Almost nothing is more synonymous with springtime in Tucson than the bright yellow flowers of the palo verde tree.
This year, the Southern Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is celebrating the arrival of the palo verde blossoms with the first-ever “Bloomfest” and a month-long Palo Verde Bloom Festival, highlighting the unique beauty of the desert landscape and the cultures of the region.
Rob Elias, president of the Southern Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said he came up with the idea for the festival on his annual trip to Washington, D.C., for a United States Hispanic Chamber legislative conference.
“Every year I go to Washington, D.C., and I typically go during the cherry blossom festival,” he said. “On my way back last year, I thought, ‘why don’t we have something similar in Arizona that highlights the beauty of our state tree? They’re just as vibrant, if not more vibrant, than cherry blossoms, as stunning as those are.’”…