Agave Heritage Festival
2026-04-11 | Tucson, Tucson
This festival is meant to celebrate and sustain the cultural, ecological, and economic significance of agave through binational collaboration, storytelling, and community-rooted experiences.
The Agave Heritage Festival brings together voices from the Sonoran Desert and beyond to honor agave’s legacy and ignite collective action for a more resilient future.
Find a full list of festival events here:https://www.agaveheritagefestival.com/2026-events-calendar

Desert Discovery Day
2026-04-11 09:00 - 13:00 (America/Phoenix) | Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S 6th Ave, Tucson, AZ, 85701
Join us April 11, 2026 from 9 AM–1 PM for a celebration of everything that makes the Sonoran Desert so special. From amazing plants and animals to the rich cultures that call our desert home, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to learn, explore, and connect.

Food trucks
Hands-on activities
Fun for the whole family

Come celebrate the beauty, science, and culture of the desert with us!

If you are interested in volunteering with the SCVNHA during this event, please email: zabrina@santacruzheritage.org

The Amazing Agave at Saguaro National Park on Saturday
2026-04-11 13:15 - 14:00 | Saguaro National Park West-West at the Red Hills Visitor Center, 2700 North Kinney Road, Tucson, 85743, United States
Heralded as the “Tree of Wonders”, the agave has been celebrated for centuries throughout Mexico and the American Southwest, and utilized to make over 40 products – from textiles to tequila. Uncover the adaptations that enable this native succulent to thrive in the hot and harsh Sonoran Desert, and discover how a prized ornamental holds the promise of a practical and sustainable crop. Join a Park Naturalist for this narrated theater presentation, and prepare to be amazed!

“Future of Water” UA Fine Arts Student Illustration and AR Exhibition
2026-04-11 15:00 - 17:00 | Tucson Gastropark, 1625 East Broadway Boulevard, Tucson, 85719, United States
Located in Tucson within the Sonoran Desert, the subject of water conservation and effective water usage is a major one. Being situated in a dry, arid environment that directly impacts our way of life, IDA (Illustration, Design, and Animation) students at The University of Arizona, led by Professor Jenn Liv, take on a first-semester project that combines illustration, motion design, and AR activation to create work that raises water conservation awareness.
Students first gather research on water conservation in Tucson, examining current measures and incentives implemented by the city to reduce water use and promote conservation. They then develop concepts for an illustration, followed by a storyboard to map the short animation. After concepts are approved, students move into final production and link their illustrations and animations through the Artivive app. This assignment has produced compelling results each time it is offered, introducing students to extended reality and interdisciplinary practice while creating interactive work that engages viewers and adds an immersive quality to each piece.
