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10th Anniversary of Sahuarita Pecan Festival on Nov. 10

SAHUARITA, Ariz. – Green Valley Pecan Company is hosting the 10th Annual Sahuarita Pecan Festival on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. The festival, which is held on the Green Valley Pecan farm, runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. There will be $5 on-site parking available immediately south of the Festival grounds with a portion of the proceeds benefiting groups volunteering at the event. A free shuttle service will also be available from Sahuarita School District and Walden Grove High School. This year’s Sahuarita Pecan Festival is dedicated to farmers and their essential work to feed communities worldwide.

This year’s Sahuarita Pecan Festival attractions include:

  • The 10th Annual Pecan Classic and Family Fun Run, starting at 8 a.m. Register online at taggrun.com. Participants will receive a free race t-shirt; top qualifiers in the Pecan Classic will win pecan-themed awards. Members of the Sahuarita 4-H Club will volunteer at the race and receive a portion of the funds for their activities.
  • A Kids Area—to include bounce houses, bungee jumping, a rock climbing wall, the Boy Scouts monkey bridge, petting zoo, craft activities and Arabian horse demonstrations presented by the Southern Arizona Arabian Horse Association.
  • Arts and crafts vendors in the marketplace, selling mostly, locally made, unique items perfect for holiday shopping.
  • A large area of Food vendors from all over Southern Arizona, preparing BBQ, sweets, and treats.
  • A Heritage Area, featuring tractor pull contests and antique tractor displays.
  • Horse-drawn wagon rides into the orchard for pecan harvest demonstrations. Cost is $2 per person (free for kids four years old or younger). All proceeds go directly to the Community Food Bank – Green Valley/Amado.
  • A Pecan Pie Contest, sponsored by Mama’s Hawaiian Barbeque. The entry fee is $10 and the registration form is due on Nov. 10. Open to all ages!
  • Pecan cracking contests.
  • Special entertainment guests include the Walden Grove High School dance team (The PAC), Southern Reins Band, Grizzly Band, and more.
  • Commemorative Festival items for purchase, including tote bags, t-shirts, lapel pins, and posters. In addition to the Festival, these items can be purchased in advance of the event at the Pecan Store.

“The Sahuarita Pecan Festival turns 10! We’re making our 10th anniversary the best one yet, featuring the America’s Got Talent famous dancers from Walden Grove’s PAC dance team, unique farming and pecan interactive activities, and the best gifts offered in the Santa Cruz Valley! We’re honoring the contributions of farmers this year and we’re excited to invite the community to celebrate with us,” said Paula Beemer, Sahuarita Pecan Festival Coordinator.

The success of the Sahuarita Pecan Festival is a result of the collaboration of Green Valley Pecan Company and its community partners through various sponsorships. Major sponsors of the 2018 Festival include: Desert Diamond Casinos, Crown Community Development, Day’s Excavating, Meritage Homes, Sierra Mining & Crushing LLC, Stotz Equipment, Green Valley News, and KGUN 9 on Your Side.

The Sahuarita Pecan Festival is held at the Green Valley Pecan Company located at 1625 E. Sahuarita Road in Sahuarita, AZ. The inaugural event was in 2009 and averages approximately 20,000 attendees each year. Over the past nine years, the Festival has raised more than $100,000 for local charities. For the more details, please visit the official Festival website at www.SahuaritaPecanFestival.com. Additional information can also be found on Facebook (/SahuaritaPecanFestival) and Twitter (@PecanFestival).

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7th Annual Sahuarita Pecan Festival Draws Nearly 25,000

SAHUARITA, Ariz. – On Saturday, Nov. 14, the 7th Annual Sahuarita Pecan Festival welcomed nearly 25,000 guests, topping last year’s attendance of 20,000. The 2015 Festival raised almost $15,000 benefiting student organizations and community partners. Approximately 700 pounds of food was collected for the Green Valley Sahuarita Community Food Bank; in exchange for canned food, guests were able to ride a horse-drawn wagon through the orchard for a harvest demonstration.

“FICO and The Green Valley Pecan Company look forward to welcoming our guests every year. The festival continues to grow and has become a tradition in the Santa Cruz River Valley for families from across Southern Arizona. The Sahuarita Pecan Festival offers unique entertainment while supporting local organizations, such as the Green Valley Sahuarita Community Food Bank,” said Bruce Caris, COO of The Green Valley Pecan Company.

The Pecan Classic Run was held in the early morning with approximately 300 participants. And as always, Power from the Past Tractor Pull was especially popular. The kids’ area was once again sponsored by Green Valley News and Sahuarita Sun. Returning this year was Southern Arizona Arabian Horse Association (SAAHA) with parades and demonstrations.

The Pecan Store expanded its store tent by 2500 square feet for the day. It was still bustling with customers to pick their favorite treats as the Festival was shutting down. Guests that missed the Festival or would like to purchase additional products can visit the Pecan Store seven days a week, Monday through Saturday from 9am to 5pm, Sundays from 10am to 4pm, or online at www.pecanstore.com.

The partnership with KGUN9 and Tucson’s CW has grown to include many of their top news and entertainment personalities on site to greet fans throughout the day. Big Al has been a fixture at the event since year one and this year he brought along Guy Atchley, Erin Christiansen and many others. The partnership with KGUN9 and Tucson’s CW and the on-air, on-line support they have provided is a major contributor to this year’s success.

 

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Festival Numbers in a Nutshell

November was such a busy month! After checking numbers from all departments, we have the totals from the 2014 Sahuarita Pecan Festival.

The Festival had a continual flow of visitors all day long, averaging between 20,000 and 22,000 guests. We were able to raise over $13,000 for local community groups and over 600 pounds of food for the Green Valley-Sahuarita Food Bank.

The Pecan Classic and Nut Run also broke past records of participants, boasting a total of 275 runners. 15k winners were 1) Jose Rodriguez, 2) Lukas Kramer and 3) Ronald Schell. The 5k results were 1) Ureil Arreola, 2) Tyler Stewart and 3) James Greene.

Becky Roberts took home 1st [Recipe] and 2nd Place for the Pecan Pie Contest.  3rd place went to Rebecca White.

There was a total of 171,360 pecans in the large bin that sat outside the Green Valley Operations Tent. Congratulations to Richard Hog for the closest guess.

A great day of family-fun was had by all who attended. Make sure to mark your calendars for next year’s festival scheduled for Saturday, November 14, 2015. See you there!

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Schedules and Maps For Today

The big day is here! Make your way over to the Green Valley Pecan Company, 1625 E Sahuarita Road, Sahuarita, AZ 85629 for the nuttiest festival in Arizona. 9am-5pm. Bring a hat, sunscreen and water. It looks to be clear blue skies all day.

Green-Valley-Pecan-AM12Take advantage of our FREE Shuttle from 3 locations, the Sahuarita School District, Quail Creek Grill and Walden Grove High School parking lots. The shuttles start loading at 8:30am.

Bring your non-perishable food items or pay $3.00 per person to enjoy the horse drawn hay wagon into the orchard. Hayride leaves from Heritage Area.

Below is the schedule for the day. Make sure you pick up a 2014 Sahuarita Pecan Festival Program at one of the information booths. See you around!

Main Stage [map]
9-10:00 am – Mariachi Cielo de Mexico
10-11:00 am – Sahara with Tony Corrales Band
11:00 am – Welcoming Ceremony
11:30 am – Tony Corrales Band
2:00 pm – Pecan Cracking Contest & Pecan Pie Winner Announcement

Heritage Area [map]
9:00 am – 5:00 pm – Heritage Tent – Come see native food crops displayed, historical photos and watch how Native American basket weaving is staying alive!
9:30 am – 4:00 pm – Community Food Bank Harvest Demonstration in the Orchard – Bring your non-perishable food items or pay $3.00 per person to enjoy the horse drawn hay wagon into the orchard to see how we harvest pecans.
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Power from the Past Tractor Pull

Children’s Area 9:00 am to 5:00 pm [map]
Our children’s area is completely FREE! Come bounce on the gravity jump, bounce houses, take pictures with your friends and see what the Walden Grove High School Robotics team is up to.

Horse Demonstration Area
9:30 am – Horse Parade
10:30 am – Insiders guide to selecting the right horse – Lee Boles
12:00 pm – Horse Shoeing – Robert Burkett
12:30 pm – Cutting Demo
1:00 pm – Basic horse handling, grooming & tack – Kris Searle
2:00 pm – Basic veterinary care & when to call a vet  – Mary Campbell
3:00 pm – Distance Riding Demo
3:30 pm – New Horse Owner Equine Nutrition  – Patti Woodbury – Kuvik
4:00pm – Horse Parade

The Sixth Annual Pecan Classic
8:00 am – 15k & 5k Run
10:00 am – Nut Run – Family Fun Run/Walk through the orchard