Live Music Festival
November 10, 2007

     Autumn foliage is beginning to show, and November 10, 2007; should be yet another perfect Saturday for a day of live music at the Arboretum... a chance for visitors to enjoy a variety of singers, songwriters and musicians around the trails and gardens. Pancakes, too! From 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.Superior Rotary Club and Optimist Club members will serve a pancake breakfast to raise money for high school scholarships for local kids. Buy a ticket for this ($7.50, same as daily admission) and you get both breakfast in the picnic area, and the whole day's Arboretum admission. 

         Performances begin with a rousing start with balladeer Wally Bornman, who graciously offered to play the 10:00 a.m. set as a replacement for our popular headliners: Apache Junction's "Just Jammin" band. Bornman weaves humorous asides into his renditions of roots country songs; we hope you'll agree that his style is a great fit this year as a new addition to our day of music. Mesa singer-songwriter (and recording artist) Jim Pipkin plays near the Australian Drover's Shed at 11:00, then Luana Mangold will share her peaceful harp music on the stone courtyard in front of the historic Smith Building.

     As the day continues we'll introduce visitors to artists such as the Mountain Rain trio (1:00 p.m. near the Desert Legume Garden), and then at 2:00 p.m. check out "The Fossilmen" with guitarists Mark Barry, Jerry Olson, Steve Pawlowski and Rick Boyle (playing bouzouki). Last year a Scottsdale painter who was enjoying the music captured the scene in the French "plein air" style as shown in the photo of her painting at left. The Close Enough String Band takes the stage at 3 p.m., returning with their "olde tyme Americana" by popular demand and bringing along their harmonies, fiddles - and even a musical saw. Live music at the Arboretum makes for an afternoon truly "both acoustic and eclectic."

     Our November live music festival is a singular way to enjoy Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Stroll through our unique collections of arid land plants and ecosystems on the second Saturday in November and you'll also be treated to six hours of song and music from Arizona musicians playing intimate sets in the demonstration garden, herb garden, rose garden and other beautiful locations throughout the grounds. Performances are:

10:00 a.m. Wally Bornman in the Picnic Area

11:00 a.m. Mesa recording artist Jim Pipkin plays near the Australian Drover's Shed

12:00 (noon) p.m. Harp player Luana Mangold from Prescott, courtyard in front of the Smith Building

1 p.m. the Mountain Rain trio performs at the Desert Legume Garden

2 p.m. "The Fossilmen" with guitarists Mark Barry, Jerry Olson, Steve Pawlowski and Rick Boyle (playing bouzouki).

3 p.m. the Close Enough String Band closes our day onstage in the Eucalyptus grove