Although I’ve lived here part-time for 13 years I’d never attended Yarnell Daze as I’m usually on the North Rim by the third Saturday in May.
The Yarnell Daze parade kicked off at 10am so I drove into town about an hour before that to find parking and walk the main drag looking for that perfect place for taking photos of the parade.
Also a good time to check out the vendors set up in a nice shaded area along the route selling honey, bread, snacks, crafts, and trinkets. Plus a couple guys playing music.
Ustadza Azra director of New Moon School of Bellydance in Prescott
A guy carrying a big camera like mine approached asking if I was local. Well, sort of. Then he asked whether the high school taught girls belly dancing. We don’t have a high school and instead buss kids about 45 miles away to Prescott. No elementary either for our about 12 students in town. He was obviously agitated by the idea of teaching young girls belly-dancing and when I remarked it would be great exercise he walked away. Wish I’d known who Ustadza was at the time.
I settled myself across the street from the Yarnell Hill Fire Memorial and was thinking the guys on the scaffolding had a primo view for the parade.
Turned out to be almost like two parades. The main street in Yarnell is State Route 89, a relatively busy highway. I’m certain permits have to be obtained to stop traffic for the parade. Local Sherriff’s cars piloted traffic through town on the northbound lane and there were many vintage cars that must have been heading to Prescott.
The official parade ran north on the southbound lanes and included an honor guard, the Grand Marshall, Prescott Rodeo queen, belly dancers, the Lonesome Doves, Smokey Bear, rubber ducks, Model Creek school, the Shriners in a few miniature vehicles, the Dancing witches of Lohrwood (no idea), and several classic cars also.
Yarnell is a rather classic western town having been established in 1873 when Harrison Yarnell discovered gold and opened the Yarnell Mine that only operated for two years. Attempts to work the mine were made a couple more times but to no avail.
Over time the wagon road from Phoenix through Wickenburg and Yarnell to Prescott became the main north/south Arizona route and eventually continued to Flagstaff and beyond to the Utah border. By 1933, US89 was paved or at least oiled gravel.
Being this was the 49th Yarnell Daze I was curious how the event began and Google couldn’t help me. Instead a friend and long-time resident shared his version of how this came to be. Back about 50 years ago, the Valley Bank manager Norma Dunn wanted to promote the town and create a festival. While discussing this with her husband and my friend Jim in the No Name Saloon Norma suggested a celebration like Wickenburg did with Gold Rush Days called Yarnell Days and my friend said, “yes, like D-a-z-e.” The rest is history, maybe.
The town never really had an actual industry other than ranching and providing 24/7 services to the semi trucks moving products from California through Arizona to Denver and beyond. My friend describes the main street downtown as a two-lane highway lined with huge shade providing oak trees. In 1972 the highway was widened and six years later Interstate 17 to the east was completed which mostly replaced the now State Route 89 as a major thoroughfare. With the completion of Interstate 10 into Phoenix in 1990 traffic through Yarnell became mostly local with some tourists.
Over the years, Yarnell’s commerce has dwindled. Gone is the bank, grocery store, elementary school, and fuel station. However, the charm and magic remain in this rural community with several restaurants and lots of antique stores lining the main street today. Must be a viable place as I hear there are plans afoot for the 50th Annual Yarnell Daze.
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