Superior's Prickly Pear Festival marks 15 years

August in Arizona is so hot that even the lizards stay hidden until dark. People cocoon in front of the air conditioner, and travel for anything non-essential slows to a crawl.

But in downtown Superior, one ruby-red desert wonder is enough to draw people out anyway. Every August, the town comes alive to celebrate the prickly pear, and this year marks the 15th anniversary of the first and longest-running Prickly Pear Festival in the state.

What to Expect

The festival is free to the public and offers:

• Food vendors serving up prickly pear-themed dishes and products
• Guest speakers covering food education and sustainability
• Educational demonstrations on cooking with and using prickly pear for health
• Lectures, classes and specialty sessions on plant medicine, permaculture, regenerative design, homeopathics and activism
• Vendor and craft booths from artisans across Superior and beyond

According to the festival's Facebook page, the event has never been just about the fruit itself: "We are not just about Prickly Pears; every year we do our best to bring food education, plant medicine, sustainability, permaculture, regenerative design, homeopathics, and activism to the forefront of this event."

Local restaurants and shops join in too, often running prickly pear-themed specials all weekend long.

The festival traces its roots back to a friendship. Paul Wolterbeek, a former employee at Boyce Thompson Arboretum and an enthusiastic home winemaker known for his prickly pear wine, approached Pete Csillas about partnering on an annual event celebrating the fruit. The idea caught on fast, and 15 years later, it's grown into a full weekend of lectures, classes, food and community.

For anyone unfamiliar, the prickly pear is the fruit of the nopal cactus, native throughout North and South America. It's low in calories and fat but packed with dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals — including vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium and potassium.

It shows up in candy, jams, salads, smoothies and desserts, and has centuries of traditional use behind it. These days, it's increasingly recognized as a genuine superfood, valued for both its flavor and its medicinal properties.

Artisans and crafters have been preparing for months, and organizers are expecting a strong turnout for the last Saturday in August. If you've never tried a prickly pear, there's no better introduction than a festival built entirely around it: food, learning, shopping and the kind of small-town hospitality Superior is known for.