Arizona Illustrated

Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra The Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1979 in a trailer in Wilcox, Arizona but has persevered and prospered. Now, it has a long tradition of providing welcomed music to the area’s residents. In this story, we meet three of the group’s members and the charismatic music director and conductor, Linus Lerner. The Wittner Museum How an unlikely friendship, backyard chats, a piano, and a crazy car led to a new museum in downtown Nogales. Paula Wittner showcased her artwork right as the pandemic began, quarantining them along with her. Together with Evan Kory, they found a way to share her artwork permanently within the Wittner Museum. Morley Avenue is the host of the ever-growing arts district, just steps away from the US-Mexico border. Invasive Desert Plants: Fountain Grass The Sonoran Desert has thousands of native plants that are desirable in our environment, but other species can thrive here as well, making them invasive and undesirable. Fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) is one of them. This perennial grass can cover large areas, competing with native groundcovers, shrubs and other plants for limited water resources and space. Mount Lemmon Oktoberfest Up at Mount Lemmon Ski Valley, Tucson's Oktoberfest turns the slopes into a festive haven. With crisp mountain air and fall colors all around, you can dive into delicious German food, groove to lively tunes, kids have a blast with games, and everyone can ride the chairlift. It’s the perfect alpine retreat where the stunning views meet the lively, joyful vibes of Oktoberfest.