Yarnell Daze
Mountaintop
Festival 2017
Offers Activities
For the Entire Family
By Trish Edwards
The 48th annual celebration of the Weaver Mountains Communities—Yarnell Daze, Mountaintop Festival 2017—will be held on Saturday, May 13, and is shaping up to be the perfect fun event for the entire family. Festival events begin at 9 a.m. and the day will be fi lled with a huge variety of free activities.
A highlight of Yarnell Daze is the Parade that starts at 10 a.m. on Main Street. It is something wonderful from out of the past with antique cars and fl oats, horses, clowns and fi re trucks. Visitors should take position along the west side of Highway 89 for best views.
Other Mountaintop Festival 2017 events line Highway 89. Art and Craft Vendors will be at the shaded Main Vendors Field and in other locations. Shops will be open where you will fi nd many unique items. We plan to have Firefi ghter demonstrations held at the Yarnell Fire Station. A Fine Arts Show will be set up at the Blue Barn (corner of Table Top and Hwy 89). There will be a KidZone of games and crafts, special magic show for youngsters at the Yarnell Library, Go Green Zone displaying the local Spider PHARM-live spiders, water conservation, spinning wheel demonstrations, health and wellness (massage, hand scans), and more.
There will be outdoor dancing, three live bands and great food at the Food Court / Beer Garden. Live music on the main stage will include: acoustic blues guitarist; Bill Dutcher, TripWire; a popular rock band and Chad Freeman and Redline provides country music. Additionally, a popular Easy Listening stage located in the Vendor Field will feature a myriad of local talent and Weaver Mountain Classic Car and Truck Show at the Days of Vintage Antique Store and AZAirNet will provide free WiFi through Main Street. Take a chance on raffl e prizes and 50/50 tickets, the more sold the bigger the winnings. Take time to visit the proposed Memorial site for the Granite Mountain Hot Shots, St Joseph’s Shrine, and Dan’s Iris Garden, Indian “TIPI”. This event is a perfect day trip from most locations in central or northern Arizona.
Parking is available in designated areas or along the street after the parade clears. Note traffi c on Highway 89 between mile markers 276 -277 will be restricted from 9:45 to 11:00, in both directions, due to parade.
Applications for the parade, art and car shows and vendors or pictures of last year’s event are available at www.y-pvchamber.com. Visit Yarnell Daze. 2nd Saturday in May on Facebook for more information. You can also contact Trish Edwards, the Yarnell Daze Event Coordinator, at 928-277-6674 or by email at InfoOnTheHill@gmail.com.
Yarnell is nestled in the Weaver Mountains at 4,800 ft elevation in the top of the Bradshaw Mountains on historic Highway 89, north of Wickenburg. There are many unique antique and gift shops and wonderful restaurants spread out over a mile. The area’s residents are proud of their creative go-to-it attitude that is helping them rebuild their community following the devastating wildfi re that took the lives of 19 Granite Mountain Hot Shots and destroyed 127 homes.
