The Cave Creek Museum will be hosting a family-friendly event from 1-4 p.m. on Oct. 17.
The event is free thanks to sponsorship by the Kiwanis Club of Carefree.
The special three-hour event, themed “Where Melodies Spark Memories and Objects Tell Stories,” will feature live musical performances, interactive storytelling and hands-on activities.
Visitors can meet curators, board members and community memory keepers, to uncover behind-the-scenes insights into the region’s heritage. Ten other local non-profits will join the museum for this special afternoon.
Key activities include:
• Nanny Nikki’s Imagination Station: Located in the history wing, local Montessori teacher and podcast creator Nikki Wasilishin will introduce young explorers to the stories of Cave Creek’s miners, ranchers and early families.
• Live blacksmith demonstrations: Desert Rat Forge and in-house artisan Paul will host ongoing “branding” activities at the outdoor blacksmith shed. Attendees can take home a custom, hand-forged Spur Cross-branded wood block keepsake.
• Cowboy Chaz the Runaway Outlaw: A resident wardrobed interpreter will roam the grounds, spinning rowdy yarns about the mining campus and posing for “selfies” with guests.
• “A Kiss from France.”: Inside the historic Cave Creek Church, textile collector Sue Palmer will showcase her personal collection of rare WWI silks and share how Belgian artisans helped wartime soldiers stay connected with family.
• Share music and memories at the gazebo: Local musician Darrell Doepke, joined by friends, will honor 1970s era small-time traditions. Fill our “memory jar” with what you remember about the museum’s gazebo, which originally stood at Neary’s Village Square at Cave Creek Road and Hidden Valley Drive before being relocated to the museum property in 1991.
• Behind-the-scenes and preservation: Volunteer Kitty Sue Schlink will share insights into what it takes to maintain and operate the museum’s historic ten-stamp ore crushing mill, while Kathy Tuley and Gwen Harwood will teach guests how to preserve their own family heirlooms.
• Community partners: Representatives from the Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus Pine Council, local business Desert Mermaid and others, will answer questions, talk about upcoming events and offer make-and-take activities for the kids.
The 56-year-old museum’s mission is to preserve the artifacts of the prehistory, history, culture and legacy of the Cave Creek Mining District and the Cave Creek/Carefree foothills area through education, research, and interpretive exhibits. The Cave Creek Museum is located at 6140 E. Skyline Dr. The museum is open from October through May.
For more information call the museum at 480-488-2764 or visit cavecreekmuseum.org.
Meet Jeff Jeff Wendt started at Independent Newsmedia in January 2023, after 25 years working for Gannett and The Arizona Republic. Started as a high school sports scoretaker, worked up to reporting high school sports and then became an associate high school sports editor in 2002. Also worked in the Design Studio as a copy editor.
Community: Jeff serves on the Board of Elders at his local church.
Education: Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication
Random fact: Attended Game 2 of the 2001 World Series.
Hobbies: Playing video games (yes still the kid in me), watching reality TV, playing poker.
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