Friday, Jan. 31

EDM and jam band enthusiasts take heed. Dubbed "The Crown Jewel of the Southwest Festival Scene" by Huffington Post, the Gem & Jam Festival 2020 kicks off its thirteenth installment at the Pima County Fairgrounds. This year's synthesis of jam bands, EDM, cutting-edge sound and lighting includes: Tipper, Big Gigantic, The Floozies, Twiddle, Billy Strings, supergroup TH3 (featuring members of The String Cheese Incident), Thriftworks, Manic Focus, Dirtwire, Desert Hearts Takeover, Desert Dwellers, Bluetech, Buku and many more. Visit gemandjamfestival.com for all the details...

His playing style interweaves the folkloric music of Greece, Spain and Latin America with pop sensibilities. Celebrated guitarist Pavlo blows "Besos Mediterreano" at the Fox Theatre...

Chakalo provide the soundtrack for Día de las Luchas. Briny, spandex-clad luchadores top the bill. At the Rialto Theatre...

In their only Tucson show of 2020, deathcore collective Decayer are set to shoot a video. Before The Silence are making their highly anticipated debut. Stands With Fists, Fire Glass, Dedwin and Creating The Scene add a "Twist of Cane" into the metallic cauldron until it spills over. At The Rock...

Pieta Brown has been hailed by the BBC as "a self-styled poetess, folk goddess and country waif," while David Huckfelt's music functions as a darkly poetic canticle to protect all things vulnerable and sublime. Together these former Tucsonans share the stage at El Crisol Bar...

Shit Knife, Lone Control and Sherbet & Champagne do sordid things. At the Surly Wench Pub...

Modern house connoisseur Dillon Nathaniel manipulates frequencies. At Gentle Ben's...

Saturday, Feb. 1

After a long hiatus, in the wake of a scandal involving accusations of sexual coercion in 2017, Pinegrove seek to earn back fans' trust. At Club Congress. Lake lends support...

This modern violin quartet transform the music of Metallica, Led Zeppelin, AC-DC and others into something uniquely their own. Femmes Of Rock dazzle at The Fox Theatre...

Wolf Parade's latest album Thin Mind (Sub Pop, 2020) was recorded in an old stone barn in the woods while employing '80s synthesizers to create a future-forward sound. Hear what it sounds like live at 191 Toole. Fellow Canadian indie-rockers Land of Talk open...

"The Godfather of British Blues," elder statesman John Mayall will play the Rialto Theatre. Local blues titan Tom Walbank takes to the stage first...

Arizona Opera presents one of the most gifted and distinguished tenors of his generation, Matthew Polenzani, accompanied by pianist Christopher Cano perform at Holsclaw Hall... Progressive hard rockers YYNOT bring Resonance to The Rock...

Tucson Kitchen Musicians presents Grammy nominated Americana/roots artists Wood & Wire. With special guests Ryanhood. At El Casino Ballroom...

From Santa Fe, country-tinged garage poppers Clementine Was Right wheel The Lightning & Regret Tour to The Boxyard. With Moontrax and Tonight's Sunshine...

From Palestine, Texas, Blacktop Mojo's fiery blend of hard-driving Southern Rock will ignite EncoreTucson en fuego...

In a program that focuses on the lowest pitched brass instrument, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra presents Tubalicious. At Catalina Foothills High School...

It's a garage rock extravaganza with The Rebel Set, The Sound Station and Gutter Town. At Sky Bar...

In the tradition of narrative country music, capturing the poignancy and melodrama, James Woodruss (aka Adam Frumhoff) performs select Songs and Sonnets of William Shakespeare. At El Crisol Bar...

Playing a mix of rockabilly, country and rock 'n' roll, the inimitable Al Foul Trio raise the dust in the courtyard at Mercado San Agustin...

Sunday, Feb. 2

The Kinda Cool Quintet plays brisk post-war jazz sorta awesomely. At Monterey Court...

Comprised of violist Wil B. and violinist Kev Marcus, this edgy duo focuses on overcoming stereotypes. Black Violin break down cultural barriers. At Centennial Hall...

Highlighting non-binary artistry, Femmes & Thems features Pearl Earl, garage psych rockers (with great big harmony vocals and a dash of camp) from Denton, Texas. At Club Congress. Followed by the spring 2020 installment of Opti Club, which sees special guest Xochique join resident DJs H.R. Guerin and Lance Fairchild behind the decks. At Club Congress...

After dropping out of college and setting his job as a welder aside, this singer-songwriter's career began to take flight. Sam Riggs tracks Red Dirt country onto the stage. At the Rock...

Arizona Friends of Chamber Music present the Killer B's performing American Song: From Amy Beach to the Beach Boys. A program that reflects the hopes and struggles of 20th century Americans. At Crowder Hall...

UG Late Night #006 features Jae Tilt, Benny Loc & Cass, Pariah Pete, Zeus and more. At Thunder Canyon Brewstillery...

Straddling the cultural divide, singer-songwriter Oscar Fuentes and blues singer/violinist Heather Hardy sing songs in English and Español. At Tap + Bottle-Downtown...

In the tradition of Bob Wills and Earl Scruggs, The Titan Valley Warheads are coming out to play. At Monterey Court...

From Mozart to original Tango compositions, rogue violinist Samantha Bounkeua and pianist Russell Ronnebaum perform an evening of delightful classical violin and piano duets. At The Coronet...

For Those About to Rock We Salute You. Noise Pollution: The AC-DC Experience will shake you all night long. In the Paradiso Lounge at Casino Del Sol...

A taste of Spain in downtown Tucson? Alternating weekly, singer-songwriters Amanda Rochelle and Natalie Pohanic shall serenade for Tapas & Tonics. In the lounge at the AC Hotel Tucson..

. Something new, something old or something forgotten. Wooden Tooth Records DJ Set pops off with guest DJs Tommy Larkins & Dimitri Manos trolling the crates, pulling out the deep cuts and dance hits. On the patio at Che's Lounge..

Did you just get here?

We have a big comedy crawl going on this week. It’s like a pub crawl, but with jokes. Among the 15 shows remaining between now and 11 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 1, there’s something you can laugh at with your gem show friends. Visit tucsoncomedy.com/crawl for a complete schedule.
Most of the Crawl venues have pub food. The others have food next door or nearby. All have beer; some have wine or cocktails, too. Only Unscrewed Theater, an improv venue, is dry, but they have lots more snacks.

Tucson comedians look forward to making you laugh, mostly for free or under $10. Following are a few best bets.

Our greatest hit: Keep Tucson Sketchy

Keep Tucson Sketchy is a year-old ensemble that creates parodies of Saturday Night Live in full stage shows at the 103-seat Screening Room on Congress. KTS closes out the Tucson Comedy Crawl with two performances of Keep Tucson Sketchy: Best of Season One at 6 and 9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 1.

Each show is a big production, including a writing team, videographers, sound designers, stagehands and lots of tech. Lots. There’s also a news cast and a musical guest.
All KTS sketches are original. About half are filmed on location around town. Live sketches take advantage of the theater’s full-sized screen to project the scene’s sets. Sketches included in Keep Tucson Sketchy: The Best of Season One, comprise crowd favorites from the show’s inaugural year.

The theater sells beer, wine, popcorn and a few snacks. Theater guests may also bring in food from Empire Pizza, next door. Empire swept the Best Place to Pick Up A Slice category in Tucson Weekly’s 2019 Best Of Tucson poll.

KTS routinely sells out at $10 in advance; $15 at the door. We recommend reservations via keep-tucson-sketchy.ticketleap.com.

Art Lovers’ Delight

Tucson’s art scene is lots cooler than you might think for a town this size and this remote. The arts community is as close as it is creative in its punk-like hacking of genres and ways to make a market. The amped-up restoration of the mid-century-modern classic motel, Hotel McCoy is the scene’s fever dream. Every kind of art finds a home there, including performing arts, including comedy.

McCoy’s free Last Friday, Last laughs, just over a year old, was an instant institution. Arrive for the 8 p.m. start on Jan. 31, and you might not get in. Pinche’s food truck, though, is inspiration enough to be there by 6:30 and have pre-show dinner, poolside.

This month’s Last Laugh is a novelty in town: a 100% clean show featuring some of Tucson’s top comics.

Happy 6th Anniversary Unscrewed Theatre!

Unscrewed Theater’s popular Not Burnt Out, Just Unscrewed short-form improv show started years before, but the theater itself has been located somewhere along Speedway Blvd. for six years as of Feb. 1.

The nonprofit venue celebrates the date with a fundraising extravaganza featuring globally syndicated Tucson cartoonist and satirist David Fitzsimmons and all of its house teams: From the Top, which improves an entire Broadway musical in every performance; Comic Chaos, which improvises original comic book heroes and their epic stories; the character-driven Leaky Faucets and Big Daddies, best described as well-meaning dads gone weird.

Admission is $20 at the door or online at unscrewedtheater.org.

Comedy benefit for Wildlife

The UArizona chapter of the American Fisheries and Wildlife Society presents a comedy show benefit for its cause at 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 7, sponsored by The Screening Room. It’s not a moment too soon. Have you been following the news about the shocking decline in numbers and species of fish and wildlife due to global warming? It’s enough to make us cry. All the time.

At least we can laugh at the benefit. The show starts at 8 p.m. and admission is $5. Headlined by Matt Ziemak, fresh from the Tower City Comedy Festival, the show also features touring comedian Joe Tullar and popular locals Nicole Riesgo and Jack Fletcher, among others.

Improv Thursdays

Tucson Improv Movement debuts weekly Thursday shows starting Feb. 6. A long-form show at 7:30 is $5 and is followed by a free open jam at 8:30.

Even More Laughs

Friday, Jan. 31: Standup with Spencer James featuring Tony Tripoli at 7 and 9:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50); and Beginners and Veterans at 10:30 p.m., ($5) TIM Comedy Theatre. Long-form improv with The Riveters at 7:30 p.m. and The Soapbox at 9 p.m., TIM Comedy Theatre (TIM)($5). Family-friendly improv with Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU) at 7:30 p.m., Unscrewed Theater ($5 and $8).

Saturday, Feb. 1: Improv with David Fitzsimmons, prizes and a raffle celebrating their sixth-anniversary Speedway Blvd. with Sixth on Sixth, ($20), Unscrewed Theater. Standup with Spencer James featuring Tony Tripoli at 7 and 9:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50). Improv and standup en español with Carcajadas: Una Noche de Comedia at 7:30 p.m., and long-form improv with Pilot Season at 9 p.m. at TIM ($5).

Free Open Mics

Sunday, Feb. 2, 6:30 p.m., The O, and 8 p.m., Chuckleheads in Bisbee.
Monday, Feb. 3, 7 p.m., Comedy at the Wench, The Surly Wench Pub.
Tuesday, Feb. 4 6:45 p.m., Neighborhood Comedy at The Music Box Lounge.
Wednesday, Feb. 5, 7 p.m., The Screening Room.
Thursday, Feb. 6, 8 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe and 8:30 p.m., Rockabilly Grill.

Black Violin. We could all use a little bit more music in our lives that blends classical and hip hop influences, am I right? So thank goodness for Black Violin, led by classically trained string players Wil B on the viola and Kev Marcus on the violin and joined by DJ SPS and drummer Nat Stokes. Their music aims to overcome stereotypes and encourage EVERYONE, regardless of age, race, income or culture, to come together around music. They’ve been on everywhere from NPR to Ellen, and they’ve worked with the likes of Kanye West, Aerosmith and the Wu-Tang Clan. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. UA Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $19 to $85+.

The Art of Plating. The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and Copenhagen Imports are teaming up for an event that mixes art and food, featuring some of Tucson’s top chefs. Throughout the Copenhagen Imports furniture store, Art of Plating stations will feature chefs showing off their expertly designed food dishes, and attendees get to try them out and vote for their favorite. Featured chefs include Moody Elbarasi from The Coronet, John Martinez from Tito & Pep, Roderick Ledesma from PY Steakhouse at Casino Del Sol, David Solorzano from Penca Restaurante and more. Proceeds benefit the Community Food Bank. 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. 3660 E. Fort Lowell Road. $55.

Mezcal tastings at El Crisol. The newly named El Crisol bar (formerly Exo Bar) hosts a public mezcal tasting every Thursday evening, hosted by owner Doug Smith—except when he’s off in Mexico finding new mezcal. If you’ve ever visited El Crisol or talked with Smith, then you know there’s basically an endless amount to learn about mezcal: geographic varietals, distilling techniques, ingredient harvesting and more. But even if you don’t want to study up on this southern spirit, El Crisol’s dozens of mezcal options ensures you’ll learn a good amount about the drink. The price of admission gets you several pours of high quality mezcal straight from the proprietor. 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. 403 N. Sixth Ave. $20.

Tohono O’odham Nation Rodeo & Fair. This is the 82nd annual iteration of the Tohono O’odham nation’s biggest event of the year! Learn more about Native American culture by participating in social round dancing, enjoying a variety of music, sampling traditional foods and perusing a wide variety of vendors. On Saturday, Feb. 1, enjoy a parade with more than 100 floats with the theme “Honoring the People Who Inspire Us.” There’s also the All-Indian Rodeo Competition, and, for the first time this year, an All-Indian Women’s Rodeo! A beauty pageant, a Toka Tournament, a Ha’a Race and a basketball tournament are just a few more of the things this weekend has in store. Thursday, Jan. 30 through Sunday, Feb. 2. At various times. Eugene P. Tashquinth Sr. Livestock Complex, 3 miles west of Sells, AZ along State Route 86.

Honeyland. The Loft Cinema is screening a documentary centered in an isolated mountain region in Eastern Europe. Hatidze Muratova lives in a small village where she works as the last in a lineage of Macedonian beekeepers. But when a new family moves to the area, along with many of the changes that come with modern living, Muratova’s life is upheaved. This documentary, which is a 2020 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature, examines the delicate balance between humanity and nature, growth and sustainability. Honeyland also won that World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $10.

Extending out over 600 acres of the century old Pima County Fairgrounds, taking place over the course of three days—filled with art, gemstones, camping, live painting, music and a shared sense of community to create a truly unique festival experience—it is a small wonder that the Huffington Post has dubbed this destination festival “The Crown Jewel of the Southwest Festival Scene.”

After a year hiatus, the epic synthesis of jam bands, EDM, cutting edge sound and lighting and visual arts that is Gem & Jam Festival 2020 kicks off its thirteenth installment.

Festival organizers are stoked. This year’s lineup includes: Tipper, Big Gigantic, The Floozies, Twiddle, Billy Strings, supergroup TH3 (featuring members of The String Cheese Incident), Thriftworks, Manic Focus, Dirtwire, Desert Hearts Takeover, Desert Dwellers, Bluetech, Buku and many more.

Gem & Jam Festival 2020 runs Jan. 31-Feb. 2. At the Pima County Fairgrounds 11300 S. Houghton Rd, Tucson, AZ 85747. Visit gemandjamfestival.com for tickets and all the details.

Here is a preview of what’s in store.

Citizens of the world, currently calling Shanghai home. There latest Pulled Apart by Horses (2019) was inspired by the attempted-but-failed dismemberment of Peruvian rebel leader Tupac Amaru II by Spanish colonial authorities in the 18th century. Alpaca thrash till death at Club Congress. Copper Magma, Demon Grass and Stone Witch join in the uprising…

He is not just an award-winning fiddle player. Performing solo on acoustic guitar, Billy Shaw Jr. sings at the Cowpony Bar…

Cruisin’ For A Bluesin’, Tucson blues institution, Bad News Blues Band have their dukes up. At Chicago Bar…

Drawing from a magic hat filled with the music of the Grateful Dead, classic rock and reggae, singer/guitarist Dan Stein & Friends are at Irene’s Holy Donuts…

The Summer Guests: A Rescue Story. This new novel by New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe is about a group of evacuees fleeing the coasts of Florida and South Carolina when threatened by a hurricane. But, more than that, it’s about how sometimes during the worst of circumstances, you learn about what is truly important, and you find new beginnings. For this event at the Oro Valley Public Library, Monroe will be doing a reading, a Q&A session and a book signing. What a treat! 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28. Oro Valley Public Library, 1305 W. Naranja Drive. Free.

Rear Window. For their Tuesday Night Classics series, Harkins Theatres is screening one of the Master of Suspense’s crowning achievements. Starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly, Rear Window tells of a housebound magazine photographer who starts noticing some fishy happenings around his neighborhood. It’s a genius plot filled with crime, romance and mystery. Only Alfred Hitchcock could make a movie about a guy staring out the window this thrilling. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28. 5755 W. Arizona Pavilions Dr. & 5455 S. Calle Santa Cruz. $5.

Named after the personification of a Hindu god—the destroyer of ego and ultimately the universe—this Portland quartet have been chasing worldly illusion, while altering brain chemistry, since 2006, with their fey brand of psychedelic garage rock. The Shivas promise a bombastic, explosive and communal Rock ‘n’ Roll experience. At Club Congress…

UA Presents baritone Thomas Hampson. Examining the role of core American values such as freedom and brotherhood, Song of America: Beyond Liberty takes the audience through centuries of songs, anecdotes, historical monologues and poetry readings. Featuring pianist Lara Downes. At Centennial Hall…

“Cum on Feel the Noize.” From New York, instrumental power math duo Shake The Baby Til the Love Comes Out, bring Growth and Healing Through Bringing Others Down (2019) to Blacklidge Community Collective. Experimental/noise rockers Kyrge and RNA help to charge the air…

Every culinary competition worth watching comes down to those final moments when contestants skillfully arrange their creations on the plate before the dish is judged.

That’s where the drama unfolds.

Tucson Foodie understands this and will present their 2nd annual Art of Plating competition at the Copenhagen Furniture Store on Thursday, January 30. The best chefs from across the Old Pueblo will showcase their plating skills and duke it out for bragging rights. Proceeds benefit the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

“It's a fast-paced competition that’s a combination of delicious food that has to be beautiful,” said Jennifer Teufel Schoenberger, event organizer and partner at Tucson Foodie. “It has to be beautiful, interesting and have a creative presentation, but at the same time it has to taste delicious.”

Chefs will be paired up and compete head to head in five-minute rounds until the top plating chef emerges. This year’s event will feature 11 chefs, such as last year’s Art of Plating winner, Chef Gina Skelton of First We Eat Catering and Confections, and Dominique Stoller, owner of Doma’s Delights, who won last year’s Knife Fight, a local underground culinary competition.

Newcomer to the competition, Wendy Gauthier, owner of Chef Chic Catering and Events, says she’s a little nervous since the best of the best in Tucson’s culinary community will be competing, but she’s also excited to show what she can bring to the table.

“We’ve been playing with how to plate it and I think we’re ready,” Gauthier said.

Her staff at Chef Chic helped her come up with their dish, a goat cheese custard with a celery sorbet and roasted beets. While they may be ready, Gauthier said they’re still testing things out just to see if anything can be visually improved.

“No matter what I think in my head of how something is going to look, it’s never how it turns out,” Gauthier said with a chuckle. "In our heads we were going to put this one component on, and then we put it on and we were all like...no...no."

Guests at the event will be able to view the dishes in their full culinary glory before sampling the beautiful creations. Drinks from Sand-Reckoner Vineyard and Ten55 Brewing Company will also be complementary to attendees.

The event will be judged by international food and beverage writer Edie Jarolim, Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona CEO Michael McDonald and Tucson Museum of Art CEO Jeremy Mikolajczak.

This year’s Art of Plating will start at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 30. Tickets are $55 and can be purchased at eventbrite.com/e/the-art-of-plating-tickets-72735330331. Copenhagen Furniture Store is located at 3660 E. Fort Lowell Road. 

Dillinger Brewing: Beer Releases & Three-Year Anniversary. It’s a big weekend over at Dillinger Brewing Company, where they’re busting out cans of a spacey brew and celebrating their birthday. On Friday, they’re releasing their “Osiris-REx Recon” cans in celebration of the Recon phase of NASA’s OSIRIS REx mission headquartered at the University of Arizona. The Recon is an IPA that is “generously hopped” with Galaxy and Comet hops, reaching a nice 7.1 percent ABV and 65 IBUs. They’re also releasing a special Lemon Rosemary Sour brew made in collaboration with Tucson Hop Shop, and also releasing a new Barrel-aged Wild Ale. On Saturday, they will be hosting live art and music performances, plus breaking out some special bottles from the cellar and experimenting with dessert pairings for their Chocolate Cherry Stout. And all this right around Dillinger Days, no less! Friday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 25. 3895 N. Oracle Road.

America Sings! Grammy-nominated True Concord Voices & Orchestra, the only professional chamber choir and orchestra in Southern Arizona, is putting on this celebration of some of our nation’s most influential composers. Aaron Copland and Stephen Foster, two guys who have been called “fathers of the American Sound” in classical music, are most heavily featured, but they’ve also got some American spirituals and works by composers like George Gershwin on the lineup. Morris Robinson is the featured bass in this show that explores the core of who we are as Americans, what we care about today and what we hope for from tomorrow. 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24 at St. Francis in the Valley Episcopal Church, 600 S. La Cañada Drive in Green Valley. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25 at Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E. Sunrise Drive. 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26 at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St. $25 to $40.

Founders Feature at Craft. Out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders Brewing Co. is stopping by Craft, A Modern Drinkery to showcase some specialty, extra-strong beers. Craft will be featuring five Founders’ beer on tap, including the “French Toast Bastard,” a bourbon barrel-aged Scotch Ale with syrup and cinnamon hints, that reaches a mighty 11 percent ABV; the “Curmudgeon’s Better Half,” an Old Ale brewed with molasses and a staggering 12.7 percent ABV; and the 2017 Canadian Breakfast Stout, which includes a blend of coffees and imported chocolate flavors aged in bourbon barrels, with 11.7 percent ABV and 45 IBU. 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24. 4603 E. Speedway Blvd.

Tucson Roadrunners vs. Bakersfield Condors. Now that most of us are back to school, and even MLK Jr. Day has passed, it can sometimes start to feel like all of the things that make Tucson so great in the winter are slipping away. But never fear! We’ve still got our local hockey team. This week, they face off against Bakersfield twice. Friday night, they’ve got special ticket prices, including half-off tickets for seniors 55+. Saturday night is University of Arizona Night, with an offer that includes four tickets and four co-branded Roadrunners/UA hats. 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, and Saturday, Jan. 25. Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave. Regular tickets star at $13, see tucsonroadrunners.com for more info on special pricing.

Citrus Jubilee at the Farmers Markets. How could you not want to be involved in something with a title like “Citrus Jubilee?” The season for oranges, grapefruits, lemons, tangelos and kumquats is finally here, and Heirloom Farmers Markets is hosting a celebration of all that sweet local tang. Citrus tastings, live music and plenty for sale at several locations. All of the events run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Here’s the rest of the rundown: Friday, Jan. 24 at the Udall Park, 7202 N. Tanque Verde Road. Saturday, Jan. 25 at Steam Pump Ranch, 20901 N. Oracle Road. And Sunday, Jan. 26 at Rillito Park, 4502 N. First Ave. (The Rillito Park market has the largest citrus bounty of the weekend, plus free juicing services!)

Clemency. Bernadine Williams is a prison warden who has carried out executions at her maximum security prison for years. During this time, she’s drifted away from the other roles and relationships in her life. But when she creates a bond with a death-row inmate, she is forced to reexamine herself, her desires, and “what it means to be sanctioned to kill.” The Loft Cinema starts screening the film that won the 2019 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize on Friday, Jan. 24. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd.




City of Gastronomy Demonstration at The Carriage House. Chefs Janos and Devon of The Carriage House are hosting a special cooking (and eating!) event for you to better appreciate the food culture we have here in Tucson. The chefs will be preparing and discussing dishes that feature the flavors and ingredients from our region, and better yet, you get to eat those dishes. Meals include a smoked poblano, mushroom and cheese Oaxacan flauta; a Sonoran chile and squash soup; quail stuffed with green chile masa and chorizo; and habanero pepita pesto-stuffed chicken breast. Recipes and wine will be provided with entrance. It’s time to learn while you eat, and learn about what you eat! 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. 125 S. Arizona Ave. $70 plus tax. To reserve, call (520) 615-6100 or email [email protected]

Girl Scout Cookie Pairing at Tap & Bottle. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The time when you inhale an entire sleeve of Thin Mints and wake up in a dizzy stupor. Tap & Bottle’s northside location is embracing the season with specialty flights of either Borderlands Brewing craft beers or Flying Leap Vineyards wines paired with Girl Scouts cookies. And better yet, a portion of the proceeds are going to Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. On top of all this, Girl Scouts will be on site selling boxes of cookies. 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. 7254 N. Oracle Road.

Arizona State Parks: A Guide to Amazing Places in the Grand Canyon State. What’s that saying about how you sometimes forget to explore your own backyard? Our beautiful state has so much to offer, from the saguaro-filled desert to rolling grasslands to gorgeous forests, rivers and lakes. But even if you’re a seasoned traveler, you’ll find this book by travel writer Roger Naylor helpful. Naylor, who was inducted into the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame in 2018, writes about each state park, with information on nearby attractions, activities and popular events. The maps, indexes and gorgeous photos make this super useful, and the information about the parks’ rich history makes it fascinating as well. Get close to the source when Naylor does a presentation on his book this weekend. 11:15 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. Saguaro National Park West Visitor Center, 2700 N. Kinney Road. Free.

Dinner Casino Magic Show. The Society of American Magicians, once headed by actual Harry Houdini, is bringing a night of Vegas-style entertainment to the Old Pueblo with casino gambling, a three-course dinner prepared by the executive chef at Skyline Country Club and some world-class magicians. Scott Alexander, who’s been a finalist on America’s Got Talent and has done over 4,000 performances at Caesar’s Palace, is headlining. Adrian Van Vactor, who’s done 59 international tours, is his opener. Cocktail reception begins at 6, dinner is at 7 and show is at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. Andrew’s Drive. $45 includes cocktail reception, dinner and show.

Mists to Monsoons Opening Reception. While she was doing an artist’s residency near Eureka, California, Lori Andersen started working on a series that involved layering botanicals onto a canvas, then saturating the canvas with natural dyes. When she returned to her native Tucson, where there isn’t much mist and not very many redwood trees at all, she adapted the technique to desert plants. She’s displaying this gorgeous work at the Triangle L. Ranch through Feb. 22, so be sure to stop by and see it on a Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when it’s open. Better yet, come to this reception and chat with Andersen yourself. 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26. Triangle L. Ranch Adobe Barn Gallery, 2805 N. Triangle L. Ranch Road in Oracle. Free.

Trio Planter Class. Maybe you whetted your appetite for trying out new forms of art with one of those “paint & sip” classes. Or maybe you are an avid gardener who wants to make a small, stylish home for a succulent or herb. Either way, this six-hour class at Tohono Chul is a great chance to learn something new and walk away with a trio of adorable 3-inch square planters. You’ll learn the basics of glass mosaics to decorate the front and back of each pot, and even learn a little bit of grouting at the end of the day. Bring a sack lunch and a can-do attitude, and leave with something you can brag about to all of your friends. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. Tohono Chul Education Center #1, 7211 N. Northern Ave. $100 (or $90 for members).

Boyce Thompson Arboretum Tour–Geology. Have you ever been to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Arizona’s largest and oldest botanical garden? It’s out in Superior, but the UA is one of the institutions that runs the place, so we kind of get to claim it as a Tucson thing. Anyway, let this tour, where you’ll learn about nearly 2 billion years’ worth of volcanic and geologic history, be the reason you finally make it out there. You guide will be talking about topics like the Pinal schist (the basement rock of southeastern Arizona), the volcanic origins of Picket Post Mountain and the Apache Leap tuff (tuff isn’t only a rebellious spelling of “tough,” apparently. It’s also a type of igneous rock). See? We’re learning already! 8 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, 37615 E. Arboretum Way, Superior. Included with admission, $15 adults, $5 kids 5 to 12, free for kids under 5 and members.

Family Adventure Fourth Saturday. The Tucson Presidio Museum makes a great place for a family adventure any day of the month, but this day is specifically dedicated to it. They’re firm believers that “living history” is the most entertaining and effective way to accomplish their mission of historical education and preservation, and this day is full of it. Take a tour of the grounds, including the Presidio barracks, original foundation wall and the mural; enjoy a blacksmithing or tinsmithing activity; and take part in an interactive activity to learn more about Tucson’s history and culture. Arrive between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to participate. Saturday, Jan. 25. Tucson Presidio Museum, 196 N. Court Ave. $5 GA.

Chinese New Year Celebration: Year of the Rat. One of the traditions surrounding Chines New Year is for families to give their houses a good, thorough cleaning, to sweep away past misfortune and make way for good luck. And, if your house looks anything like mine does post-(Western) holiday season, then we should all probably try out this tradition. But if you want to do some of the more fun celebrating, head over to the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center for a day full of authentic Chinese food, arts and crafts for sale, and games for the kids. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, 1288 W. River Road. $5 GA, free for kids 12 and under.

Just Mercy. Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx co-star in this legal drama about a civil rights defense attorney working to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner. The film is inspired by the true events of the 1988 to 1993 trials of Walter McMillian, a wrongly convicted Alabama man. The film also features Brie Larson, Tim Blake Nelson and O’Shea Jackson Jr.. This screening at Century Park Place 20 is hosted by the Mass Liberation Project AZ. 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. 5870 E. Broadway Blvd. $5.

New Year Celebration at Tucson Chinese Cultural Center. As we move from the Year of the Pig to the Year of the Rat, the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center is hosting a celebration featuring authentic Chinese food, arts and demonstrations. Start this new year and decade enjoying some delicious Chinese dishes. There will also be games for children and lion dance performances. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. 1288 W. River Road. $5, children under 12 years old enter for free.

Cirque Mechanics. How is it that every time I see a cirque show, or watch an acrobat or aerialist perform in general, I’m blown away all over again by the marvelous feats the human body is capable of? Shows like this one are the sort of thing that can evoke wonder in almost anyone. This circus-themed show has a big 42-foot ring in the middle of it, which rotates around and is continually transformed with human powered inventions like a galloping metal horse and a tent full of strongmen, acrobats, tumblers and aerialists. 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26. Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $15 to $75+.

Mona Lisa on the Loose. This show, part of Live Theatre Workshop’s family series, is a musical written and directed by Gretchen Wirges. It tells the story of how, when the lights go off for the night at the Louvre, the paintings—including the Mona Lisa, played by Christina Evans—come to life! When Mona Lisa overhears one day that the museum officials are planning to move her somewhere else because she’s no longer attracting enough visitors (if you’ve ever seen a photo of people looking at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, or been yourself, you’ll know that this—not the “painting coming to life” thing—is probably the most unrealistic part of the show), she and her fellow works of art hatch a plan to save her spot! This imaginative romp is perfect for kids. 12:30 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 26 through March 8 (no show Feb. 16). Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. $7 kids, $10 adults.

Japanese Archery Ceremony. Shooting a bamboo bow used to be a battlefield skill for samurai. These days, “The Way of the Bow” (kyudo) is closer to a form of meditation, in which the archer cultivates a clear mind and freedom from fear and distraction along with technical precision. At this Yume Japanese Gardens event, members of Arizona Kyudo Kai will be shooting their bows (which are nearly eight feet long!) They’ll also discuss the traditional etiquette, ceremonial dress and shooting procedures and stances that make the practice a discipline for both mind and body. It’s a truly fascinating look at this character-building art form. 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26. Yume Japanese Gardens, 2130 N. Alvernon Way. $16 adults, $5 kids 3 to 15, free for members.

NO. In 1988, international pressure forced Chilean military dictator Augusto Pinochet to call a vote on the continuation of his presidency. The country had to vote yes or no to Pinochet ruling for another eight years. This dramatization, based on true events, follows the story of Rene Saavedra, a young advertiser who set out to convince the country on the power of democracy. As part of their Staff Selects series, the Loft Cinema is screening the 2013 Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. The film will be screened in Spanish with English subtitles. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $8.