5 minute read
Getting to Know Prescott
Off St. Festival - May 27-29
Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Memorial Day weekend shopping with vendors and crafts available for sale in the Prescott Chamber parking lot.
Territorial Days Arts & Crafts Show - June 10-11
Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.to 4 p.m. Over 100 vendor arts and crafts for sale under the cool elms of the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza in downtown Prescott.
Bluegrass Festival - June 24-25
Sat. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Set up your chairs and blankets under the shady elms on the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza and enjoy a music-filled weekend in June. Visit our vendors, shop local stores and eat at local restaurants! Stop by the Visitor Information Center for a list of where to shop and eat! Free admission.
Faire on the Square - September 2-4
Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mon. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend at the Annual Faire on the Square Arts & Crafts Show under the cool American Elm trees of the Historic Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza.
FallFest in the Park - Oct. 7-8
Sat. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy our last show of the season in October with over 100 vendors under the fall canopy of American Elm trees at the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza.
Grand Marshal Gala - Nov. 30
6 to 9 p.m. At the Grand Highland Hotel Prescott’s newest tradition honoring the Christmas Parade Grand Marshal and other Holiday sponsors. Reservations Required.
Christmas Parade - Dec. 2
Sat. 1 to 3 p.m. Takes place in the heart of downtown Prescott! Bring your chair and welcome the Christmas season in Arizona’s Christmas City!
Sat. 5 p.m. Music 6 to 6:30 p.m. Ceremony On the north side of the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza. Bring your chairs and enjoy one of Prescott’s most beloved and time-honored traditions!
Prescott’s Christmas Village & ChristkindlMarket - Dec. 15-17, 2023
Fri. 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sat. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sun. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. New traditions of Old Europe will be celebrated in historic Prescott. In the spirit and style of a German Christmas Market, Goodwin Street will be filled with vendors with last-minute gift items, live music, horse-drawn carriage rides around the Courthouse, and a visit with St. Nicholas for the kids. Enjoy German-style food and a Bier Garten with beer and hot mulled wine!
ARIZONA’S CHRISTMAS CITY
Prescott was named Arizona’s Christmas City in 1989 by Gov. Rose Mofford. The area around the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza is home for unequaled holiday festivities that begin in late November. The first is the colorful Holiday Light Parade, where decorated floats and holiday music will have you smiling. To warm up after the evening parade, you can head to the community bonfire at Prescott Mile High Middle School. The first Saturday of December features the colorful daytime Prescott Chamber Christmas Parade, with more than 95 entries. If you’re lucky enough to be here in early December, you’ll always remember when the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza lights turn the dark into a kaleidoscope of holiday colors. This year will be the 68th annual lighting. A Frontier Christmas is staged by the Sharlot Hall Museum. You will experience how pioneers celebrated Christmas. Don’t miss these and other community Christmas events: Wild Lights & Animal Sights at Heritage Park Zoo and Storytellers at Smoki Museum. To add one more special effect, it usually snows in December.
WE ARE EVERYBODY’S HOMETOWN
The City of Prescott’s motto is Everybody’s Hometown and many visitors say it feels just like home and more often than not, those regular visitors become residents. Here are just a few reasons why Prescott is Everybody’s Hometown and why you should consider making the move here:
HOME OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST RODEO®
If you’re in Prescott over the Fourth of July holiday, you can be a part of rich Western history at the World’s Oldest Rodeo®. In its 136th year, the World’s Oldest Rodeo® takes place June 28 through July 4, 2023 with eight performances of world-class rodeo during Prescott Frontier Days® . Prescott is known for its history and culture that stems from this historical event that not only brings professional rodeo, but also Arizona’s second largest parade in downtown Prescott, a rodeo dance, a Happy Hearts Rodeo and traditional events that draw people from all over the world. More information and tickets are available at Prescott Frontier Days®, Inc. P.O. Box 2037 Prescott, AZ 86302, 928-445-4320 or www.worldsoldestrodeo.com
FOUR FANTASTIC SEASONS
Nestled at an elevation of 5,200 feet above sea level with 145,000 acres of ponderosa pine, Prescott’s perfect weather provides an average temperature of 70 degrees, with four distinct seasons and breathtaking landscapes complete with granite mountains, lakes, streams and meadows filled with wildlife.
MOST PATRIOTIC CITY
“A few years back, Prescott was named one of the Most Patriotic Cities in the US. In part, I believe, because our City’s Veterans Day Parade, and the genuine appreciation our citizens show to veterans, and all of the services our community provides to our veterans. As I am sure you know, Prescott has one of the highest percentages of veterans, per capita, of any City in the United States. We are proud of this fact, and proud to honor our veterans.“ — Mayor Phil Goode
OUR SMALL TOWN CHARM
Prescott is “Everybody’s Hometown” because most people find something here that reminds them of where they grew up. To many, it is the Yavapai County Courthouse’s tree-lined plaza and surrounding shops in the downtown area. To others, it is the overall small-town charm and hospitality. People are friendly here, and you’ll notice it no matter where you are in our community.
TERRITORIAL CAPITAL
President Lincoln chose Prescott as the Territorial Capital after separating New Mexico from Arizona in 1863. Named for historian William Hickling Prescott, the town was a strategic choice: away from Confederate sympathizers in Tucson and also the site of a recent gold discovery. During the fall of 1864, construction was being completed on many buildings of Fort Whipple, and on the Territorial Governor’s Mansion, still in its same location at the center of the Sharlot Hall Museum campus. In late May or early June of 1864, Prescott became the formal name of the territorial capital.
Photo by Blushing Cactus Photography
WHISKEY ROW
Across from the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza, this block on Montezuma Street is named for the large number of saloons in the area. At one point, there were 40 saloons on the block. Walk down the street and picture the cowboys, prospectors, gamblers and outlaws strolling through the swinging doors. Today, the block boasts eateries, unique shops, candy stores and … don’t worry … there are still saloons!
