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Casa Grande, Arizona - A REAL Winter Wonderland!
This winter, as you are digging out
from under snow drifts the size of your car, or watching yet another day
of unrelenting rain, you may find yourself wishing for adventure in the
dry and sunny climate of Arizona. You may have dreamed of a place where
you can play golf all day, every day or that you can see an amazing
four-day Native American festival in mid-February while wearing shorts
and sandals.
You're saying to yourself,
does such a place exist? Can I really tap my foot at the annual
Fiddlers' Bluegrass Jamboree and not get frostbite in my toes?
The answer to these and other burning questions is YES! In Casa
Grande, Arizona.
For just a tiny taste of some
the events and activities that you will have to choose from
during the winter months in Casa Grande:
Historical Society Museum
Annual Fiddlers Bluegrass Jamboree, Arts &
Crafts Bazaar Foot-stompin' fun warms up winter with the friendly musical
charm of America's heartland during the first full weekend in
January at the Pinal County Fairgrounds.
Annual Historic Downtown Street Fair Third weekend in January brings Casa Grande's unique history and
hometown charm to the forefront with a street fair, car show and
more.
Annual Wuertz Farm Gourd Festival The first weekend in February sets the stage for this unique
festival dedicated to the world of gourds, gourd art, jewelry and
even mini-gourd races.
Annual O'Odham Tash Indian Days Celebration,
Presidents' Day weekend in February.
Incredible four-day celebration of Native American heritage includes
parade, ceremonial dances, rodeo and more.
Annual Arizona State Open Chili Championship
& Classic Car Show and Motorcycle Show
The first Saturday in March brings chili cooks from various locales
to Casa Grande to work their fiery magic in a light-hearted
competition - arts & crafts vendors, food, fun and fabulous cars and
motorcycles, too!
Annual Cactus Antique Airplane Fly-In The first Friday and Saturday in March has us looking skyward,
saying, Look, it's a bird, it's a plane, it IS a plane - but a
really old one! The history of aviation right in front of your eyes
makes this event a most unique two-days worth of fun.
Civil War in the Southwest At Picacho Peak
State Park Re-enactments of actual Civil War battles fought at the site;
authentic Civil War and civilian camps, period merchandise and more,
this second weekend in March.
Arts Crafts & History Weekend This event is brought to you by the great folks at the Casa
Grande Valley Historical Society (and museum) who gather artists,
artisans and historians in a unique and entertaining weekend event.
In addition, there is a special series
of events and activities specifically created for our 55+ crowd, called
the Winter Celebration, as it is designed to take advantage of Casa
Grande's seven months of glorious weather.
All this, plus so many other
activities occur from January through April that you'll wonder how you
can fit them all in. But you can. It's improbable, but you may find
yourself saying, I'm tired of playing golf, tennis, sightseeing,
skydiving (indoor and outdoor!), sightseeing, meeting new friends,
shopping at the Outlets at Casa Grande, the specialty shops in historic
downtown, and other retail businesses throughout the city. If you do say
this, for some reason, then you'll be happy to know that Casa Grande is
strategically located 45 minutes from Phoenix to the north, and an hour
from Tucson to the south. It is also at the intersection of two major
interstates, I-10 and I-8, in case you want to plan a quick trip to some
of the other fascinating places in Arizona.
We're sure you will always come back
to Casa Grande, its big city amenities and the rich history, rural
heritage, wide range of services and friendly, easy-going atmosphere of
a small town.
History
A vision of what could be guided early residents of the area and
continues today in making Casa Grande a unique, forward-looking city
shaped by a respect for the past. You see, many would find it difficult
to believe that this thriving, lively city could just as easily have
faded away, reclaimed by the desert like other Arizona ghost towns.
The community traces its beginnings to
the summer of 1879, when Southern Pacific Railroad stopped work on the
rail line it was building from Yuma across southern Arizona. The
railroad construction crews, who hailed from Yuma, stopped their work
due to the hot temperatures. Supplies piled up at this desert stopping
point and, by the time the railroad moved on, in January 1880, the
community of Terminus, meaning end-of-the-line, which consisted of five
residents and three buildings, remained. A railroad station was left as
part of the settlement later known as Casa Grande. That month, in 1880,
seven carloads of hay and one carload of barley were delivered to Casa
Grande for the railroad company. The construction boss, his family and
300 Chinese laborers arrived shortly thereafter, and began laying track
to Tucson.
By September 1880, railroad executives renamed the settlement Casa
Grande, for the prehistoric ruins located 20 miles northeast of town. By
the end of 1880, Casa Grande has 33 permanent residents.
The town boomed as a railhead to mines
by 1882. In 1886 and in 1893, the town was decimated by fire. All of the
wooden-frame buildings erected after the 1886 fire burned in the 1893
fire and the entire business district had to be replaced for a second
time in less than a decade. Although the town might have died with each
fire, the beginning of Casa Grande's indomitable community spirit
stirred and merchants and business leaders rallied together to rebuild.
By 1890, the town had a diverse
population of 256. The town had 70 buildings. A national mining slump
almost killed the town in the 1890s. By 1902, Casa Grande's business
district had dwindled to a mercantile store, saloon and two smaller
stores.
Agriculture saved the community from
becoming another Southwestern mining ghost town. It started with
small-scale agriculture and farm trade, along with livestock and
vegetables, crops such as alfalfa, wheat, barley, citrus and cotton
became important export commodities. From its humble, rural beginnings
and a community spirit that would not die, it has developed into the
second largest city in Pinal County.
Y'all Come Back Now
The natural beauty of the low desert serves as a backdrop to this small,
city with the hometown feel, which residents and visitors alike think of
as the heart of Arizona. So, this year, as you bundle up to walk
outside, think of Casa Grande, Arizona, a community that has retained
the same small-town charm that has always made it so exceptional. - the
real winter wonderland!
For more information about why we love
Casa Grande, contact the Greater Casa Grande Chamber of Commerce, at
either 800-916-1515 or 520-836-2125, or visit our website at
www.casagrandechamber.org.
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