Valentine’s Day 2012 is Arizona’s centennial–100 years of statehood. There aren’t many states left with a centennial to celebrate, so we didn’t want to miss the chance to commemorate this milestone.

Yesterday we headed out to enjoy the Best Fest downtown. The grounds of the state capital were crowded with museum exhibits, carnival rides, arts and crafts booths, musical and storytelling stages, military vehicles, classic cars, and lots of our fellow Arizonans sporting AZ flags and t-shirts. The main street had even been recently redone to include the centennial celebration right there in the crosswalks!I was struck yet again with the diversity of Arizona’s population. First, we hit the Navajo village complete with hogans and wigwams, rugs, jewelry, and dancers in traditional dress Native American dress. Next, came the Hispanic cultural village where lots of fun music filled the air.Arizona’s natural resources and its famous attractions {Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, etc.} were proudly represented. We paused for a bit at the storytelling stage and then meandered through the military park. The road was lined with military vehicles, while soldiers, sailors, re-enactors, and memorials to fallen troops filled the park.The coolest parts of the celebration were the fly-overs done by five Stearman Trainers, a B-25 Mitchell and two P-51s. The bi-planes made several passes over the fest.The far end of the fest sported a Wild West town with an Old West Shoot-out performance for the crowd! Carnival rides and every kind of food truck you can imagine rounded out the experience. We thought we’d stick to foods unique to our state, so Indian Fry Bread and a Sonoran Dog were our picks. Anyone up for a hot dog wrapped in bacon?Happy birthday, Arizona!