Cerca calendar, May 2012

From wildflowers to the wild West, Cerca country comes alive in springtime.

Friday-May 6, Seligman, Ariz.: Historic Route 66 Fun Run. This three-day event travels 140 miles from Seligman to Topock/Golden Shores. The run is open to all street-legal vehicles, buses, RVs and roadsters and usually has more than 500 participants. (928) 753-5001. www.kingmanchamber.org.

Saturday, Chloride, Ariz.: Chloride Yard Sale. The residents of Chloride go all out to offer visitors bargains on antiques and some useful and not-so-useful junk. The Historical Society also holds a bake sale. (928) 565-9419. www.chloridearizona.com.

Saturday, Lone Pine, Calif.: Wild Wild West Marathon. This event takes place in the foothills of Mount Whitney and throughout the Alabama Hills. There is a race for all ages and abilities, including a 50k, a marathon and a three-mile race. (760) 876-4444. www.lonepinechamber.org.

Saturday, Zion National Park, Utah: Zion 101. This workshop gives participants the basics of the park's geology and its ecosystems. Reservations needed. Zion Canyon Field Institute. (435) 772-3264. www.zionpark.org.

May 11, Zion National Park, Utah: Rim to Floor or Rim and Back. This seven-to-eight-mile ranger-led hike starts at the East Mesa Trail or the East Rim Trail and travels down into Zion Canyon while exploring the geology, botany and desert ecosystems. Participants must be in hiking shape. Reservations needed. Zion Canyon Field Institute. (435) 772-3264. www.zionpark.org.

May 12, Kingman, Ariz.: Route 66 Race for Hospice. This event features a 10k and 5k race and three-mile walk. Prizes will be awarded to the top 10k and 5k finishers for each age group and by gender. Powerhouse Visitor Center. (928) 757-0664. www.kingmanchamber.com.

May 12, Zion National Park, Utah: Kolob Wildflowers. Participants in this workshop will travel to the higher elevations of the park for a series of walks and talks about the wildflowers. Reservations needed. Zion Canyon Field Institute. (435) 772-3264. www.zionpark.org.

May 13-20, Kanab, Utah: Amazing Earthfest. This festival celebrates public lands through scientific and cultural presentations, arts and entertainment, and guided hikes and tours. Various venues throughout the area. (888) 588-8970. www.amazingearthfest.com.

May 14, Zion National Park, Utah: Geology: Kolob Canyons and Beyond. Join instructor Mark Colberg in a workshop that surveys 800 million years of geologic activity that shaped the Basin and Range provinces on the Colorado Plateau. Moderate hiking of as far as four miles. Reservations needed. Zion Canyon Field Institute. (435) 772-3264. www.zionpark.org.

May 18-20, Fallon: Spring Wings Bird Festival. This is the height of spring migration to the Lahonton Valley wetlands, which becomes a temporary home to 260 species of birds. (775) 428-6452. www.springwings.org.

May 22-27, Bishop, Calif.: Bishop Mule Days Celebration. Approximately 700 mules will compete in 181 events during the nation's top mule show. Mule Days Parade on May 26 features the country's longest running nonmotorized parade. (760) 872-4263. www.muledays.org.

May 26, Chloride, Ariz.: Chloride Frontier Days. This all-day event includes a pie-eating contest, greased pig contest, vaudeville shows, gunfight and a street dance. (928) 565-5030. www.chloridefrontierdays.com.

May 26-27, Flagstaff, Ariz.: Zuni Festival of Arts and Culture. Learn about the Zuni way of life, including their language, dance and music. Demonstrations by weavers, inlay jewelers, fetish carvers, potters and painters. Museum of Northern Arizona. (928) 774-5213. www.musnaz.org.