Town of Carfree 25th Anniversary Celebration October 3, 2009

Carefree Town Anniversary Celebration
Commemorates 25 Years of Incorporation And 50 Years of History
Saturday, October 3rd

Celebrate Arizona history in Carefree when the town commemorates 25 years of incorporation with a full day of festivities throughout the community on Sat., Oct. 3rd,

Events are free open to the public. Visitors can get more information by picking up a free event passport, available at Carefree Town Hall and throughout the community, or by visiting www.Carefree.org.

The celebration takes place at historic Carefree venues. Activities include a vintage aircraft display at Sky Ranch airport, an exotic car show featuring an extremely rare Bugatti Veyron at the Carefree Market Place, and quiet contemplative labyrinth walks and pet adoptions at the Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center. Other activities include fire station and town hall tours.

“Carefree is celebrating 25 years of incorporation, but we are also commemorating 50 years of history,” said event organizer Joanne Gemmill. “Although we incorporated in 1985, our history dates back to the 1950’s. Both the Sundial and the very first Carefree home were built in 1959,” she said.

October 3rd, Carefree Town Anniversary Events:

Vintage Aircraft Display - Free
Sky Ranch, 8am-3pm
Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast 8am-11am, BBQ lunch 11am-1pm
8302 E. Cave Creek Road
Carefree
Meet the pilots and see vintage bomber and historical planes as the private Sky Ranch opens its doors to the public for the day and plays host to a static air show. Planes include the Stearman, P-51, Bulldog, Spitfire, a P-38 and more. Kiwanis of Carefree will host a pancake breakfast and bbq lunch for attendees.

Historical tie-in: Sky Ranch was the first airport in Arizona to offer fly-in houses and was used to court out-of-town investors by the town’s founders K.T. Palmer and Tom Darlington.

Exotic Car Show - Free
Carefree Market Place, 10am-3pm
36889 N. Tom Darlington Drive
Carefree
Get a close look at more than 100 exotic cars including a Bugatti Veyron valued at more than two million dollars! See Porches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces, Jaguars, Corvettes, Cadillacs, street rods and more. This show is organized by Carefree business owner Sue Bickerdyke of Sue Bickerdyke Interiors. The Foothills Caring Corps will be on hand to serve delicious food and drink throughout the dat.

Historical tie-in: Carefree Market Place was the first commercial center built outside of the original Easy Street commercial core.

Labyrinth Walks, Pet Adoptions and Non-Profit Activities - Free
Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center, 10am-3pm
7415 E. Elbow Bend Road
Carefree
Soak in the serenity of the Sonoran Desert in the heart of downtown Carefree. Stroll the meditative labyrinth or take a short nature walk circling this special 28-room retreat and conference center with a resort like feel. Carefree area non-profits will be represented including the Foothills Animal Rescue who is offering pet adoptions, and the Foothills Foodbank who will be collecting canned goods.

Historic tie-in: The Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center building was one of the first commercial buildings in Carefree and was originally built as the home of the Carefree International Restaurant.

Fire Station Tours - Free
Carefree Fire Station, 10am-3pm
37401 N. Tom Darlington Drive
Carefree
Stop by Carefree’s new award-winning fire station and enjoy a tour, visit with the firefighters and a look at the state-of-the-art emergency services are offered there. The structure was designed by LEA Architects led by Lawrence Enyard and won a Design Excellence Honor Award in 2008.

Historic tie-in: The Carefree Fire Station building was designed to emulate Carefree’s most historic landmark, the Sundial.

Town Hall Tours - Free
Carefree Town Hall, 10am-3pm
8 Sundial Circle
Carefree
Get your first glimpse of Carefree’s new Town Hall and meet the town’s elected Councilmen and women and town staff. Enjoy a piece of birthday cake and view the town’s historical exhibit.

Historic tie-in: Town founders K.T. Palmer and Tom Darlington once housed their Carefree Development Corporation in this building.

The Sundial and Botanical Gardens Self-Guided Tours – Free
Every Day
Easy Street, Downtown Carefree
The Sundial that sits along Easy Street can still be used to mark time and the beautiful botanical gardens that surround it offer the peaceful beauty Carefree is known for. Learn how a sundial works, walk through the gardens and visit the cool fountain, or the take the kids down the larger than life Gila Monster slide. Enjoy native vegetation complemented by beautiful sculpture along the way.

Historic tie-in: The Sundial was built in 1959 by solar engineer John Yellot and architect Joe Wong.
The Kiwanis Club of Carefree donated the Sundial to the community in memory of the town’s founder and fellow Kiwanian K.T. Palmer. It is the third largest sundial in the world and is one of the most photographed landmarks in Carefree. The Sundial reflects the town’s original motto of “Carefree Where The Sun Tells Time.”

Open House
Carefree Resort & Villas, noon-6pm
37220 N. Mule Train Road
Carefree
Need a break for delicious food and or an iced cold drink? Choose from several resort restaurants. Or simply enjoy some time in the sun by the pool. The facility will feature an open house for anniversary visitors.

Historic tie-in: The Carefree Inn opened in January, 1964 and was developed to accommodate interested parties, mainly potential real estate investors, in the Carefree area. The resort once featured synchronized swimmers called Aqua Maids at the pool to entice the public to visit the facility.

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The town of Carefree is located just minutes north of Scottsdale and Phoenix in the foothills of the Sonoran Desert. With a population of nearly 3,000, the community is known for it’s slightly cooler temperatures, quirky street names such as Easy Street, Languid Lane and Ho and Hum Roads, and its extreme mountain home architecture. For more information call the Town of Carefree, 480-488-3686, write PO Box 740, Carefree, Arizona 85377 or visit www.Carefree.org.

Carefree 25th Anniversary Day at a Glance - All Events Take Place in Carefree
Vintage Aircraft Display - Free
Sky Ranch, 8am-3pm, 8302 E. Cave Creek Road

Exotic Car Show - Free
Carefree Market Place, 10am-3pm, 36889 N. Tom Darlington Drive

Labyrinth Walks, Pet Adoptions and Non-Profit Activities - Free
Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center, 10am-3pm, 7415 E. Elbow Bend Road

Fire Station Tours - Free
Carefree Fire Station, 10am-3pm, 37401 N. Tom Darlington Drive

Town Hall Tours - Free
Carefree Town Hall, 10am-3pm, 8 Sundial Circle

The Sundial and Botanical Gardens Self-Guided Tours – Free
Easy Street, Downtown Carefree

Carefree Resort & Villas Open House – Free
Noon-6pm, 37220 N. Mule Train Road

Official Website: http://www.Carefree.org