The Sonoran Institute’s goal is to connect people and communities with the natural resources that “nourish and sustain them.”
The conservation nonprofit is continuing this effort with the month-long Dragonfly Festival, which runs through Thursday, Sept. 30. Activities include expert-led river tours and even a burlesque show.
The first Dragonfly Festival was held in 2019, in collaboration with the University of Arizona and Pima County, to celebrate ecology, culture and community after noticing growing interest in the Santa Cruz River and dragonflies.
“The Santa Cruz River is the mother of this area,” said Luke Cole, director of the Santa Cruz River program at Sonoran Institute.
“It remains a sacred and important place … and by getting people out and seeing this river again, we are repairing many generations of disconnection that we have had with the Santa Cruz River to now remind people that there is opportunity there, there’s beauty and there’s a lot of fun to be had in the river.”
The institute will host two guided tours with local experts, inviting the community to search for dragonflies at the Santa Cruz River in Tumacácori and the ponds at Potrero Creek on Sept. 20, and in Tucson and Pima County on Sept. 27.
With the tour, attendees can also learn how to spot dragonflies and “contribute sightings” using iNaturalist, an app for identifying and recording nature observations. The institute is partnering with University of Arizona professor Michael Bogan for this “community science bioblitz.”
On Sept. 12, the festival hosts a burlesque and drag cabaret show highlighting the beauty and resilience of the Sonoran Desert and the Santa Cruz River. The event will focus on themes of climate change, thriving wildlife and ecosystem endurance.
A new art installation further celebrating the Santa Cruz River and the life it sustains will be available for viewing. Guests may also attend virtual presentations with Jeff Babson from Pima County Conservation Lands and Resources to learn about the early stages of a dragonfly’s life cycle on Sept. 9.
On Sept. 17, researchers Rocio Guzman, Meredith Willmott and Solomon Hendrix will share information about dragonflies and other insects at Playground, a Downtown Tucson venue. “It’ll be a nice way to engage with scientists,” Cole said.
On Sept. 20, families are invited to take part in river-themed activities like exploring the ecosystem, investigating aquatic insects and creating nature-inspired art.
In collaboration with Pima County and the city of Tucson, the Sonoran Institute is also publishing A Living River, an annual magazine dedicated to the Santa Cruz River. “All these tours and all of these events are sort of leading up to the big annual release of this really beautiful magazine,” Cole said.
Most events are free and offered in Spanish and English. The only ticketed event is Sonoran Sashay, the burlesque and drag show. To register or buy tickets, visit sonoraninstitute.org.
“In doing this festival, the Sonoran Institute is trying to prove that conservation can be as fun as it is important,” Cole said.
This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 4, 2025.