Come Join Us! Our meetings are the first and third Thursdays monthly, 8:00 AM,
but we open at 7:30 AM for coffee and camaraderie. Village Library, 25 Saddlehorn Road, Sedona, Arizona.
Zoom Meeting ID: 598-970-4878 Password: 4Waytest
Welcome to another issue of our Club newsletter. Find out who our upcoming speakers are, what we covered during the last weekly meeting, and learn more about our exciting upcoming events.
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Not a member? Come and join us. We'd love to see you. To get and give the full benefit of Rotary you can become a member, but if that's not for you then being a Friend of Rotary is a good choice.
Larry joined a satellite club in Phoenix in 2011 and led its transformation into the Rotary Club of Camelback Crossroads in August 2024. He served as District Governor in D5495, northern Arizona, in 2022-23. After retiring from law enforcement and commercial real estate, Larry became an IEP Positive Peace Activator through Rotary International’s partnership with the Institute for Economics & Peace, receiving training at RI headquarters in Evanston. As a Positive Peace Activator, Larry distinguishes between negative peace and positive peace, explaining the latter as attitudes, institutions, and structures that sustain peaceful societies, and discusses the eight Pillars of Positive Peace. He encourages Rotarians to leverage the IEP/Rotary partnership to align their peace building efforts with Rotary’s Area of Focus, offering workshops, training, and presentations to promote positive peace. Larry also advocates for public peace promotion, such as establishing Peace Poles or conducting peace symposia, and helps Rotarians develop a personal positive peace ethic for everyday life.
Breakfast in the stacks – club members and guests feast on potluck breakfast before the Aug. 21 meeting.
We don't usually have a meal at our club meetings, but when the District Governor comes to visit we have to do something a little special.
The meeting began with a program provided by Youth Services featuring high school students who received scholarships for summer camps, international experiences and introducing incoming exchange student Sofia from Brazil.
After listening to the youth experiences, District Governor gave a motivational speech on setting goals and growing a club.
This August we lost a great friend and partner of the Rotary Club - Dolly Parton. We honor and remember the extraordinary life she had, celebrating her profound humanitarian legacy and her enduring collaboration with Rotary International. Driven by the shared belief that every child deserves the chance to read and dream, Dolly’s Dollywood Foundation partnered with Rotary to transform early childhood literacy. While her Imagination Library provided the books and infrastructure, hundreds of local Rotary clubs across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom provided the vital funding, community outreach, and hands-on service needed to mail millions of free books to children from birth to age five. It was a flawless synergy of her visionary heart and Rotary’s commitment to "Service Above Self."
The Yavapai County Master Gardeners, in collaboration with the Sedona Village Rotary Club, will host the Master Gardener Fall Splendor Sedona-VOC Garden Tour and Community Garden Fest.
These concurrent events are designed to offer attendees inspiration and practical insights tailored specifically to gardening in the unique Red Rock region. Both will take place on
Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
There is no cost for the Rotary Garden Fest and no reservations are needed.
Tickets for the Master Gardeners Tour ($20) are on sale now. Register online by clicking on the button below. Registration information and a tour map will be sent to paid attendees the day before the event. The Rotary will have BBQ lunch available at our garden, plus there will be a “farmers market” with multiple vendors.
Free Rotary Garden Fest Highlights Fall Splendor Garden Tour
Garden lovers throughout the Verde Valley are invited to a free day of gardening information, food and community fun when the Rotary Club of Sedona Village hosts its fifth annual Fall Garden Open House, this year as the Community Garden Fest, on Saturday, September 19.
The Garden Fest, held at the Rotary Club of Sedona Village Community Garden, is free and open to the public and is being presented in conjunction with the Fall Splendor Sedona-VOC Garden Tour, sponsored by the Yavapai County Master Gardener Association.
From 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., visitors can enjoy the Community Garden, learn from local gardening experts and meet others who share an interest in gardening in Sedona and the Verde Valley. There will be free Master Gardener educational programs covering a variety of gardening topics, with practical information for both experienced gardeners and those just getting started.
And come hungry! The Rotary Club will fire up the grill for a hamburger cookout, adding food and fellowship to the day's activities.
The Garden Fest continues a Rotary tradition that began five years ago with the club's Fall Garden Open House. This year's partnership with the Yavapai County Master Gardener Association expands the event by connecting it with the Fall Splendor Garden Tour of outstanding gardens in West Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek.
The Community Garden Fest is free; tickets ($20) are required for the Fall Splendor Sedona-VOC Garden Tour. Proceeds from the tour fund-raiser support gardening education. The Community Garden Fest and the Fall Splendor Sedona-VOC Garden Tour will be held concurrently on Saturday, September 19, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Tickets Now Available! Eleven Area Restaurants and Wineries Join Rotary’s Second Annual Village Celebration
Tickets are now available for the Rotary Club of Sedona Village’s second annual Taste of Sedona Village, bringing together some of the area’s favorite restaurants, food purveyors and wineries for an afternoon of great food, beverages, music and community.
Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, Taste of Sedona Village returns Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at The Collective Courtyard & Grotto in the Village of Oak Creek.
This year’s participating restaurants, food businesses and wineries include:
Doc’s BBQ & Whiskey
Tortas de Fuego
Gerardo’s Pizzeria
Clark’s Market
Miley’s Cafe
Juniper Bar & Grill
Flew the Coop
Dellepiane
Carolina’s Chocolates
Willy’s Empanada House
Alcantara Vineyards
Guests will have the opportunity to sip and savor samples from participating businesses, enjoy multiple wine and beer tastings, and relax to live music by guitarist Eric Miller—all in the outdoor setting of The Collective.
“Taste of Sedona Village is exactly what its name suggests—a chance to experience some of the wonderful food, wine and hospitality that make our community special,” said Jennifer Bowles, project coordinator. “It’s a fun afternoon, but it also has a purpose. Every ticket helps Rotary continue its service to our community.” Proceeds from Taste of Sedona Village support the Rotary Club of Sedona Village’s service initiatives benefiting local youth, veterans and community projects, including the Village Rotary Community Garden, as well as international humanitarian programs.
Early-bird tickets for $35 each are available online at SedonaVillageRotary.org. Because attendance is limited, advance ticket purchases are encouraged.
Come sip, savor and celebrate this wonderful place we call home!
The Rotary Club of Sedona Village is the only service club based in the Village of Oak Creek. Guided by Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self,” members work to improve lives locally and globally through volunteer service, charitable support and community partnerships. The club meets on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 8:00 a.m. at Community Library Sedona at the Big Park School. Visitors and prospective members are always welcome.
The Rotary Club of Sedona Village invites local residents to help keep Oak Creek clean and beautiful.
Sunday, September 6, 2026, Meet at 7:30 a.m.
Baldwin Trail parking lot, at the end of the dirt-road portion of Verde Valley School Road.
Rotary will provide cleanup tools and buckets. Please dress appropriately, bring plenty of water, and remember that a Red Rock Pass is required for parking.
For information, contact Damian Bruno at 928-202-0038.
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Our fellow Rotarians Damian, Danielle and Andrew invite you to the VOC BBQ
Come hungry!
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If you are looking for a very worthwhile activity while also getting to meet some of us in the Rotary club then please come to the Manzanita Outreach Food Packing Service that we help with. We are there on the second Thursday of every month. So the next one is
September 10 at 8AM.
The address is: Manzanita Outreach, 406 S 6th St, Cottonwood, , AZ 86326 _________________________
Thank you to our 2025 Taste of Sedona Village and Rotary Club of Sedona Village Supporters and Sponsors!
