SAFFORD — Safford’s Downtown will be bustling this weekend, with two big events.
The inaugural Gila Valley Film Festival will take place April 22-23, at the historic Safford Theatre.
On Friday, showings start at 2 p.m. with short films; followed by documentary and narrative feature-length films. On Saturday, showings start at 10 a.m. with student films, followed by more feature-length documentary and narrative films.
The festival wraps up with the awards ceremony at 6 p.m.
Single-day tickets are $12 each, and are good for the entire day’s slate of films. Two-day tickets are $18.
Also taking place April 22-23 is the Graham County Chamber of Commerce’s Safford Spring Festival at Firemen’s Park in front of Safford City Hall.
The event starts Friday at 5 p.m. and runs until 10 p.m., and again Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The event features multiple vendors including dip n’ sip painting and wine tastings from Elgin Winery and Elgin Distillery, Strive Vineyards, Sonoita Vineyards and Wilhelm Family Vineyards. Plus there will be the Bud Light Seltzer beer garden.
“When I do my vendors, I like having a food court. So people can sit down and enjoy their food (and) we have a lot of great food vendors joining us for this event,” said Brittany Hernandez with the Graham County Chamber of Commerce.
Each day will feature a full line-up of music, including performances by 2022 Gila Idol winner Frank Adams, Zaylie Windsor, Raymond Gomez, Darryn Kamae and Our Island Style, Plain Jane and Saturday’s headliner is The JJs Band.
Admission to the event is free.
Sponsors include: Maverick Motorsports, CMI, III Counties Distributing, Double R Communications, Haralson Tire, Ginaveve’s Marketplace, The Tiny Bean Coffee Co., Valley Furniture, America’s Mattress, NatureSweet Tomatoes, Bayacan, City of Safford, Town of Thatcher, Town of Pima, Graham County, and Best Western Plus, which serves as the event’s host hotel.
