A spotlight on Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Scottsdale Western Week is happening with Parada Del Sol and Trail’s End Festival serving as the keystone event beginning 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, along Scottsdale Road in Old Town Scottsdale.
Scottsdale aficionados say Western Week stokes the embers of our rich heritage and ensures our western legacy glows as brightly as it did a century ago. Highlights of the Parada Del Sol and Trail’s End Celebration include:
- Parada del Sol (10 a.m.-noon) and Trail’s End Celebration (noon-4 p.m.): Saturday, Feb. 3, Historic Old Town. Scottsdale’s own hometown parade features colorful floats, mounted horse riders, horse-drawn carriages, marching bands, wagons and stagecoaches. The parade ends with a western-spirited festival featuring live music, street entertainment, dancing, a wine garden and a cowboy kids’ zone. Parade route can be found HERE.
- Arizona Indian Festival: Saturday, Feb. 3, and Sunday, Feb. 4. Arizona tribes will share their culture at the Arizona Indian Festival at Scottsdale Civic Center. The festival includes traditional food, song, dance and crafts.
A spotlight on Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West
Western Spirit is pleased to announce new expanded hours for the upcoming season beginning with festivities around Western Week in Old Town Scottsdale.
Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, which was recently named the No. 1 Western Museum in the United States by True West Magazine for 2023, is known for its captivating exhibitions and immersive Western experiences.
Furthermore, Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, 3830 N. Marshall Way and offers rotating exhibitions feature hundreds of Western artworks, rare historical objects, and cultural treasures on loan from some of the world’s foremost collectors and institutions.
If you are heading down the Parada Del Sol this weekend, here are a few of the ongoing and upcoming exhibitions at Western Spirit:
- The Summer of 1876 with Mandi & Chris Wimmer – The Summer of 1876, now a book by the same name by Chris Wimmer, was a key period in the development of the mythology of the Old West. Many individuals who are considered legends by modern readers were involved in events that began their notoriety or turned out to be the most famous ― or infamous ― moments of their lives. Those individuals were Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, and Jesse James. The Summer of 1876 weaves together the timelines of the events that made these men legends to demonstrate the overlapping context of their stories and to illustrate the historical importance of that summer, all layered with highlights of significant milestones in 1876: the inaugural baseball season of the National League; the final year of President Ulysses S. Grant’s embattled administration; the debut of an invention called the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell; the release of Mark Twain’s novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer;” and many more. WHEN: Friday, Feb. 2, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. FREE with museum admission. $8 for program attendance only.
- Western Horizons – Legacy Gallery is excited to bring together 35 of the top Western artists for a new and unique two-day event! A partnership and benefit for Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. When: Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2. Register here for tickets.
- Erin Hanson: Two-Day Seminar – Artist Erin Hanson, who is most known for her iconic use of color, will present an incredible two-day program. On the second day, Erin will be doing a live painting. Her rare demonstrations delve into her unique approach to each new painting, where she goes for inspiration and digs deep into her views on color and color alchemy. When: Wednesday and Thursday, March 6 and 7. Ticket pricing includes both days. Register here for tickets.
