Amazing Earthfest

Whether you’re out for an epic tour of the American Southwest, just visiting southern Utah, or are among the fortunate who live in the vicinity of Kanab, you are surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful scenery! Gawking at such seemingly ubiquitous natural beauty, one might occasionally wonder how these diverse marvels of nature came to be? Or maybe you wonder what’s embedded in those towering rock formations, growing in the forest, shrub, and grasslands, or how ancient cultural remains such as rock art can reveal inklings about life in prehistoric time.

These are a few of the musings and questions that Kanab’s free public festival of discovery, arts and outdoor adventure hopes to elicit. The 18th annual Amazing Earthfest is going on now through Sunday, May 12 at locations in and around the area. Even after dark the opportunity for unceasing wonderment is extended by the majesty of the night sky over southern Utah and the Arizona Strip. Complete festival information can be found at the Kane County Office of Tourism or at Amazing Earthfest online. 

Earthfest hikes and outdoor activities are led by subject matter specialists from the federal and state land managing agencies, conservation organizations, and knowledgeable locals to facilitate experiential learning opportunities while enjoying a healthy, muscle powered outdoor adventure. Let’s take a brief look at the events of the 2024 festival in Outdoor Adventure, Science and Land, as well as the category called Community.

At Tilted Mesa ten miles East of Kanab, enjoy a guided mountain bike ride amid stunning scenery, or take botany walk with an ecologist from Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. Climb high into the Vermilion Cliffs with a local along a trail leading to a petroglyph site, or take a leisurely bird walk with experts to observe and identify as many species as can be seen at Kanab’s Jackson Flat Reservoir. Other outdoor adventure destinations include trekking with a geologist to a fascinating fossil bed, and with an archaeologist and a site steward from the North Kaibab Ranger District to a magnificent pictograph site. Or, join a service adventure with the Bureau of Land Management to help restore the integrity of our public land within GSENM by removing the flower heads and seeds of the invasive noxious weed Scotch Thistle.

Three distinct presentations in the natural sciences will be held at Kanab City Library. Join staff from the Peregrine Fund to learn about the recovery of the California Condor, dive into a discussion of habitat connectivity in Southern Utah with the Wildlands Network, and learn from Marshall Topham about the remarkable biodiversity of the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near St. George, Utah.

Among community focused activities at this year’s Earthfest, you can enjoy doing Yoga, learn more about growing native plants with Dr. Victoria Yedong Xiong, and seize an opportunity with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance to better understand how preserving intact Pinyon Juniper forests of the mountain West region can mitigate the increasing effects of the climate crisis. 

Kick back after a delicious potluck social dinner party for festival attendees, presenters and organizers while listening to a free concert by the Chris Paul Band at Jacob Hamblin Park, catch the inspiration of local poets at The Nomad Cafe, or learn how to make a portable stove and sample homemade pizza cooked in it at Clucking It Up Farmstead in Orderville. Finally, don’t miss the free inspiring documentary film screenings on Thursday and Friday evening at the Library! Visit: https://www.amazingearthfest.org/events/upcoming to register and attend.