On Saturday, August 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Flagstaff Youth Gardens will host its First Annual Garden Games. The games will take place at the Colton Community Farm site, across Highway 180 from the MNA Exhibit Building. This free event is part of the national Eat-In Act-Out campaign to highlight local food and youth garden programs.
Flagstaff Youth Gardens is an eight-week summer internship that offers wages, job skill training, and leadership development to local high school youth. The program encourages a broader understanding of the unique beauty and character of this region through sustainable agriculture.
The games start at 11 a.m. with garden activities for all ages—a shovel stilts race, a rooster chase, synchronized water wanding, a potato launch, and many more wacky events. At 12:30 p.m., enjoy a homegrown garden cook-off where people can bring food to share made from one ingredient or more from a Flagstaff garden. And at 1 p.m., entertainment will include music and skits to celebrate the garden and local food. Young visitors are invited to paint handmade bird houses to be auctioned off that afternoon.
The Garden Games is one of dozens of events nationwide to celebrate Eat-In Act Out Week, organized by The Food Project in Boston, MA. The campaign’s goals are:
· To encourage communities to eat locally and think critically about their food choices.
· To build a sustainable food system where everyone has access to affordable, healthy food.
· To highlight the capabilities and importance of youth in this campaign.
· To engage youth in positive forms of social activism.
· To strengthen connections between youth organizations by working together on a national event and building the movement.
The Museum of Northern Arizona’s Flagstaff Youth Gardens is located at 3100 N. Fort Valley Road, three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180 (follow the signs to Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy and then to the end of the road). Additional information about Flagstaff Youth Gardens and the Museum of Northern Arizona is available at www.musnaz.org.