on Buckeye October 2023
on Buckeye the official publication of the city of Buckeye
October 2023
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Halloween Carnival Glow on Monroe Light Parade
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10th Anniversary Buckeye Marathon
8 2024 Air Fair
It’s event season in Buckeye! T
he cooler fall temperatures mean it’s event season in Buckeye! Community Services strives to put on events that are fun and enjoyable for the whole family and bring our amazing community together. From marathons and air shows to carnivals, parades, movies and more, we offer something for everyone, and it all starts now!
CITY OF BUCKEYE 530 E. Monroe Ave. Buckeye, AZ 85326 623.349.6000 For more information on this publication, contact John O’Halloran at johalloran@buckeyeaz.gov or call 623.349.6976 BUCKEYE CITY COUNCIL Eric Orsborn, Mayor Michelle Hess, Vice Mayor, District 3 Tony Youngker, District 1 Jeanine Guy, District 2 Patrick HagEstad, District 4 Craig Heustis, District 5 Clay Goodman, District 6
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Be part of the action! W
e’re always looking for event volunteers. There are a variety of shifts and positions available for most events including set up, vendor check-in, traffic control and more. This is an exciting way to give back and earn volunteer credit hours, all while getting involved with the community. Volunteer opportunities are available throughout the year for groups and individuals 16 years or older. For more information on how to volunteer, please email events@buckeyeaz.gov. eye on buckeye
Things that go bump in the Buckeye night...
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he 83rd Annual Halloween Carnival haunts downtown Buckeye as one of our premier events of the year. Traditional carnival-style games, food vendors and activities from local nonprofit groups take over Monroe Avenue to get you in the Halloween spirit! Activities and food range in cost from 1 to 10 tickets. Tickets are $1 each and can be purchased with cash or credit card at ticket booths throughout the event. 100 percent of the proceeds raised from ticket sales go back to the nonprofit groups that support our community. It’s an old-fashioned win-win and great family-fun!
38
nonprofits hosted Carnival games in 2022
$43,000 raised for nonprofits in 2022
9,000
estimated attendence in 2022
New this year! Check out the fiery entertainment from Sapphire Sky as well as interactive wildlife encounters with Deb’s Dragons. And of course, no Halloween carnival is complete without a costume contest! Sign up at the carnival for your chance to win a fun prize. Find contest categories at buckeyeaz.gov/halloweencarnival.
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Downtown Buckeye Saturday, October 28 5 - 9 p.m.
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Holiday Light Experience G
Salute to Service J
oin us as we come together to honor and celebrate our veterans and current military members at the Salute to Service event Saturday, November 4 at the newly expanded Sundance Park. Buckeye proudly presents a day filled with gratitude and camaraderie, featuring an Honor Ceremony to pay tribute to the brave men and women who have served our nation with unwavering dedication. The event will also offer a resource market, connecting veterans with support services and information. For those passionate about automobiles, don’t miss the opportunity to be captivated by the impressive car show on display. To cap all this off, enjoy a live concert by the band Jet Central, led by Jeff Senour, whose music promises to uplift spirits and create lasting memories.
et in the holiday spirit as Buckeye decks out downtown and Sundance Park with dazzling holiday light displays. The downtown area will once again be decorated with thousands of lights and photo booth stand-ins for the perfect backdrop for your holiday photos. Of course, the city’s 33-foot tall Christmas tree will light up the 6th Street Plaza. New this year! It’s a Candy Land takeover at Sundance Park. The walkthrough experience based on the famous board game will be recreated with different themes from the game like Gumdrop Pass, Peppermint Forest and Snowflake Lake. Participants will be able to walk through each station and take photos, pose with themed props and enjoy the new Sundance Park Lake! Bring the entire family out and get the perfect picture for this year’s holiday card. The walkthrough experience will be available from November 25 through January 1.
Holiday Light Experience Downtown Buckeye and Sundance Park Throughout the Holidays
This event is a heartfelt salute to our current and veteran military members and a chance for the community to come together.
Salute to Service Sundance Park Saturday, November 4 4 - 7 p.m. 4
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2022 Decorating Award winning entry submitted by Ragan Lewis
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ight up the holidays with Buckeye’s Hometown Holiday Lights Contest! It’s almost time to dig out the holiday decorations and get your Griswold on for Buckeye’s 4th Annual Hometown Holiday Lights contest. This contest started during COVID to bring the community together and it just keeps getting bigger and better every year, but it needs your participation to work! Get ready as registrations open on November 3 at buckeyeaz.gov/holidayactivities.
Deck the Halls! Griswold Award
Over–the-top decorations with lots of lights
Jingle Bell Rock Award
Musical Lights displays
Decorating Award No inf latable items
Here’s how it works, simply deck out your home or your business with holiday decorations, then submit a photo to us and we’ll do the rest! A winner for homes and businesses will be chosen from the three categories to the left. Entries are accepted until December 8th. Participants can pick up a yard sign to let everyone know you’re part of the contest and the winners of each category will receive a commemorative prize. Your home will also be placed on a local map so everyone can enjoy your hard work!
Cotton Fest
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ind that one of a kind gift at Cotton Fest from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2 in Downtown Buckeye. Cotton Fest features local artisans and indie crafts so you can find those unique items and get your holiday shopping done early this year! This street fair style event is fun for the whole family with music, a car show and a live cotton gin demonstration to pay tribute to Buckeye’s rich farming history. Get in the holiday spirit and have your photo taken with santa. There will also be an opportunity to donate non-perishable food items to benefit All Faith Community Services.
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Cotton Fest Downtown Buckeye Saturday, December 2 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
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In 2022: 49 parade entries Estimated 10,000 spectators
Light up the night!
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oin us for the 20th Annual Glow on Monroe electric light parade on Saturday, December 9 at 6:30 p.m. in Downtown Buckeye. The free parade lights up Monroe Avenue from 2nd Street to Apache Road with decked out displays of holiday lights on historic fire trucks, horse drawn carriages and other vintage vehicles. Local school marching bands are also part of the parade providing festive music to get you in the holiday spirit.
Bring the entire family down to line Monroe Avenue as Buckeye’s Mayor Eric Orsborn acts as the parade’s Master of Ceremonies to announce each float as they cruise down the street. Stick around after the parade to get your picture taken with Santa!
Glow on Monroe Downtown Buckeye Saturday, December 9 6:30 – 8 p.m.
To learn more about the parade or to enter, visit buckeyeaz.gov/holidayactivities.
Holiday Concert in the Park
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njoy the Candy Land Experience as you also enjoy a holiday inspired concert at the newly expanded Sundance Park featuring live entertainment. You will be able to take a picture with Santa, create holiday crafts, enjoy some food trucks and find the perfect holiday gift by visiting the Children’s Entrepreneur Market, a farmer’s market run entirely by kids! The holiday concert will be held at Sundance Park on Saturday, December 16 from 4 - 6:30 p.m.
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eye on buckeye
Race to the Runway Buckeye Marathon
Celebrate the 10th Annual Buckeye Marathon with us!
Buckeye Municipal Airport Saturday, January 6, 2024 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. •
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et your New Year’s resolution off to a great start and sign up for the 10th Annual Buckeye Marathon “Race to the Runway” on Saturday, January 6, 2024. The event features a variety of courses for all activity levels and ages. Known for its downhill and fast course, the Boston Marathon qualifying route starts in the community of Sun City Festival before making its way around the beautiful White Tank Mountains and ending at the runway of the Buckeye Municipal Airport. Half Marathon, 10K, 5K and 1mile runners will start and finish at the airport, with views of the White Tank Mountains on the outgoing section of the out-and-back course. Register today before prices increase November 1. To learn more about the Buckeye Marathon and to register for the race, visit buckeyemarathon.com.
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Sold out for the first time ever in 2023 with over 1,000 participants: • 145 in Marathon • 233 in Half Marathon • 174 in 10K • 419 in 5K • 61 in 1 Mile • 4 Virtual Last year 36 states and 3 countries were represented in 2023 Last year 16 runners qualified for the Boston Marathon including one Buckeye resident
Travel back to Buckeye’s early days P
ut on your cowboy boots and go back in time as Buckeye Days brings history alive for us modern day cowboys. This year we are hosting Buckeye Days on Saturday, January 27, 2024 in Downtown Buckeye starting at 9:30 a.m. Featuring a parade, cattle drive, live music, vendors and the chuck wagon cookout hosted by the Buckeye Valley Historical Society.
For more about Buckeye Days visit buckeyeaz.gov/events. eye on buckeye
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530 E. Monroe Ave. Buckeye, AZ 85326
Buckeye Air Fair Buckeye Municipal Airport February 16 - 18, 2024
Look! Up in the sky... T
he Buckeye Air Fair returns for a weekend of high-flying fun, February 16-18, 2024 at the Buckeye Municipal Airport.
This year’s event features an action packed air show on Saturday and Sunday, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Fly-In, Aviation Academy and a VIP experience for a front row view of the airshows. Other family activities include hundreds of pilots from around the western U.S. showcasing their unique aircraft, historic and military static aircraft displays, great food, vendors and a Kid’s Zone. Watch your mailboxes for a special edition of the Eye on Buckeye in January with more details to help you prepare for the 2024 Buckeye Air Fair. Complete event details at buckeyeairfair.com.
2023 STATS
35,000
estimated attendance
420
Fly-ins
1,600
students attended aviation academy
79
Vendors