This is fast February in the Copper Basin, a month that is passing quickly. The EXPO Women’s Exhibition is this Saturday, Feb. 24. A benefit team roping event for Jovanna Martinez Calzadillas will be two weeks later in Winkelman, and Pioneer Days will take place in Kearny March 15-18.
Let me shove to the top of this list the fact that this week is the last one to place your order for a Pioneer Days shirt. The Copper Basin Chamber is open until 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23, and will gladly process your order. Shirts sized small through extra large are priced at $12 each. Double X shirts are $13 and Triple X shirts are $14. The chamber office is in the Pinal County Courthouse in Kearny.
The Women’s EXPO at the Hayden/Winkelman schools begins at 11 a.m. this Saturday, the 24th. Admission is only $3, admitting you to a great variety of exhibits, demonstrations, talks, and events. There will be drawings for prizes, too. It’s well worth taking your friends to share the experience with you.
The benefit team roping mentioned above is set for Winkelman Flats with books at 9 a.m. and roping beginning at 10 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the family of Jovanna Martinez Calzadillas, who thankfully survived the best efforts of the Las Vegas killer to take her life, although the killer succeeded with many others. Rudy Clark (520-240-6280) and Rene Arbizo (928-200-2269) will gladly provide more information on the event.
Many new events and improved publicity should make Pioneer Days on March 15-18 more like the celebrative events of several years ago. There will be four days of the carnival and the parade will be on Saturday, March 17 (which is also St. Patrick’s Day). A sanctioned horseshoe tournament will take place at the Elks Lodge in Kearny that same day. Twelve different teams have registered for the softball tournament at Pioneer Park. The all class reunion will take place the same weekend, so many previous residents will be in town.
DJ Flair will roll out the music in Pioneer Park from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. on Friday the 16th, and Mariachi Caporal will present a free concert on the stage of Pioneer Park on Saturday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
There will be two street dances held sequentially on Saturday on Alden Road with two bands. The first is Butcher Jones with ”home boy” Pete Avelar, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The second Conjundto Ambicion, a Tejano band, from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. DJ Flair will also be on hand. Event tickets will be required for these events, and booths will be set up for advance tickets.
There will be vendors all around, and on Saturday a desert transportation train will run from 1 p.m (following the parade) to 8 p.m. back and forth from Alden Road to Pioneer Park. A $5 wrist band will give unlimited rides.
Publicity has been good for all this, and I expect a larger turnout this year. Personally, I look forward to the parade, Many of us can personally participate in this with a float or other presentation (It would be good to see more horses, I think), and I hope many of us will respond.
February’s almost gone. An event-filled March awaits.