The Seventh Annual Prickly Pear Festival hosted by the Superior Chamber of Commerce will take place on Saturday, August 18, 2018 in the quaint and dynamic mountain town of Superior, Arizona. The festival celebrates all the edible wonders of the Sonoran Desert while showcasing the many products and health benefits of the prickly pear cactus. Along with the festival activities, most of the local restaurants and retail merchants will have special sales and prickly pear items available.
This year’s event will feature a Prickly Pear Foraging hike. Participants should meet at 7 a.m. at the Superior Municipal Airport located on US 60. Hikers should wear long pants and sleeves along with sturdy shoes. They are also advised to bring tongs and a bucket or container to hold the delicious fruits that they pick.
Following the hike, attendees are invited to stop by the Veterans of Foreign War Hall on Main Street for a pancake breakfast featuring a homemade sweet and tangy prickly pear syrup, as well as sausage, pancakes, coffee, and juice. The cost of the breakfast is a donation of the attendee’s choice; all proceeds will benefit the local VFW Post.
At 10 a.m., the fun will begin at the Superior Town Hall, located at 199 Lobb Avenue just a block off of Main Street. This restored school, which now serves as the local municipal complex, will play host to many educational speakers on the edible dessert, a prickly pear beer-making demonstration, live mariachi music, Mexican Folklorico dancers, food trucks, the Prickly Pear Pageant and the famous Prickly Pear Margarita from the Cactus Lounge. The vendors, art show, and demonstrations will run until 5 p.m. and the Cactus Lounge will close at 6 p.m.
The Second Annual Prickly Pear Cook-Off will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those wishing to enter a dish in the contest should contact Mila Besich-Lira at azccedc@gmail.com for complete rules and regulations no later than August 1, 2018. This year, there will be two categories for entries: desserts and main entrees/appetizers. Cash prizes will be awarded.
New to the festival this year will be the Superior Prickly Pear Margarita Shake Off, hosted in the Cactus Lounge. This event invites local bartenders along with novice bartenders to show off their skills and earn the title of “The Most Superior Prickly Pear Margarita Maker.” For more information on contest entry and rules, please contact the Superior Chamber of Commerce at 520-689-0200 or via email at iamsuperioraz@gmail.com.
Superior is located 60 miles east of Downtown Phoenix and is an easy drive on the newly expanded US 60 Highway. For an up-to-date festival schedule, visit our website at www.superiorazchamber.org.
