June 21, 2011

Contact: Mike Finney

PHONE:480.897.3331

mike@azcomgroup.com

Celebrate SALSA, Hot Air Balloons, Sky Divers, & Racing Chihuahuas in Safford, Arizona

Fifth Annual SalsaFest
Friday & Saturday September 23/24, 2011
Safford Town Square

Safford, AZ – Celebrate Arizona’s Salsa Trail® at the hottest event in Southern Arizona- the 5th Annual SalsaFest on Friday & Saturday September 23 & 24, in the City of Safford Town Square.  Downtown Safford will be aglow with hot air balloons on Friday evening as festivities begin. The SalsaFest is a celebration of everything Salsa including an opportunity to win prizes and bragging rights in the Salsa Challenge.  Sky Divers will fly in at the end of the SalsaFest to announce the winner of the Salsa Challenge!

The newest addition to the annual

Salsafest are the exciting Chihuahua Races

Join in the fun listening to live entertainment, eating delicious food, enjoying Saturday’s car show, and sampling some of the greatest salsas in the Southwest. Sisters on the Fly, a cowgirl caravan, will return with their vintage trailers in tow.  SalsaFest activities include a salsa making contest, a Festival Marketplace, Salsa music & dancing, food demonstrations, chili roasting, a kid’s area, an evening hot air balloon Salsa Glow® & Saturday morning sunrise lift off, and Jalapeño & Salsa Eating competitions. Also returning for the second year are the Chihuahua Races. Come watch as dozens of Chihuahuas race to the finish line to win the title of the fastest dog! Entry forms for the competitions and event information are available online at www.SalsaTrail.com

The public is invited to participate in the judging for the People’s Choice Awards in the Salsa Challenge Tent.  Salsa Trail® restaurants will dish up samples of their special concoctions on Friday night and Salsa Challenge contestants will compete for top honors and prizes on Saturday.

The Salsa Trail® is all about terrific Mexican food and the hometown friendliness that you will find in the small Southern Arizona communities of Safford, Pima, Thatcher, Clifton, Solomon, Duncan, Willcox, and York.  That’s where a dozen Mexican restaurants, a family owned tortilla factory, and a local chile farm have all joined together to make up the Salsa Trail®.   Salsa Trail businesses will be offering SalsaFest specials during the festival weekend.  A Salsa Trail map and directions are available online at www.SalsaTrail.com

The 2011 SalsaFest will be held in the Safford Town Square from 5 – 9 pm Friday and 8:30 am – 4 pm Saturday. Entry into the Salsa Tent allows guests to sample entries and participate as a judge for the People’s Choice Awards.  Proceeds from the event will benefit special community projects to be awarded by the Safford Lions Club, the Gila Valley Rotary Club, and the Graham County Chamber of Commerce, the event hosts. Arizona State Credit Union, City of Safford, Comfort Inn & Suites, EUROFRESH Farms, Eastern Arizona Courier, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., Majik Radio, McMurray Communications, and Valley Telecom Group are sponsors for this year’s SalsaFest.  Additional Information is available at www.SalsaTrail.com or by calling the Graham County Chamber of Commerce at 1.888.837.1841 or 928.428.2511.

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Images and SalsaFest video are available at www.arizonatravelnews.org/salsatrailimagebank2.html

Upcoming Events

Get Real’s Belgian Beer Festival is happening July 8-9 at The Altman Building (135 West 18th Street) in NYC. This granddaddy of Belgian beer festivals will feature 100+ Belgian and Belgian-inspired brews from craft breweries near and far. There will also be plenty of tasty Belgian bites from local NYC restaurants and specialty food shops. Purchase tickets at http://grbf.eventbrite.com and use code ‘VisitBelgium’ for $15 off all ticket types.

Take in the sounds of soothing classical music during the Midis/Minimes Music Festival (July 1-Aug 31) in Brussels or jam at the alternative music festival of Dour (July 14-17), French rock at Francofolies de Spa (July 20-24) and the international sounds of the Esperanzah! (Aug 5-7) music festival in Floreffe. The city of Dinant is the place to be during the Jazz Nights Festival (July 15-18). For more concerts and shows in Belgium, also visit Bozar, Ancienne Belgique, Sherpa or Botanique.

Every Reason is a Good Reason to Celebrate in Belgium

Traditions have a special place in Belgian culture. Each year in Brussels the colorful Ommegang Pageant (July 5-7) celebrates the visit of Emperor Charles V in the 16th century with a procession where participants dress in traditional period costumes. Other traditions are a bit more festive, like the Brussels Beer Weekend (Sept 2-4). During this week-long celebration many small, medium and large Belgian breweries present their best selections.

The Belgian Formula One Grand Prix of Spa- Francorchamps, beginning August 25 through August 28, is the marquis sporting event of the year for locals and international visitors alike. Discover the track known as the most beautiful in the Grand Prix circuit and watch the best F1 drivers compete for the top spot!

Insider Scoop

Brussels becomes a seaside retreat from July 1 through Aug 7 with Bruxelles les Bains. Beach-lovers visiting and living in Brussels can head down to this urban beach for a day of sun, sand, music and sports. The spirit of Aperos Urbains is all about meeting new people and discovering Brussels’ beautiful parks, famous statues and charm. Mix and mingle every Friday through Sept 2.

Any beer connoisseur will tell you that Brussels’ Delirium Cafe is a must, with over 2,000 beers on the menu. A La Mort Subite is a typical Belgian cafe named after a dice game onced played by the patrons. Near the Grand Place at the end of a narrow alley, you will find Au Bon Vieux Temps, a tiny cafe with beautiful old world charm. Just across from the famous Mannekin Pis statue, take a moment to have a beer at Poechenellekelder, one of Brussels’ most highly rated bars.

Bed & Brussels will help you feel right at home in the center of the European capital. They have comfortable bed & breakfast accommodations that fit every taste and style. Or to get out of the city look to Ardennes Etape for a vacation rental house nestled away in the picturesque countryside of French-speaking Belgium, just waiting to be discovered.

Now in its fifth year, Design September is a month-long celebration of design creativity in Brussels. The Festival will include exhibition opening, film screenings, debates and studio visits. During the weekend of September 24 and 25, a shuttle bus will be available to take visitors to each of the iconic designer shops in Brussels.

Brussels will join Amsterdam and other European Capitals in the White Nights Network on October 1. This cultural and artistic project invites visitors to stay up for a night of visual art, music, installations, performers and fairground arts in various public spaces.

The Smurfs movie, opening July 29, follows the blue crew as they struggle to get out of the New York City and find their way home, starring Neil Patrick Harris and the voices of Katy Perry, George Lopez and more! The Adventures of Tintin follows the boy reporter through his first encounter with Captain Haddock, in this film, opening on December 23, from Steven Speilberg and Peter Jackson.

Mark your calendars, Brussels and French-speaking Belgium are dedicating 2012 to the flavors of Belgian cuisine!Brusselicious 2012: A Gourmet Odyssey will bring the capital to life with the Brussels Food Tramway, Beer Cafés Rally and beer & chocolate tastings. Wallonia will celebrate with exhibitions on the dialogue between art and gastronomy and explore the links between the culinary arts and design.

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