Sedona Things to do

Bonne Idée, Sedona!

Mark your calendars, francophiles: On April 8, Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village will host A Taste of Provence from 4-7 p.m. Listen to songs in French and English from three French bands; watch demonstrations by a…

Bomb, But Not Forgotten

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…

Bike and Brew in Sedona

Love biking? Passionate about microbrews? Head to Oak Creek Brewing Co. on Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. for the Bike and Brew event organized by Dennis Ketterman, publisher of Bike and Paddle Magazine. “It’s really…

Creative Gateways in Sedona

Pilisa Rainbow Lady walks through the bright gallery at the back of Creative Gateways artist co-op and points to one of her glass plates hanging on the wall. She explains that when she got stuck on…

Sedona Winter MusicFest IV

Chamber Music Sedona will put a soundtrack to the short days and cold nights of winter during its Sedona Winter MusicFest IV happening Jan. 4-8. This year’s festival sees the return of clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein and…

Let it Snow!

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…

Sedona’s Boynton Canyon Vista

When the days are short and the temperatures chilly, we like to explore some of Sedona’s shorter trails, and Boynton Canyon Vista checks all the boxes. The trail leads to a saddle between two red rock…

Put a Sock in It

Last year, Sedona Athletic Club, located inside Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock, hosted Socks for Seniors, a sock drive that benefited local elderly residents. All of the donations were delivered to Verde Valley Caregivers and…

BOO! It’s Scary Time in Sedona!

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…

Goldenstein Gallery in Sedona

Goldenstein Gallery has come a long way from its humble beginnings in an office space in the back of One World Art, a defunct giclee printing business in West Sedona, where the gallery first opened on…

Pura Vida Gallery in Jerome

There’s just something about Pura Vida Gallery in Jerome that invites you to linger for a while. It’s a combination of the fresh flowers in ikebana vases, interesting music and burning candles that makes you slow…

Sedona Likes Hikes

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,…

Red View Gallery in Sedona

In the late ’80s, Bonnie and Thomas Trzaskos had six kids and were living in Connecticut. The couple were wandering through some shops when they spotted a print by Native American artist Amado Peña Jr. that…

The Art of Summer in Sedona

This summer (June 19 through Aug. 10), more than 125 artists, cultural producers and creative leaders will descend upon Verde Valley School in the Village of Oak Creek during the inaugural Sedona Summer Colony. The colony,…

Flagstaff Pro Rodeo

Three years ago, a group of Flagstaff locals banded together to form a committee to bring the rodeo back to Flagstaff. “We wanted to preserve our western heritage,” says Kristen Daulton, president of the Flagstaff Pro…

We Will Rock You

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…

PALET 2016 in Sedona

When most people think of plein-air painting, they picture artists sitting at an easel, palette in hand, quietly capturing the scene before them. After all, “en plein air” is French for “in the open air.” As…

Great Sedona Chili Cook-Off

Whether you like it spicy or mild, with beans or without, there’s a chili to satisfy everyone’s taste buds during Rotary Club of Sedona’s 6th annual Great Sedona Chili Cook-Off happening May 7, 11 a.m. to…

Sedona Open Studios Tour

We hear a lot these days about the importance of shopping local, and that means supporting local artists and craftsmen, too. The Sedona Visual Artists’ Coalition gives you the opportunity to put your money where your…

Beyond Sedona’s West Fork

  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…

Sedona Tapped

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…

Sedona Mountain Bike Festival

During last year’s reinvented Sedona Mountain Bike Festival, more than 1,000 mountain bikers descended on Red Rock Country to ride the trails and celebrate the biking community. Organizer Mike Raney, who co-owns Over the Edge bike…

Sedona Arts Center: Art of Recycling

Before you throw away that damaged fire extinguisher or those broken pieces of pottery, take a second look. Could you possibly repurpose those items? Or turn them into art? Those questions occurred to Gayle Taylor, artist…

Sedona’s Inner Eye Gallery

Everyone has a different definition of retirement. For Larry and Barbara Berkowitz, it meant relocating to Sedona to open a gallery in Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village and working in said gallery at least four days…

Artists at L’Auberge de Sedona

This past July, Goldenstein Gallery and L’Auberge de Sedona launched Artist in Residence, a monthly program at L’Auberge featuring demonstrations by local and visiting artists. The program continues this month with demonstrations by Sherab Khandro, Mike…

Spawesome Sedona

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,…

The Nutcracker in Sedona

When Sedona Chamber Ballet, in partnership with Phoenix Ballet, presented The Nutcracker on opening night last December, the audience was less than half full. By the time the third and final performance rolled around, it was…

Sedona Art: The DeSerio Gallery

When we first profiled photographer Lou DeSerio back in 2007, he was still photographing with transparency film. His gallery was located in the middle of Uptown and his son, then 13, had a small corner in…

Stuffed

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…

Verde Valley Sinfonietta in Sedona

Verde Valley Sinfonietta (“little symphony”) ended its 10th season with a bang: a performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue featuring 13-year-old piano prodigy Samuel Xu. Capitalizing on that momentum, the symphony has expanded its season to…

Sedona Gallery: Carré d’artistes

When Denise and Giora Israel were wandering the streets of Montmartre in Paris, they stumbled upon Carré d’artistes, a French gallery franchise based out of Aix-en-Provence. The husband and wife have a background in art –…

Sedona: Festive Us

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 Winefest

If, like a fine wine, events get better with age, then Sedona Winefest’s heyday is now. The seventh annual event returns Sept. 26 and 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the location has changed….

Grand Canyon Celebration of Art

This month, 26 painters from nine states will gather at Grand Canyon National Park to capture the location in all its glory and raise some money along the way. The 7th Annual Grand Canyon Celebration of…

Pueblos and Cliff Dwellings

  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…

Sedona Fiesta Fun

Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village’s longest-running tradition, Fiesta del Tlaquepaque, returns for its 42nd year Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Mexican Independence Day celebration includes colorful decorations, music and dancing in the…

Weir Trail

The weather outside is frightful…frightfully hot! When you want to find a swimming hole where you can beat the heat, check out Weir Trail. An offshoot of Bell Trail located east of I-17, Weir Trail ends…

Pure Living Expo

Interested in improving your health? Check out Pure Living Expo, which takes place July 23-27 at Hilton Sedona Resort & Spa. The expo features presentations, workshops, chef demos, yoga classes, vendors, private sessions, live music and…

Sedona, Take Me Away!

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…

Blue Elk Designs

It’s common in Sedona to walk into a gallery or shop and find Hopi or Navajo kachina dolls carved from cottonwood. But there’s only one location in all of Sedona – and, reportedly, the world –…

Sedona Veg Out

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…

Tilted Earth Wine and Music Festival

Southern California has Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Chicago has Lollapalooza. Tennessee has Bonnaroo. Austin has SXSW. And now northern Arizona has Tilted Earth Wine and Music Festival. What began as Page Springs Cellars’ Harvest…

Sedona Fine Dining: Storytellers

When you walk through the glass doors of Storytellers, Cliff Castle Casino Hotel’s signature restaurant, you leave the sounds of ringing slot machines and the casino floor behind. The restaurant is a tranquil oasis designed to…

Sedona Hike: Table Top Trail

With a name like Table Top, you can be fairly confident that the trail will offer spectacular views – and it does. But the route actually takes its name from Airport Mesa, which was originally Table…

Sedona Art: Andrea Smith Gallery

If anyone knows how quickly life can change, it’s artist and gallery owner Andrea Smith. In 2007, while living in Maui, Andrea suffered a double brain aneurysm. Andrea and her husband of 48 years, Gary, had…

Jerome Home Roam

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…

Sarah Peacock

Up until 2014, country-rock singer-songwriter Sarah Peacock was playing upwards of 250 shows a year, traveling from her home base of Nashville. It was during this phase in her career that she toured northern Arizona for…

Celebration of Spring in Sedona

Okay, maybe spring did arrive early this year (think February). That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t throw a party in April! The City of Sedona Parks and Recreation’s annual Celebration of Spring takes place April 4 from…

Sedona Umbrella -Ella -Ella

On April 24, 25 and 26, 200 brightly decorated umbrellas will festoon Hillside Sedona during the annual Umbrella Project event. Students from all over the United States and Costa Rica decorated the umbrellas based on this…

Hike Sedona: Hog Heaven

If you read our March 2015 cover story, you know the growing popularity of mountain biking in Sedona has led to the adoption of new trails by Coconino National Forest. One of our recent discoveries is…

Sedona Open Studios Tour

Now in its 12th year, the Sedona Visual Artists’ Coalition’s Sedona Open Studios Tour runs like a well-oiled machine. On April 24, 25 and 26, 52 artists will open their studios from 10 a.m. to 5…

Robber's Roost hiking trail in Sedona

Hike Sedona: Robbers Roost

According to local legend, Robbers Roost (also known as Shaman’s Cave or the Hide Out Cave), located northwest of Sedona but visible from any high vantage point in town, was a hideout for bandits and bootleggers,…