MEET THE CO-FOUNDERS

FLEUR: Sedona International Festival of Fine Food and Wine is co-founded by Toni and Taylor, a mother-daughter team whose shared vision brings together culinary artistry, Arizona wine, flowers, art, and elevated cultural experience in the heart of Sedona.

For Toni and Taylor, Sedona is not simply a destination, it is part of their family story. Across multi-generations, both experienced Sedona through family traditions rooted in art, nature, hospitality, and memory. For Toni, her parents were avid collectors of Native American Art which led her family on many trips each year to Sedona galleries. Toni’s favorite place in Sedona has always been Tlaquepaque. Her favorite childhood memory revolves around that special place and subsequent picnics and rock jumping at Oak Creek. For Taylor, her childhood memories consist of time spent at her grandparents’ timeshare at Junipine Resort exploring the trails of Sedona and subsequent dinners at Javalina Cantina, one her grandparents’ favorite establishments. Since 2019, Toni and Taylor have lived in the Verde Valley, the region that houses Sedona, deepening a lifelong connection to its majestic landscape and cultural spirit.

For Toni, FLEUR is more than a festival, it is a deeply personal legacy project created in honor of her son, Trey, who passed away at just seven months old. A longtime creator of cultural events, including film, art and wine festivals, and former owner of two art galleries, Toni envisioned FLEUR as a founder-curated celebration of beauty, taste, and meaningful gathering. The heart of FLEUR is charity, and its mission is as much about impact as it is about celebration.

Flowers hold a sacred place within the festival’s story. After Trey’s passing, Toni found herself unable to enjoy the scent of flowers for more than 15 years, as grief became intertwined with their fragrance. When that connection finally softened, flowers became symbols of healing, remembrance, and hope. Today they are woven into the emotional language of FLEUR. Each year, guests will be invited to take part in The Wall of Hope, a remembrance installation where they may leave a note and a flower in honor of a loved one or dear friend who is no longer with them.

As Co-Founder, Taylor brings a distinctive sensory perspective to the festival’s evolution. With a background in hospitality at Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill, The Wrigley Mansion, and Royal Palms Resort and Spa, and as a descendant of the McArthur family, including Albert Chase McArthur, architect of the Arizona Biltmore, she credits her family legacy with inspiring her love of hospitality and memorable guest experience. Following significant vision loss due to diabetic retinopathy two years ago which forced her to quit her four year career at Mariposa Latin Grill, Taylor helps shape FLEUR through sensory programming designed to be not only seen but felt.

This spirit is especially reflected in The Red Rock Reserve Private Estate Dinner Series and accompanying private auctions, where Taylor has chosen the Foundation for Blind Children and Toni has chosen the M.I.S.S. Foundation, which personally supported Toni and her family after Trey’s death to financially benefit.

Together, Toni and Taylor are creating more than a festival. They are building a new tradition for Sedona rooted in beauty, remembrance, and generosity.

TREY BRAYDEN ROPER

October 14, 1996-May 23, 1997