Arizona Trail Mix

08/25/2026

You asked, I listened! 📅 Weekly event listings are back in Trail Mix—plus I added a new game to test your desert smarts!

In this week's issue:

⚡ Weekly Events Are Back: I’m ditching the monthly calendar and returning to a weekly, hyper-local guide to what’s happening around Vail, Rita Ranch, and Greater Corona de Tucson. Have an event coming up? You can submit yours directly on arizonatrailmix.com!

🌵 Two Truths & A Lie: Think you know our Arizona monsoon season inside and out? Try to spot the fake fact in this week's issue and hit reply to get the early answer if you're right, or subscribe to find out the correct answer in the next issue.

🐾 PACC Eastside Pets: I'm also highlighting local adoptable pets available right down the road at PACC's Eastside Adoption Center.

🗞️ And of course, I'm still offering your usual lineup of hyper-local stories.

Check your inbox or catch up on the site!

08/24/2026

Mark your calendars! This local favorite is back for another year, and it's looking to be even bigger than last year!

08/23/2026

What does the proposed Copper World project mean for the Santa Rita Mountains? 🏔️

In this week’s issue of Trail Mix, I took a look at the proposed open-pit copper mine outside Tucson and how neighbors and local advocacy groups like No Copper World and Save the Scenic Santa Ritas are responding.

From potential impacts on traffic, dark skies, and windblown dust to an ambitious citizen science effort with UArizona and ASU researchers to baseline local air and well-water quality, here is what’s happening. https://www.arizonatrailmix.com/p/inside-the-community-fight-over-the-proposed-santa-rita-copper-mine

08/20/2026

Well done, Charron Vineyards and Winery!

08/13/2026

Heads up! Today's newsletter listed the incorrect date for Charron Vineyards and Winery Nature Night! It will be held on Saturday, August 15th! Head out and enjoy the fun!

Save the date! Our FAVORITE event is coming up Saturday, August 15th - NATURE NIGHT! 🍃 Several friends of the vineyard will be stopping by to offer their talents, food, music and more, including the Country&Co. food trailer, Jeff & Jill Music, and Matt Nelson (director of the Arizona Trail Association).

We stay open late on this night only - until 9PM! 🤩

We are celebrating the completion of another wonderful grape harvest by officially popping the cork on last year's wine, Colossal Merlot 2025 (it's delicious!). A portion of the proceeds of Colossal Merlot 2024 AND 2025 will be presented to the Arizona Trail Association on this evening.

Kids and adults both love our "blacklight bug hunt" which will happen at 7:00 after music and Matt's talk about the Trail and nature in Southern AZ. 🌵

This is the perfect opportunity to learn all about nature in the desert while enjoying great music, food, a sunset and friends. This event is totally family-friendly so bring the kids and come on out!

08/11/2026

How amazing 💛💛💛

Special surprise for tomorrow, Wednesday the 12th!

08/08/2026

Congratulations to our Trail Mix giveaway winner! Our winner, Kristin, chose two local businesses to shower with her winnings — Four Arrows Garden and Vail Coffee Stop ! Enjoy that coffee and shopping for plants on us, Kristin!! 🎉

08/04/2026

Last 24 hours to enter our birthday giveaway!

As a thank you for being part of this last year of stories, events, and true Vail-esque love, we're celebrating by rewarding one of you a $100 gift card to the local business (or businesses) of your choice!

Enter here. Share for bonus entries. And cross your fingers that you'll be the winner of my birthday present to YOU!

Happy Birthday, Trail Mix! Win $100 to Your Favorite Local Spot. 🎉 by Trail Mix. Hosted by KingSumo Giveaways

07/30/2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TRAIL MIX!

It's hard to believe it's been one year since I started this little local newsletter for Vail and our surrounding areas.

A year of local stories about people making a difference in our community.

A year of highlighting the love that gets poured into local events.

A year of celebrating the people who took a bold risk and started a local business to bring more vibrancy to our community.

A year of holding onto the threads of our tight-knit community, even as we grow.

To celebrate, I want to give back to you and to the local businesses I love so dearly with a giveaway! Enter to win a $100 gift card to your local business of choice (or two $50 gift cards if you can't choose...because who can?!).

This isn't a giveaway sponsored by anyone but yours truly as a thank you for being here, which means you get to pick the place where you'll spend your money as long as it's locally owned and operated.

Enter here. Share with your friends (to get extra points!). And let's keep the local love going, the spirit of our small town strong (even amidst growth), and the support for all the goodness that's ahead here in Southeastern Arizona.

Happy Birthday, Trail Mix! Win $100 to Your Favorite Local Spot. 🎉 by Trail Mix. Hosted by KingSumo Giveaways

07/02/2026

Our "little" town is exploding with growth, and frankly, it's a little hard to see at times. I love growth, but I also love our nature, history, and tight-knit community.

That's why I wanted to interview J.J. Lamb from the Vail Preservation Society and learn more about what's being done between the tracks to keep a piece of our area's story alive. What I learned was so inspiring and exciting that I couldn't wait to share the story with you.

As we get ready to celebrate America's 250th birthday, let's also celebrate the history of our community with these 3 pillars that are coming alive at our old post office between the tracks. (Link in comments)