‘Tis the Season at Dove Mountain
We have so many wonderful ways to celebrate the spirit of the season, whether it’s dining inside the life-size gingerbread house at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, listening to festive concerts at the nearby Tucson Premium Outlets or learning how to make your own innovative cocktails at one of the mixology demonstrations at The Ritz-Carlton.
There is much to look forward to with a brand new year ahead, including local fine art and culinary festivals not to mention the famous Tucson Gem & Mineral Show.
We especially want to thank all of our Dove Mountain residents and guests for the lovely memories over the last few months. See our wrap-up on recent events below.
From our families to yours, all of us at Dove Mountain wish you the very best of what makes this time of year so special.
May your Holidays be Merry at Dove Mountain!
THIS MONTH AT DOVE MOUNTAIN
Starting Saturday, December 2, The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain will unveil its renowned life-size Dine-In Gingerbread House. The house is quite a remarkable feat, having required 400 lbs. of honey, 856 lbs. of sugar, 350 lbs. of flour, 100 lbs. of ginger powder, 50 lbs. of cinnamon, 250 eggs, and 10 lbs. of nutmeg to create. Lunch and dinner reservations are offered daily, with advance booking required. The booking cost is $200 per midweek seating or $250 per weekend seating, plus individual meal costs. Please call (520) 572-3050 for reservations.
Also on December 2 from 3 – 8 p.m., Dove Mountain revelers can deck the halls at the annual Marana Holiday Festival & Christmas Tree Lighting, located at 11555 West Civic Center Drive. This festive, family-friendly event will include a Christmas tree light show, free visits with Santa & Mrs. Claus, a holiday marketplace, snow section, and a host of artistic performances.
On Sunday, December 3 from 5 – 8 p.m., The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain will hold the Sixth Annual Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Tree Lighting Ceremony. Crowds of all ages can enjoy hand-crafted hot chocolate, hot apple cider, and holiday cookies prepared by the property’s award-winning pastry team. The actual tree-lighting is set for 6:30 p.m., and guests can have their photo taken with Santa from 7 – 9 p.m. There is a $25 vehicle charge to attend this special event, with net proceeds to be donated to Casa de Los Niños in support of at-risk children and families in the Tucson community. Additionally, guests may bring a toy to donate to the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Foundation in Tucson, and/or canned food goods which the resort will donate to the Marana Food Bank.
Daily at 4 p.m., The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain offers a mixology demonstration. Learn how to make great cocktails from the best! Then, don’t miss the Spirit of Adventure Celebration at 5:15 p.m. daily at the Ignite Lounge and Bar Terrace. This very special soul-stirring acoustic performance by a local Native-American flautist honors the ancient Hohokam tribe that once inhabited Dove Mountain. Fridays and Saturdays from 6 – 9 p.m., live music featuring southwestern, jazz, and guitar stylings follows the performance.
There is more in store for music lovers, as The Tucson Premium Outlets Concert Series continues its weekly run through the end of December. Concerts take place Saturdays from 5 – 8 p.m. in the Mountain Court. Coupled with delicious food from Market Hall and over 70 stores offering extraordinary savings, the evenings provide the perfect outing for the whole family.
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2018
Kickoff your fitness resolution, or just come to have fun with family and friends at the 11th Annual Egg Nog Jog New Year’s Day 5K & 10K – Monday, January 1 from 8:30 – 11 a.m. at Continental Reserve Park. Check-in opens at 7:30 a.m. and the race starts at 9:18 a.m. Skip the line on race day and pre-register.
The La Encantada Fine Art Festival, happening at the La Encantada Shopping Center on Saturday, January 20 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday, January 21 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., features everything from metalwork to locally designed fashion. Under the backdrop of the scenic Tucson Foothills, the visual fine art festival features talented regional and national artists exhibiting their original art.
The Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase, being held from Jan. 27 – Feb. 11, 2018 at locations all over Tucson, is also dubbed “The World’s Greatest Treasure Hunt.” Tucson’s gem show includes more than 40 different shows at dozens of locations around town. Most shows are open to the public with free admission. Shoppers from near and far come to hunt for rare and bargain-priced jewelry, jewelry-making supplies, collectibles, and treasures.
The 5th Annual SAVOR Southern Arizona Food & Wine Festival at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 3, celebrates Tucson’s culinary prestige and heritage food movement. Featuring over 75 of the region’s finest chefs, wineries, breweries, local foods, and restaurants highlighting exceptional menu tastings. A creative collaboration with the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA), Local First Arizona, and Tucson Botanical Gardens, this foodie festival will showcase the diversity of the heritage foods and ingredients throughout the Southwest region.
*Photo courtesy of: SAACA
RECENT HAPPENINGS
Dove Mountain Day at the Park in October was a huge success. Through sponsorships, donations & raffle ticket sales, a total of $9,868 and approximately 617 pounds of food were collected for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. Cash donations were triple the amount received in prior years, and food donations increased by 25%. A highlight was the The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain staycation raffle. We couldn’t think of a more deserving winner than Villages resident Angela Combs, a special education teacher and widowed mother of three. As the raffle winner, Angela will enjoy a weekend getaway including breakfast, dinner, and a spa treatment at Arizona’s #1 resort.
The Marana Cotton Festival was held in Heritage Park this past October to celebrate our community’s agrarian heritage as a producer of cotton, wheat, barley, alfalfa, and pecans. There was something for everyone to enjoy, especially for kids who got a chance to interact with farm animals and watch demonstrations from the Marana Youth Rodeo. Youngsters got a taste for the rodeo by participating in “mutton busting”, which involves riding on a sheep!
*Photo courtesy of: Town of Marana
In early November, with the help of 70 participating organizations, the Marana Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Earth Festival. Held in a landscaped parking lot at Tucson Premium Outlets, the event attracted large and enthusiastic crowds who learned from 35 exhibitors about energy-saving practices, the smart use of resources, and how to recycle. Participants enjoyed the Marana Foods tent and got to learn about some of the great Marana foods made with local products grown right here. As a special treat, The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Executive Chef David Serus distributed samples of some of the best chile cheese tamales to be found anywhere!
On a beautiful Saturday before Thanksgiving, Dove Mountain residents and guests took a front seat (or bike saddle) at El Tour De Tucson – the largest perimeter bicycling event in America. To promote its community’s healthy lifestyle, the Town of Marana sponsored a newly created, 28-mile distance in the famous race, which attracts more than 9,000 cyclists from around the world. The Marana start gave its riders a big festival-style sendoff at Heritage River Park. The El Tour De Tucson course featured 28, 40, 55, 75, and 104-mile options and wove through Marana with gorgeous Sonoran Desert and mountain views.
There is never a dull moment in and around Dove Mountain! We thank all who helped make our past events a success, and look forward to seeing you at some of our future happenings.
To stay up to date with everything happening in and around Dove Mountain, connect with us on Facebook @DoveMountainAZ, follow us on Instagram @dovemountain, or sign up for our newsletter.
*Top photo courtesy of: Town of Marana