Pima Master Naturalist Presents at Tucson Festival

Known as “The Tree of Wonders”, the agave has been celebrated in native cultures for centuries throughout the American Southwest and Mexico.  That tradition continues today in Tucson’s Agave Heritage Festival, April 17th – 21st, 2024.  Established in 2008 as a Cinco de Mayo celebration, the Festival has expanded to include educational seminars, horticultural tours, archaeological excursions, art expositions, music festivals, cultural ceremonies, culinary events, and of course, mezcal and tequila tastings. (festival)  

A new program in this year’s festival is produced and narrated by Arizona Master Naturalist Dan Collins; The Amazing Agave presentation is an intriguing overview of “all things agave”.  In this enlightening program, we learn how the agave has been utilized by both indigenous and modern peoples to make over 40 products – from textiles to tequila. We also explore today’s commercial enterprises and cultural influences of the agave, uncover the adaptations that enable this native succulent to thrive in the hot and harsh Sonoran Desert, and discover how a prized ornamental holds the promise of a sustainable crop. 

Presentations of The Amazing Agave are on Wednesday, April 17th at 10:15 AM and again on Saturday, April 20th at 1:15 PM at Saguaro National Park-West in the Red Hills Visitor Center theater, located at 2700 N. Kinney Road, Tucson, AZ 85743. (map)