The Superior Prickly Pear Festival takes place every mid-August in Superior, AZ. Cancelled last year due to COVID-19, this year’s festival is back on schedule for this Saturday, Aug. 14, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This interest originated several years ago when organizers at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum (BTA) – A World Class Botanical Garden located just 3 mi. East of Superior on U.S. 60) began showcasing the many uses and health benefits of prickly pear fruit! (‘Tuna’)
The harvesting of the bright red cactus fruit takes place in early August when it is fully ripe.
The folks at the BTA had been giving classes and lectures on properly foraging, preparing and enjoying the prickly pear fruit.
Attendance and interest were so overwhelming that the idea of an entire collaborative event with the botanical garden and the town of Superior could be possible.
This was pitched to the Superior Chamber of Commerce and in 2012 we had our first Prickly Pear Festival!
Attendance was beyond our expectations and we recognized a very large interest and desire for more than just information about the prickly pear!
What we saw was a growing proactive community that expands far past our small town, wanting to know more about sustainable living, gardening, homeopathy, food education, foraging, alternative food options, plant medicine, permaculture, regenerative design and overall health and wellness.
Every year the event has expanded and evolved to cater to these interests and every year our attendance grows even larger.
It is clear to us that there is a very large and growing community that is hungry to learn more and engage in these fields of interest!
Each year we have added more to the event, such as performers, food and retail vendors, food trucks, historians, art galleries, youth components, guest speakers as well as our annual favorites such as a beer making class, pancake breakfast, demos, Prickly Pear refreshments at the “Cactus Lounge” and of course a live entertainment!
This event has since transferred ownership in 2020 from the Superior Chamber of Commerce to Regenerating Sonora!
For more information and updates like us on Facebook at: “Prickly Pear Festival” or email us at Pricklypearfestsuperior@gmail.com.