Prickly pear and mesquite-inspired samples & plenty of other activities to enjoy.
Arizona wildlife tastes the desert every day, so why not join ’em?
Sonoran Harvest: Taste the Desert at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum will feature a wide range of activities and culinary treats from 6 – 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 16.
You’re not literally tasting the desert. In fact, you’ll learn about the foods found in the Sonoran Desert and then use those skills to incorporate them into your daily life.
There’s also going to be a friendly competition happening at the museum. Some of the local chefs from popular food trucks and restaurants will be battling to be crowned the Sonoran Harvest Champion. The chefs are required to use ingredients of the desert, much like prickly pear and mesquite, and attendees will get to vote for their favorite.
Ticket prices vary, so choose what best suits you. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum members get $5 off any of the following tickets.
Food Only Tickets include ($35) – tastings from local restaurants and small samples from the Chef’s Competition
Food and Alcohol tickets include ($50) – tastings from local restaurants, small samples from the Chef’s Competition, 2 drink tickets, and 4 samples from local breweries
VIP Food Only tickets include ($60) – Early entry at 5:00 p.m., reserved parking, a complimentary prickly pear lemonade, an up close experience with our furry and feathered friends, tastings from local restaurants, and samples from the Chef’s Competition
VIP Food & Alcohol tickets include ($90) – Early entry at 5:00 p.m., reserved parking, a complimentary bottle of wine from Rancho Rosso Vineyards (valued around $20), a complimentary Prickly Pear Wheat beer from Borderlands Brewing Company, an up close experience with our furry and feathered friends, tastings from local restaurants, samples from the Chef’s Competition, 2 drink tickets, and 4 tastings from local breweries
Tequila Tasting tickets include $25 – A special guided tasting with tequila expert, Jesús García. Sample fine tequilas and enjoy chips and salsa
When you’re not stuffing your face, don’t forget to check out the animals/residents of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, admire the stars, listen to live music, mingle with community partners, and more.
In addition, local pumpkin sculptor, Matt Harper, will be carving a pumpkin into a desert animal. Matt was recently featured on Food Networks show “Halloween Wars.”
Matt Harper and Beth Townsend on Halloween Wars (Photo courtesy of Food Network)
At a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
