jockeying for a space in the shade, all in the shadow of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi….
Think you all of the myths and legends about the West? Producers Stephen David and Tim Kelly say think again. Their new series, The American West, premiered on AMC last month and airs on Saturday nights…
Flagstaff Folk Festival The summer’s most laid-back and most affordable music festival just might be the Flagstaff Folk Festival happening June 18 and 19 at Coconino Center for the Arts and the adjacent Pioneer Museum. More…
Garland’s Indian Gardens Cafe & Market Reuben, $10 We have a couple of Reuben connoisseurs on staff, which means we’ve tried just about every single Reuben to be had in Sedona. And we always come back…
Even the most casual local hiker has most likely explored West Fork. It’s one of Sedona’s most popular hikes, especially in the fall when the trees along the trail put on a brilliant display of…
Dark Sky Brewing Company Tired of the same old, same old? That’s impossible at Dark Sky Brewing Company, northern Arizona’s newest craft brewery (May 2015). Nick Irvine, who co-owns the brewery with four other people including…
Sneak Preview: Burning Bodhi Cody Horn stars alongside Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) and Virginia Madsen (Sideways) in Burning Bodhi, the story of a group of high school friends who reunite in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after…
Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago More than 100,000,000 albums sold. Five consecutive No. 1 albums. Twenty-one Top 10 singles. It’s about time someone tells the story of the band Chicago, isn’t it? The…
Eforea Spa Relaxation is a beautiful thing. However, if you are looking for a treatment that offers visible results, you want to head to eforea spa at Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock. Earlier this year,…
Sage-roasted turkey and gravy and Val’s stuffing Wendy Lippman and Max Bacon Occupations: Wendy is the general manager and resident partner at Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, and Max is an architect. Family status: Married with…
Big Pine Comedy Festival Need a laugh? Don’t we all! The inaugural Big Pine Comedy Festival couldn’t come at a better time. The festival takes place Oct. 7-10 at venues in downtown Flagstaff. Ryan Stalder, a…
Sedona Monthly has been exploring and photographing ruins in northern Arizona for 12 years. Here are our favorites. Some are national monuments and easily accessed…others will test your knowledge of our landscape. As always, please…
Take a bath … at Adobe Grand Villas To date, the most opulent bathrooms in Sedona (outside of private residences) can be found at Adobe Grand Villas. Opened in June 2004, the four-diamond luxury inn boasts…
Bella Vita Ristorante Pappardelle Funghi, $17.95 Executive Chef Andrea Di Luca’s cozy new eatery, Bella Vita Ristorante, specializes in Italian cuisine including the most decadent, melt-in-your-mouth, homemade pasta. The Pappardelle Funghi is our favorite. Delicate, flat…
It doesn’t take much research – a slow drive through town will do it – to realize that Jerome has a colorful and quirky past. So it shouldn’t be surprising that the seven homes and two…
Remember Dirty Dancing? Remember how they have the time of their life at Kellerman’s Resort in the Catskill Mountains of New York? That’s what Tucson’s Tanque Verde Ranch is like, minus Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey and…
Grammy-Award-winners The Band Perry, featuring siblings Kimberly, Reid and Neil Perry, perform at Stargazer Pavilion at Cliff Castle Casino Hotel on April 25 at 8 p.m. with tickets starting at $45. The trio were born in…
The popularity of mountain biking in Red Rock Country over the last 10 years has exploded, and it shows no signs of slowing down. On any given weekend you will see large vans parked at local…
John Waters Writer, director, actor and producer John Waters has several nicknames, including Pope of Trash and Prince of Puke, but that hasn’t stopped him for becoming a household name. Waters gained notoriety with 1972’s Pink…
Winter 2013-14 was one of the driest on record for Red Rock Country. In January, we only received 0.69 inch of rain compared to our average of 3.03 inches according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric…
All right, guys, this one is for you. Stand on any corner in Sedona, throw a crystal and you’ll hit a spa, salon, boutique, jewelry store, chocolatier or a health food restaurant. (Okay, maybe that’s an…
Every dog has its day, and for northern Arizona, that day has come. When you’re in the mood for a hot dog – whether it’s a basic wiener with mustard or more exotic toppings (think seaweed…
Thinking about building a new home or remodeling your current abode? Media rooms are passe – it’s all about the custom wine cellar. Peek inside three unique cellars and find out what local wine collectors are…
It’s surreal to sit across from a Sedona resident who has Bono on speed dial, but it gets even more surreal when you realize that’s not the most interesting thing about Bill Carter. Bill became friends…
Decker Brandon Decker had been making music for 10 years when he embarked on a tour in support of his first album, Long Days. He says when the tour ended he decided to “pursue music with…
Summer in Red Rock Country means hiking, mountain biking, golfing, swimming and tennis. Who says you can’t look hot while having a little fun in the sun? Pictured in the top photo: fedora by Pistil. Aviator…
Sedona wildlife sculptor Ken Rowe gently places the back of his hand in front of the nose of Sage, a 25-pound, 2-year-old bobcat. Sage flicks her ears, bringing to mind an alert housecat. She sniffs his…
Canyon de Chelly, the second largest canyon in the country, reveals its secrets to those who slow down and stay awhile. Drive the north and south rims, and take a tour of the canyon floor where…
In March 2009, Sedona Monthly’s first book, The Sedona Table: Recipes From the Top Restaurants in Red Rock Country, was published, and it was an instant success. The book featured 14 local chefs, 12 restaurants and…
Friday, February 14 3:33 p.m. Check into Adobe Grand Villas There are plenty of resorts, hotels and inns that offer romance packages, but we believe the 16 rooms – if you can even call them that…
Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon co-produced her first movie (The Great Smokey Roadblock) in 1977, seven years after starring in her first feature film. She recently stepped behind the camera again to act as executive producer…
Celebrate the Holidays with the Romeros Dec. 1, 2:30 p.m., Sedona Performing Arts Center (995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road) 928-204-2415; $40 Classic guitar quartet concert. Ice Skating in Sedona Dec. 1-8 Mon.-Thur., 2-8 p.m.; Fri.,…
Sedona Monthly’s 7th annual cover story featuring Native American artists focuses on Navajo sandpainters. A fairly recent art form, sandpainting was traditionally used by medicine men in religious ceremonies until enterprising artists began using the medium…
Humphreys Peak captivated us long before we moved to northern Arizona, and judging by the number of people we encountered on our hike to the summit, we aren’t the only ones. Unlike the impressive mountain ranges…
Seven tasting rooms and one fabulous festival that have put the Verde Valley on the wine map. Taste the best wines our state has to offer in Page Springs and Cottonwood, and at Sedona Winefest on Sept. 28 and 29. By Erika Ayn Finch
Hot: family-owned eateries, art classes, swinging from the trees, thrifting and funny girls. Not: Camping in front of the air-conditioner for two months. Here are 21 reasons to get out of the pool and seize life…
This season, fashionistas are rocking eye-catching black-and-white ensembles. Add some playfulness to your look with bold, modern jewelry from Sedona’s boutiques and galleries, and you’ll look like you just stepped off the runway! Photographs by…
In Italy, they sell it by the gram. In New York, it’s by the slice. It’s deep-dish in Chicago, wood-fired in California and topped with pineapple in Hawaii. Any way you slice it, pizza tops the…
Why is it that in the U.S., “pampering” is often a four-letter word, a verb reserved for the uber-selfish and the 1 percent? By Erika Ayn Finch.
This month, Sedona Monthly celebrates 10 years of publishing Arizona’s magazine with the great view. Hooray for us! Hiking is one of the reasons we moved to Sedona, and since our first issue in March 2003,…
Between Feb. 23 and March 3, more than 145 feature, documentary and short films will be shown at the 19th annual Sedona International Film Festival. So what’s new this year? Workshops have been replaced by daily…
For years, Sedona Monthly has shied away from giving too much ink to Sedona’s New Age community for two reasons. One, it’s been done by local and international media. And two, there are more shady characters…
So it’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right? While boutique wineries and craft breweries will always be popular, hold on to your fedoras because the cocktail hour is making a ferocious comeback. Afterall, who doesn’t want to spend…
Schnebly Hill Road Distance from the ’Y in Sedona (one way): 6.5 miles Attractions: red rocks If you have a high-clearance vehicle or a four-wheel drive, jump in and make a beeline for Schnebly Hill Road….
In a remote corner of western New Mexico, near the border of Arizona, sits the 450,000-acre Zuni Pueblo. It’s the largest of New Mexico’s 19 pueblos and, according to the Zuni Department of Tourism, 80 percent…
Ah, barbecue. It’s as quintessential to summer as flip-flops and tank tops. We poked around northern Arizona for the best barbecue joints, and we came up with these six. A note to our vegetarian readers: You…
Fashion report 2012: We show you this season’s hottest jewelry, sunglasses, boots and scarves. These accessories are so hot, it’s criminal! But before you run the risk of jail time just to keep up with…
For a rural area, Sedona and the Verde Valley offer a surprising variety of dance classes, from ballroom to hip-hop to contra dance. So What are you waiting for? Get out there and shake your booty!…
Navajo National Monument, located just south of Monument Valley, encompasses three cliff dwellings. Two of those dwellings are open to visitors. both are amazing destinations, but only one is truly worth the effort. Read on for…
There are more beautiful homes in Sedona than there are ordinary ones, but it’s our local artists who really understand creative spaces. Go inside the homes of Douglas Edward Andrews, Curt Walters and Beatrice Welles to…
Most Sedona histories name German-born Dadaist Max Ernst and American Surrealist Dorothea Tanning as the most famous artists to have ever lived in Red Rock Country. But for our money, that honor is owned by Orson…
More than 145 films will be screened at the 18th annual Sedona International Film Festival, Feb. 18-26. Expect celebrity appearances, parties and workshops. Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne returns this year as part of the…
Dorleen Gashweseoma Lalo: Basket Maker Dorleen Gashweseoma Lalo did not learn to speak English until she met her husband, and for many years he acted as her interpreter as she traveled to museums and shows with…
The staff at Sedona Monthly have one big thing in common: We each have a ginormous sweet tooth. When we started putting together our list of favorite local desserts, our mouths began to water collectively, and…
October might just be the best month to be in Sedona. Warm days with bright blue skies and billowing clouds are followed by crisp, clear evenings studded with twinkling stars. The leaves are starting to turn…
Spend some time with your head in the clouds! Come fly with us as we board a helicopter, hot air balloon and biplane to discover a new perspective of Red Rock Country. Think flying is for…
Monument Valley has captured the imaginations of people all over the world since Hollywood first showed us the expansive landscape and soaring monoliths in 1925. Countless photographers have been inspired by the colorful rock formations and…
Fashion 2011: Summer trends are footloose and fancy free. Check out our Sedona style guide – it’s time to go shopping! Shot on location, April 18, 2011, at Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village (336 SR…
In 2003, Chamber Music Sedona and the Sedona Historical Society united for Sedona’s Arts and Heritage Week, but that wasn’t the only pairing that took place that week. Wanting to try something new, Bert Harclerode, the…
Hiking has been our passion for years and is part of the reason we moved to Sedona in the first place. After visiting and living in Sedona for more than 10 years, we just now feel…
When families visit Sedona, it’s not always easy to find kid-friendly activities. (We have yet to meet a 10-year-old interested in a day of gallery shopping or spa treatments.) Lucky for all of us, three distinctly…
Now in its 17th year, the Sedona International Film Festival seems to have hit its stride. The festival begins Feb. 20 and lasts eight days, finishing up Feb. 27. On Feb. 19, the festival will offer…
Back in December 2007, Sedona Monthly featured a cover story about all of the unique holiday events that take place in northern Arizona. Every December since that issue, we’ve received e-mails requesting that we do the…
Despite the public flogging Arizona has received over the past few months, we still think this is an incredible state. We have Grand Canyon and Saguaro national parks and the red rocks of Sedona in our…
Beer is the new wine. Have you heard that one lately? While northern Arizona’s wine culture has received lots of press in recent years, our seven microbreweries have flown relatively under the radar unless you’re one…
In 2007, Sedona Monthly wrote about a Navajo family of silversmiths as the first installment of our annual cover story devoted to Native American art. Since that issue, we’ve written about Hopi katsina carvers and potters…
California may be known as the car-culture capital of the country, but Arizona boasts some of the most scenic, historic and fun roads (without the traffic). Here’s a look at six of our favorites. Red Rock…
These days, it’s rare to read a restaurant menu and not see at least one burger offering, even in the most upscale locales. A few months ago, we were stopped at Bashas’ by a tourist asking…
Fashion 2010: Sure, the Sedona woman may be laid-back and favor timeless over trendy, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love to shop! Check out the latest finds from the best boutiques in Red Rock…
Last fall, Sedona Monthly hiked the rings of Saturn. It took us years to get there, and the permit process was painful, but the payoff was absolutely worth it. Our group included three of the 20…
When the first issue of Sedona Monthly was published in 2003, it included a story about the filming of 1950’s Broken Arrow in Red Rock Country. Joe McNeill, the article’s author and the magazine’s creative director,…
We don’t envy the screeners of the 2010 Sedona International Film Festival. After receiving nearly 700 entries, they were tasked with narrowing it down to 140 films, which includes shorts, documentaries, features and animation. The festival’s…
Shop at home for the holidays. We’ve all been hearing a lot lately about shopping locally, especially those of us living in small towns like Sedona. As the only locally owned and operated magazine in Sedona…