Spotlight on Saguaro harvest

This will be the 15th year that the Colossal Cave Mountain Park, 16721 E. Old Spanish Trail, has hosted a celebration to educate the public on the legends, lore and natural history that surround the harvest.

The event starts at 5:30 a.m. with a hands-on workshop to experience what it takes to make a fruit-picker, harvest the fruit and make saguaro syrup. The cost is $65 (or $110 for two people), which includes a breakfast featuring O’odham-inspired foods. The workshop is limited to 25 people; call 647-7121 to register by noon Friday.

From 10 a.m. to about 2 p.m. the celebration widens into an event that can draw several hundred eager to buy traditional foods like frybread and tepary bean soup, meet native artisans and learn more about the harvest that has sustained generations of desert people. Other activities include planting a Saguaro seed, hiking the Archaeology Trail, watching a master flintknapper and making your own arrowhead (for a small fee). Admission is $5 per vehicle.