(48) Winterfest in Flagstaff, Flagstaff

49 Tamale Festival
Somerton
Local bands, a magic act and lots of tamales highlight the annual Tamale Festival in Somerton. Now in its third year, the festival is still gaining steam, but already the variety and quality of authentic tamales – is your mouth watering yet? – is worth checking out. Proceeds go to a great cause, funding the El Diablito ASU Scholarship fund for first-generation college students. The 2009 festival is scheduled for December 19.
Elevation: 103 feet
Directions: Take I-10 west to Highway 85, then south to Gila Bend. Once there, take I-8 west for about 113 miles. At exit 2, turn left at 16th Street/Highway 95, then left at 25th Avenue/S. Avenue B. Follow into Somerton.
Driving Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes (195 miles)
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Admission: Free
Lodging: somerton.arizona.com
Info: somertontamalefestival.com

50 La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros Rodeo & Parade Tucson
This year’s 84th-annual La Fiesta De Los Vaqueros rodeo and parade has come a long way since its 1925 beginning. Then, the headline in the Arizona Daily Star read: “Cowboys are asked not to shoot up the town,” and federal officials destroyed an estimated 300 gallons of moonshine. What a pity. Today, the rodeo is one of the top-25 professional rodeos in North America. It’s such a big deal that Tucson students even get out of school for the day. Meanwhile, parade organizers tout their affair as the largest non-motorized parade in the country and, with 250,000 spectators, the largest one-day spectator event in Arizona. No word on who the Grand Marshall will be yet, but in past years, Lute Olson, Governor Rose Mofford and Rex Allen Jr. have served. “If I told you this year’s, I’d have to shoot you,” says PR director Bob Stewart. We think he was serious.
Elevation: 2,703 feet
Directions: Take I-10 east to Tucson. Use the informational links below for directions to rodeo grounds and/or parade route.
Driving Time: 2 hours (111 miles)
Hours: Rodeo gates open at 11 a.m. each day; parade begins
at 9 a.m.
Admission: Parade is free unless you sit in ticketed grandstand seating: $6 for adults, $4 for children. Rodeo tickets range from $5 to $18.
Lodging: visittucson.org
Info: tucsonrodeoparade.org, tucsonrodeo.com

51 Rock and Gem Show Quartzsite
There are pretty much two reasons to go to Quartzite: (1) to grab a soda on the way home from California and (2) rocks. Lots of them. The root “quartz” says it all, although the town name “Quartzsite” did evolve through an error in spelling. At any rate, the town is a rock hound’s haven with nine major gem and mineral shows each year. The largest, the Tyson Wells Rock and Gem Show, is scheduled for January 1-10, 2010, at the southwest corner of I-10 and Highway 95. From onyx, amethyst and meteorite jewelry to marble carvings, vases and torch art metal, organizers say it takes days to see it all.
Elevation: 870 feet
Directions: Take I-10 west to the intersection of Highway 95 near California.
Driving Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes (125 miles)
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: Free
Lodging: Hotels in Quartzsite are limited and can be researched at travel sites such as travel.Yahoo.com.
Info: 928-927-6364 or tysonwells.com/rockshow.html


52 New Year’s Eve Pinecone Drop Flagstaff
Ring in the New Year right by bundling up and counting down to Flagstaff’s annual pinecone drop. On New Year’s Eve, thousands gather for a block party in Flagstaff to watch a 5-by-7-foot, gold-and-silver aluminum pinecone drop from the balcony of the historic Hotel Weatherford. It may not be covered in 2,668 sparkling Waterford crystals like Times Square’s fancy ball, but even Dick Clark had to start somewhere: The first Times Square ball was made of iron and wood and was powered by 100 meager 25-watt light bulbs.
Elevation: 7,000 feet
Directions: Take I-17 north into Flagstaff. Merge onto S. Milton Road, pass the campus of Northern Arizona University and turn right onto Business I-40 (E. Santa Fe Avenue). Turn left onto N. Leroux to the hotel at 23 N. Leroux St.
Driving Time: 2.5 hours (144 miles)
Hours: Block party begins at dusk. The pinecone drops at 10 p.m. for families and again at midnight.
Admission: Free
Lodging: weatherfordhotel.com
Info: flagstaffarizona.org