Recently Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance presented Sweet Charity, a dessert-based fundraiser for the arts on Friday, Nov. 16.

Drooling over the list of sweets they had on hand from awesome local restaurants (more than 20 different ones, including Feast, RA Sushi and Busy B's Bakery who were among the winners), and signature dessert cocktails, I’m totally bummed that my invitation was apparently lost in the mail. More than 400 people came together to enjoy great desserts, support arts education and take in a a wonderful Arizona night. I guess I will forgive the SAACA folks this time…still jealous though.

Take a look below the cut to see the list of the winners, including the top prize, which went to Wildflower American Cuisine.

Video shot and edited by Rogelio Garcia

Harmony. Grace. Beauty.

Words to describe Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion and so much more.

The oftentimes jaw-dropping show features a melding of Chinese traditional dance and martial arts with Cirque’s trademark Avant-garde style of acrobatics.

“We took 3,000 years of Chinese acrobatic tradition,” Artistic director Sean McKeown said, “and did a very special blending of that tradition with a very unique Cirque du Soleil of doing things.”

• John de Dios
• Dante Adela melds martial arts and ballet in his interpretation of Yao, the representation of Fire.

• John de Dios
• Jonathan Morin plays Kala, a time-keeper of sorts, that performs in the unique Crossed Wheel that he invented specifically for Cirque. Morin joined the stage opening night with more than 50 other acrobats and artists representing 17 different nationalities.

• John de Dios
• Tara Catherine Pandeya, center, portrays Oceane, the representation of Water. Oceane is flanked by acrobats who performed on trampolines. The set for Dralion itself was as big a part of the show as the cast members.

• John de Dios
• The lead characters of Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Little Buddha prepare to welcome the other lead characters at the start of the performance. The cast members wear elaborate costumes specifically designed for their bodies, said Melody Wood, the head of wardrobe.

In a word: breathtaking.

Cirque du Soleil's Dralion, a traveling whiz-bang spectacle captivates and mesmerizes it's audiences with a rich melding of Chinese traditional performances and Cirque's trademark Avant-garde style of acrobatics.

The slightly over two-hour event is a harmonious blend of rich color, texture and a powerful expression of music and song.

Gezile Daka, 24, a local, attended the show with her boyfriend Jhonas Rubalcava, 26. Both have seen Cirque in Las Vegas and were a bit skeptical when they saw that Cirque was traveling to Tucson, they said. But after the first hour before intermission, both Daka and Rubalcava were already blown away what the show had to offer, they added.

And rightfully so: Dralion's 54 performers from 17 nations take the stage unflinchingly diving through hoops, suspended in the air by silk, or spinning in a unique and innovative "Crossed Wheel" contraption made specifically for Cirque by gymnast and performer Jonathan Morin. Morin, himself a sight to see, spins perpendicular or parallel to the ground effortlessly with such grace that he seems to fly across the stage. Then again, it probably helps that he is also built like a comic book superhero.

"It was pretty magnificent," said Georgina Hillman, 33, who brought her son Ben Cañeda, 11, with for his birthday. "(We were having) one of those superhero conversations where if you could have one superpower, poof, you have all the talent it takes to put on a show like (Dralion)."

During the performance, you can see people around us literally cringing and biting their teeth about some of the things they were doing, Hillman said.

"They harmonized really well together," Hillman said about the music and the singing used throughout the show and acrobatics. "It just made me happy."

The show is about harmony, peace and family, said Sean McKeown, the artistic director.

It's the perfect show to bring the family together, Rubalcava said.

Go see it. Consider it an effective and worthy counter programming to all the Black Friday craziness that begins, at some places, as early as 8 p.m. Thanksgiving night.

Cirque du Soleil at Tucson Convention Center Arena
Nov. 22, 7:30 p.m through Sunday, Nov. 25
Showtimes at 7:30 except for Nov. 24, 3:30 & 7:30 p.m. and Sun., Nov. 25, 1 & 5 p.m.

Read the preview for the show written by editorial intern Mariana Dale here.

Visit Dralion's website here.

More photos after the jump.

Tired of the blanket of political bullshit we've all been under the past year? Yeah, of course you are, which is why you need to come down to Spoke6, 439 N. Sixth Ave., today to bask in Kyle Durrie's Moveable Type Project.

The mobile print shop travels around the country in an old delivery truck bringing the wonder of the craft of press and letterpress printing. At Spoke6 there will be printing demos, studios tours of the truck, and a chance to get your hands dirty.

For more info, go here, and make a plan to regain some humanity post-election season with Moveable Type. Hallelujah.

Social media is filled with images of last Sunday's All Souls Procession, which is wonderful for those who didn't get a chance to observe or participate. Of course, Daniel Buckley was there filming and put together this handy video of the evening:

Sometimes exciting things do happen on the internets, such as last night's announcement that author and Mexican-American studies champion Luis Alberto Urrea returns to Tucson for a Day of the Dead celebration at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1, at the UA Student Union.

Praise the literature gods!

Press release from the UA Bookstore and the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry:

A celebration of Day of the Dead (“Día de los Muertos”), including traditional Mexican food and entertainment and Day of the Dead altars created by UA students will be held on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012 at the University of Arizona Student Union Memorial Center beginning at 4 p.m. All events are free and open to the public and sponsored by Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry.

Luis Urrea, a member of the Latino Literature Hall of Fame, will join in the festivities at the University of Arizona BookStores, Student Union Memorial Center in the lower level, speaking with the UA students who have designed their own Day of the Dead Altars for the occasion and meeting with the public. The altars, traditional remembrances of the deceased, will be on display at the bookstore through Nov. 3.

The festivities begin at 4 p.m. and will include performances by Grupo Folklórico Miztontli and Las Aguilitas de Davis Mariachis. Traditional bread made for this holiday, “Pan de muerto” or Day of the Dead sweet bread, will be served along with hot chocolate at the bookstore event.

At 5:00 p.m., the mariachis and dancers will lead the audience in a procession to the Student Union Ballroom where Urrea will give a reading followed by a book signing. Along with the UA BookStores, the event is co-sponsored by Asian Pacific American Student Affairs/JEDI, Binational Migration Institute, Mexican American Studies, Chicano/Hispano Student Affairs and the Department of English.

A celebration of life and a way to honor deceased loved ones, Día de los Muertos is a 3,800-year-old indigenous Mexican tradition. It is a holiday that is gaining popularity in the United States. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have passed away. Despite its name, this holiday does not glorify death and is not associated in any way with Halloween. Rather, it is a time of reflection on and appreciation for life.

Chicano/Hispano Student Affairs (CHSA) is also holding a Día de los Muertos Celebration with altars created by CHSA students available for viewing in Chavez Building Room 211 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with students available to answer questions about their altars from 12:15 to 3 p.m. Altars created by SEED teachers will be available for viewing in Chavez Building Room 205 from noon to 4 p.m. and the teachers will present the traditional altar at 12:20. At noon there will be a procession from the center of the UA Mall to the Chavez Building. The procession is open to all and will include a Catrina Hat contest. At 12:15 pm, the procession will arrive at Chavez Building where there will be refreshments including “Pan de muerto,” champurrado and chocolate on the second floor. Face painting will take place from 12:15 to 1 p.m. in Chavez Room 211.

Odyssey Storytelling was voted in the latest Tucson Weekly's Best of Tucson as Best Way to be Entertained by Real Life Adventures in an Off-Broadway Setting. Anyone who has participated in a storytelling evening or been to a "performance," knows there's a lot of love for the organization that brings folks together to hear local folks tell stories — usually a theme for the evening brings it all together and brings the crowd to tears and mostly lots of laughter.

A good portion of that love is due to Odyssey's founder Penelope Starr, who retires the end of the year after 9 years leading this storytelling ship. A celebration is planned to bid Starr farewell and celebrate the organization that continues on its storytelling mission with Adam Hostetter, Sarah Smith, Roscoe Mutz and Shannon Snapp herding us cats, er, yeah story people.

A party is planned and all past storytellers are invited — everyone who has ever told a story on the Odyssey stage. The party is Saturday, Dec. 15, from 7 to 10 p.m. Want more info, send a message to Mr. Hostetter at [email protected].

Daniel Martin Diaz, proprietor of the Sacred Machine Museum and Curiosity Shop, and one of the most prominent artists in the Tucson area, has created a Kickstarter project to raise money for his newest book, "Soul of Science."

And incredibly, though the project began only this week, its already surpassed its goal, with more than 90 backers.

There is, however, still time to help fund this project if you feel so inclined—the project doesn't end until Nov. 30. Copies of the book will be given to backers who contribute $40 or more, while limited edition copies start at $140.

Check out the project page here. For more on Diaz, see his website here.

Paul Weir talks about the new Urn for the All Souls Procession 2012 from Leslie Ann Epperson on Vimeo.

This video was shot by Leslie Ann Epperson, who recently achieved full funding for her film Many Bones, One Heart, which documents the making of Tucson's annual All Souls Procession.

From the video's description on Vimeo:

The Technical Director of the All Souls Procession Weekend, Paul Weir, helps the talented crew at Creative Machines, Inc in Tucson, AZ as they fabricate a new stainless steel Urn to hold the prayers and petitions of the community. The burning of the contents of the Urn has become the ritual climax concluding the annual All Souls Procession. The dodecahedron receptacle was graphically designed by Thomas Valentine, after discussion with Paul Weir. The original Urn was also made at Creative Machines, Inc.

Fall is here and it's time for the 24th annual Patagonia Fall Festival, a celebration of art, music and fun. The small town of Patagonia invites the whole family to come enjoy some cooler weather in the town park, where the festivities are held. Shoppers will find authentic gifts, trinkets, food, art, and more.

“This festival is truly one of the best small-town celebrations anywhere, and has been growing and getting better with each year of juried artists and great food vendors,” said Lars Marshall, the marketer for the celebration. Marshall has attended the festival for the past 11 years.

There will be more than 140 booths of arts and crafts, jewelry, fashion, furniture/household creations, gourmet food and non-profit and informational exhibitors from all over the United States.

Here are just a few examples of the numerous exhibitors that will be participating in the Fall Festival, which runs Oct. 12-14:

* Sunshine Specialty Food will be selling salsas, spreads, gift bags and recipes.
* Creek Ranch Design will be selling turquoise and coral jewelry.
* Copper Anza Furnishings will be selling metal benches, tables, lamps and furniture.

A lineup of musicians will play on the Gazebo stage performing a variety of genres, ranging from the band Americano—playing electronic/dubstep, to the band Haywire—playing jazz, rock and classical.

For more information on the exhibitors or schedule, visit www.patagoniafallfestival.com.