You may have tasted prickly pear candy and lemonade, but how about prickly pear beer? You will have that chance during the free Prickly Pear Festival on Saturday, Aug. 23, as Borderlands Brewing Co. offers small samples to taste. The Prickly Pear Festival will be held from noon to 6 p.m., at Holiday Inn, 4550 S. Palo Verde Road.
The prickly pear goodies go far beyond beer. Todd's Restaurant at Ryan Field will offer food made with prickly pear juice; Untamed Confections will showcase their candies; Cheri's Desert Harvest offers jams, jellies, honey and more; Sweet P Luxury presents skin care products using prickly pear; Bird's Nest Baking Company offers tastings of prickly pear granola and pastries; and Tazzina di Gelato features prickly pear gelato. The Holiday Inn will sell prickly pear lemonade and margaritas.
Presentations will include how prickly pear juice can lessen inflammation and control blood sugar, and how to harvest, clean, prepare and use the fruit. There will also be artists on hand with paintings, clay artworks and jewelry featuring the prickly pear cactus.
A silent auction will take place to benefit EMVIA, Educating and Mentoring for the Visually Impaired Association. The nonprofit assists visually impaired people and their families and provides comprehensive information resources. For more information, visit pricklypearfestival.org and emvia.org.
