arizona

Photo by Chris M Morris

After an hour-long drive up Parowan Canyon, Alina Standford (a hiking enthusiast and intrepid camper) turned onto a rickety dirt road just west of Brian Head. The headlights of the car pushed through an ocean of dust with ease, but seemed to lose strength when put up against the looming dark of the night. A graveyard of pine trees stretched endlessly up on either side of the road and obstructed all view of the valley. The road winding up the mountain seemed to never end, but Alina continued with determination. Then, suddenly the tree line broke and gave way to a rocky, cold landscape. Stepping out of the car, Alina went to the edge of the peak—and looked up.

“At one point, as I was standing in waist-deep, freezing-cold water, catching kids as they slid down a steep rock wall, I remember thinking, ‘I am so fired if we ever get out of here.’”

There’s something about the crunch of leaves underfoot and the hints of an upcoming winter that makes people want to celebrate. But don’t limit yourself to the traditional Americana of Halloween and Thanksgiving. The United States is home to many ethnic enclaves with a variety of cultural festivals. It turns out that, for all the cultural differences, deep down we all just want an excuse to eat, dance, and celebrate.