1 of 10
Yuma Marks Milestone
2 of 10
Yuma Marks Milestone
3 of 10
Photographer:jeff dow
Creedence Clearwater Revisited
4 of 10
Yuma Marks Milestone
5 of 10
Yuma Marks Milestone
6 of 10
Yuma Marks Milestone
7 of 10
Yuma Marks Milestone
8 of 10
Yuma Marks Milestone
9 of 10
Yuma Marks Milestone
10 of 10
Yuma Marks Milestone
By Ann Walker
Though Yuma’s rich history dates back even further, this sunny city on the Colorado River is getting ready to celebrate a significant birthday: April 7, 2014, marks the 100th anniversary of Yuma’s charter as a city under the laws of the new state of Arizona in back in 1914.
Along with the birthday candles, Yuma will light up new signs on Main Street to welcome folks to the “Gateway of the Great Southwest” -- and kick off a flurry of centennial celebrations, from proclamation-makin’ and time-capsule-sealin’ to an old-fashioned ice cream social and barbecue. A full schedule and details on how to join the party will be posted as plans develop at www.yuma100.com.
One big surprise package has been unwrapped already: A daylong Centennial Music Fest featuring Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Lonestar is set for April 12 at Desert Sun Stadium.
The music kicks off at 2 p.m. with a lineup that also includes Bobby McClendon, the Dennis Jones Band from San Diego, local favorite Checker’d Past and others to be announced. Admission is $20 (age 13 & older), with a $5 discount for active-duty military with ID. Tickets for kids ages 6-12 are just $5, and age 5 and younger are free. Check yuma100.com for details on where to purchase tickets.
You can make it a day of family fun by folding in a stop at the Yuma Taco Festival, being held the same day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on an adjoining site. Admission to the Taco Festival is free, with a vast array of tacos available for purchase from vendors vying for “Taco King” and “Salsa Queen” honors.
But Yuma’s big birthday party isn’t the only reason to stick around this spring – or to plan a stopover on your way back home.
Join us for Yuma Lettuce Days March 1 & 2, an agricultural “feastival” that celebrates Yuma’s status as the winter vegetable capital of North America. This homegrown celebration will feature twice-daily live cooking demos by celebrity chef Chris “C.J.” Jacobson, a two-time “Top Chef” contestant, along with other culinary demos and contests, red-hot ice carvers, a ginormous salad bar and a tasting event showcasing specialties from local restaurants.
There will also be plenty of farm and food-related vendors, live entertainment, a beer garden, displays of tractors and other farm equipment, a special Kids Ag-tivities area and “windshield” bus tours through Yuma's lush fields narrated by local growers.
New for 2014: A bar where you can blend fresh ingredients for a custom salsa or pico de gallo, and free consultations with a “vegetable butcher” who’ll provide recipe suggestions and prep your farmers market purchases for easy cooking. Festival plans are still germinating, get the latest on the recipe for fun at www.yumalettucedays.com.
More interested in classic iron than leafy greens? Mark your calendar for Midnight at the Oasis, March 7-9. The Southwest's premier classic car and nostalgia festival features nearly 1,000 classic cars spread out across the grassy fields of the Ray Kroc Baseball Complex, plus regional food served up by local nonprofits, vendors from around the West and rides for the kids. It all kicks off with a free cruise-in Friday evening, and there are also (ticketed) oldies rock-and-roll concerts both Friday and Saturday nights. More info, www.midnightattheoasis.net, 928-343-1715.
Just a week later, the action moves to the skies, as Marine Corps Air Station Yuma hosts its 51th Annual Air Show March 15. One of the largest air shows in the Southwest, this event features military and civilian aircraft on the ground and aloft, and provides a rare close-up view of the busiest air station in the Corps, which traces its roots to the earliest days of aviation in Arizona. More info, www.yumaairshow.com, 928-269-3327.
Finally, you don’t have to wait for fall to enjoy an old-fashioned county fair – the Yuma County Fair runs April 1-6 and includes cute kids showing off their animals, plenty of junk food and all the traditional attractions. More info, www.yumafair.com, 928-726-4420.
To check out other fun events on our calendar and to plan your real Arizona adventure, head to www.visityuma.com or call us toll-free at 800.293.0071. Our Visitor Info Center is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. MST seven days a week from October through May.
Older than we look: Yuma time-line highlights:
- 1540 – First European explorers arrive upriver from the Sea of Cortez
- 1849-50 – More than 60,000 gold seekers cross Colorado River on rope ferry
- 1857 – First U.S. post office established
- 1863 – Arizona Territory established under law signed by President Lincoln
- 1866 – Town site laid out for what’s known as Arizona City
- 1871 – Arizona City incorporated under territorial law
- 1873 – Arizona City renamed Yuma
- 1900 – Yuma City Hall built
- ·1912 – On Valentine’s Day, Arizona becomes 48th state
- 1914 – On April 7, Yuma is chartered as city under laws of new state