These new candle scents aim to remind you of the University of Arizona

When you think of the University of Arizona, what scents and smells come to mind?

The fresh-cut grass across campus? The monsoons in the summer? The smell of flowers in the spring?

For those looking to bring a piece of the University of Arizona’s history into their homes, a new collaboration promises to be a memorable way to light up any space — quite literally.

The University of Arizona and local candle company Cicada Candles have joined forces to create a new collection of exclusive, memory-inspired candles to remind people of their favorite spots on campus, whether you attended the university or are just a fan of the beloved school.

The four carefully crafted scents in the “Arizona Reveries” collection will offer both nostalgic and sensory experiences for anyone who has walked around campus, said Stacey McClure, owner of Cicada Candles.

Cicada Candles, known for its hand-poured clean candles inspired by memory and place, partnered with the university to create scents that tell stories of the past, present and future of the UA. This unique collaboration blends the company’s dedication to creating memory-inspired scents and fragrances with the university’s rich cultural and academic heritage.

“We got together with people from the University of Arizona last year and we kind of came up with this whole idea of making our candles smell like iconic places on campus and remind people of the memories they made there,” McClure said.

Each of the four scents draws from iconic aspects of campus life, from the historic citrus trees to the iconic Mall in the middle of campus. Here’s a glimpse into what each scent represents:

"Memory No. 1885" – Inspired by the scent of the Sonoran Desert. Earth, honey, citrus, creosote, sandalwood and cedar.
"Memory No. 1891" – Inspired by the scent of the UA’s Krutch Garden. Agave, earth, green leaves and patchouli.
"Memory No. 1895" – Inspired by the scent of sunkissed orange trees. Green leaves, citrus, neroli and patchouli.
"Memory No. 1920" – Inspired by the scents of the Mall. Green leaves, grass, stems and earth.

“We wanted to create something that captured the essence of what it feels like to be part of the University of Arizona,” said McClure, who worked closely with UA historians and archivists to craft each scent. “These candles aren’t just fragrances; they’re memories.”

Cicada Candles not only worked closely with UA historians to craft the scents but also to design the labels and typography on the candles as well, keeping them authentic to the year the candles represent.

“For the actual packaging, I really wanted to dive into the year that the places each scent represents were built on campus,” McClure said. “The university really helped with this and their design team actually got archival scrapbooks out for inspiration for each label.”

Cicada Candles will celebrate the launch of the collection with an event at Pink Moon Mercantile, 845 N. Park Ave., on Friday, April 4 from 4-7 p.m. The launch event will feature a themed photo booth, a wildcat-inspired mocktail using ingredients from the collection and exclusive giveaways, McClure added.

The candles are available in two sizes, four ounces and seven ounces, and will be available for purchase at the University of Arizona Bookstore, as well as at Cicada Candles’ website and select locations around town.

“It's been such a wonderful process. The UA’s whole team is fantastic and every time we got together, I got so excited,” McClure said. “I hope that there's more opportunities for collaborations that continue to bring people and the community together.”

“I'm really excited to have people smell (the candles),” McClure added. “I love the idea that so many people are going to take these scents back with them wherever they are and recall these memories of campus.”