Thursday, April 19, 2018
Earth Day
Buffalo Exchange $1 Day Sale. In honor of Earth Day, Buffalo Exchange is hosting this event to turn the tide on plastic pollution. Bring your own bag (you know, preferably not a plastic one), make a purchase (or two or three) from a selection of $1 clothing and know that all the proceeds from the $1 clothing sales will go to the 5Gyres Institute. 5Gyres conducts research on ocean plastic pollutions and runs outreach and education programs on how to properly dispose of plastics. You deserve a shopping spree anyway—might as well go on one for a good cause. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 21. At all Buffalo Exchange locations, excluding outlets! The Tucson location’s address is 2001 E. Speedway Blvd.
Party for the Planet–Bike to the Zoo. What better way to celebrate the Earth and everything on it than by heading to the zoo for an afternoon of displays on conservation and activities involving bees, seed bombs and plenty of animals? And what better way to show the Earth how much you love it than to ride your bike instead of driving? More than 100 zoos and aquariums across the United States are participating in 12th annual Party for the Planet, during which anyone who bikes to the zoo and shows their bicycle at the front gate gets in for free until 3 p.m. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Crafts and activities from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, April 22. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. Free for bikers, but otherwise $10.50 adults, $8.50 seniors 62 and up and $6.50 for kids 2 to 14.
Tucson Earth Day Festival. It’s been 23 years since the first Tucson Earth Day Festival, but the simple, beautiful core of the event hasn’t changed much: It’s a celebration of the environment and a chance to make sure we’re doing our part to help it. Exhibitors will provide info on wildlife and soil conservation, alternate modes of transportation, renewable energy, pollution prevention, waste reduction and other ways to keep an eye out for Mother Nature. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 21. Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Ave. Free.
Art
John Nieto: American Icon. It’s been more than two decades since John Nieto, the artist known for his fauvist depictions of the Native American images and themes, has displayed his work in Tucson. And now his work is coming, including his very first painting of a wildcat, done especially for this show. (Bear down!) The painting will be auctioned off live at 11:30 a.m. Nieto himself can’t attend due to health restrictions, but his son Anaya, president of the family art business, will be there. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22. Madaras Gallery, 3035 N. Swan Road. Free.Tags: Earth Day , buffalo exchange , planet , conservation , John Nieto , Madaras Gallery , Ventana Gallery , Ann Boyd Wade , Willcox , The Diary of Anne Frank , Finding Neverland , we can fly , tinkerbell , wendy , peter pan , the lost boys , Mr. Goldberg’s prodigal son , theater , theatre , giant fish , glowing fish , the fisher’s wish , Zocalo , Mercado district , Flam Chen , MS Annex , Aurelia , aerials , circus , astronomy festival , stars , planets , asteroids , constellations , turquoise trail walking tour , Pima County Fair , the fairest fair , record store day , wooden tooth , vinyl , indie , vintage , Japanese Gardens , Cultivate Tucson , Image
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Rising Voices was developed by youth, for youth as a safe and fun event to connect, learn, and grow as leaders. This year's theme is Know Yourself! Know Your Rights!
In the midst of the #MarchForOurLives movement, we know the power of young people's words. Rising Voices is designed to help teens deepen their engagement with the community and the issues they're most passionate about—be it gun reform, environmentalism, or LGBTQ+ rights.
Now more than ever, youth voices are being amplified across the nation. Rising Voices is a chance to make yours heard in Tucson!
Questions about this or other Pima County Public Library events and services? Call Infoline at (520) 791-4010 or visit library.pima.gov.
Tags: Pima County Public Library , teens , free events , Rising Voices , #MarchForOurLives , art , activism , Image
Agrillo, whose sister was murdered more than 35 years ago, determined to do what she could. She founded Comedy for Charity, an annual variety show that benefits local nonprofit organizations working to prevent violence in Tucson. This year’s beneficiaries are Ben’s Bells and the YWCA of Southern Arizona. Sexton also has donated 200 tickets to low-income veterans. The show, “Laugh ‘til It Hurts: An Evening Dedicated to Violence Awareness and Prevention,” is at 6 p.m., Sunday, April 22 at the Fox Tucson Theatre. Tickets are $25 at the door or through foxtucson.com.
“Ben’s Bells Project is teaching kindness skills, helping us behave in a manner antithetical to violence,” Agrillo says. “The YWCA offers programs to prevent domestic violence and sexual violence against women. “A portion of the funds also goes to The Send a Kid to Camp/Arizona Daily Star Sportsmen’s Fund to provide positive life models for kids at risk.
Sexton recruited cartoonist David Fitzsimmons to emcee the show, which includes Tucson expat comedian Henry Barajas, Estrogen Hour founder Nancy Stanley, attorney and comedian Elliot Glicksman, Agrillo’s Suzie Sexton alter ego, and your humble Laughing Stock scribe, Linda Ray. Viva Dance Company, Centre Stage Tap and a juggler from Twilight Productions bring the variety.
Barajas says he’s returning a changed man. “I’m a much different person and comic since I left,” he says. “My experience has broadened my perspective. I have less material about my ‘man boobs’ and more about life as a ‘terrible Mexican.’”
Headlining the show is Jason Love, whose name could hardly be more appropriate to its mission. Love is a clean comedian and musician with a national reputation, including appearances on HBO, Comedy Central, America’s got Talent and more than 20 other national broadcasts. He’s also performed on Broadway, and appeared at corporate events hosted by Google, Chevron, Farmers Insurance and Costco.
Love has entertained troops overseas and has performed on cruise lines. His clips are played daily on Pandora and Sirius XM, and his nonprofit organization. Love & Laughter, provides free shows to cancer support groups.
Tags: Suzie Sexton , Suzie Agrillo , Comedy for Charity , Nancy Stanley , David Fitzsimmons , Elliot Glicksman , Henry Barajas , Viva Dance Company , Centre Stage Tap , Twilight Productions , Fox Theatre , Ben's Bells , YWCA , Image
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Festivals
Old Pueblo Playwrights New Play Festival. Have you ever written a play? If you have, you know it’s not easy, and if you haven’t, you can probably guess that it’s not easy. Take this opportunity to give some props to local playwrights while also enjoying their work. With six original plays showing over four days, you’ll see big plays, small plays, some the size of your head, with titles as relatable as “Dirty Laundry” and “The Stuff in the Garage” and as intriguing as “Kitchen, Spaceship, Chinese Restaurant.” Thursday, April 12 through Monday, April 16, with plays showing at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday. Temple of Music & Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. $7 per day or $21 for an all-festival pass. Day passes available at the door, both available online.
Marana Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Festival. Isn’t it beautiful how sometimes a whole can be greater than the sum of its parts? Like two people falling in love, or when paints come together on a canvas to create a gorgeous work of art, or when you combine “blue” and “grass.” At Marana’s festival, they’ll be highlighting tons of local artists (such as The Sonoran Dogs, the Dust Devils and the Heather “Lil Mama” Hardy Band) throughout the festival, particularly in the free singer-songwriter showcase on Friday. Chris Jones and the Night Drivers, a bluegrass band that does a combination of only the best covers and original songs, will serve as the headliner. The venue at Gladden Farms Community Park includes lots to do for families and kids as well, such as sports fields, a playground area, a Ramada with a grill and a picnic area. 4 p.m. on Friday, April 13, 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, April 14 and 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, April 15. Gladden Farms Community Park, 12205 N. Tangerine Farms Road. $30 for a weekend pass, $20 for a pass to the Saturday or Sunday shows and free for the Friday concert. Kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult.
Fest on Fourth. To gear up for the big event in May, the folks at the Tucson Folk Festival are throwing this outdoor music bash on Fourth Ave. with four stages at Magpie’s, BOCA Tacos y Tequila, Taggerty Plaza and Lindy’s on Fourth. Then, stay tuned for the acoustic lottery, in which 16 musicians will come together to create four brand new bands just for the night. Saturday, April 14 with Fest on Fourth from 6 to 9 p.m. and acoustic lottery from 9 p.m. to midnight. Various locations downtown and then at the Flycatcher, 340 E. Sixth St. $5 for acoustic lottery, with proceeds benefitting the Tucson Folk Festival.
Bicycles
GABA Spring Bike Swap. At the Greater Arizona Bicycling Association, Inc. their motto is “where cycling is more than just riding a bike.” These are people who celebrate the activity they love and the group of friends they’ve made doing it in equal parts. In keeping with this spirit of community, they like to throw the largest bicycle swap in the Southwest biannually, attracting more than 5,000 attendees and dozens of vendors. Head on down to sell or buy bikes and bicycle parts from others in the community. Even if you just have one bike you want to sell, feel free to bring it down, slap a price on it and walk it around the event (though if you’ve got more to sell, hopefully you’ve already reserved a vendor space). 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, April 15. 311 E. Seventh St. Free entry.Tags: theater , music , bluegrass , poetry , biking , bicycle , cycling , cyclists , farmers market , cookies , cello , chorus , orchestra , HoCo , Hotel Congress , Club Congress , spring fling , Trevor Noah , Comedy Central , Earth Month , Earth Day , conservation , sustainability , gardening , children , kids , fun for kids , local genius awards , Noam Chomsky , Uncle Noam , Pokemon Go , I wanna be the very best , yoga , drag queens , alcohol , food , Image
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
This sounds like the basis for a crap movie but, as things turn out, results in what will surely stand as one of the year’s funniest movies. Directed by Kay Cannon, the movie pushes the boundaries for sure, pouring it on thick with the profanity (very funny profanity) and frank talk about high school seniors treading into sexual activity (not to mention drug experimentation and drinking). It handles its subjects in a surprisingly mature and even sweet way in the end, with the teenaged daughters (Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan and Gideon Adlon) having their acts together far more than their bumbling parents.
The always reliable Mann gets a chance to really shine here; she is one of the best comic actresses in the game. Barinholtz gets a lot of laughs as the movie’s most messed up character, while Cena continues to prove that he has the comic chops to hold his own with some of the best. This is one of those rare comedies that gets consistent laughter from the opening scene until its ending.
Monday, April 9, 2018
Chomsky, considered the founder of modern linguistics, has been called one of the most influential public intellectuals in the world and America’s most useful citizen. He's also authored more than 100 books on topics as wide-ranging as linguistics, war, politics, and mass media.
Now he'll present a free lecture offering a timely and important discussion of how American society has departed from the world, sometimes in extreme and hazardous ways. Included will be a look at gun culture, a topic that has dominated headlines in recent years.
Tickets and RSVPs are not required. Seating will begin at 6 pm, one hour before the event. For your comfort, feel free to bring camp or folding chairs!
Tags: Noam Chomsky , free lecture , community event , Pima County Public Library , Joel D. Valdez Main Library , Image
Thursday, April 5, 2018
The Brews
The guys over at Sentinel Peak are bringing their Salida del Sol Amber beer, which is like a desert sunset in beer form, both because of its warm color and the way drinking it melts away the stresses of the day into the cool stillness of the evening. Equal parts smooth and spicy, it’s their most popular brew by far.
“If we brew five days a week, we brew that one four days a week, just to keep up with demand across the state,” said Sentinel Peak co-owner Jeremy Hilderbrand.
Whether you’ve admitted it to yourself yet or not, temperatures are starting to creep up, but Sentinel Peak’s crisp, light and local (some of the brew’s wheat grains are grown over in Marana) Heatwave Hefeweizen will keep you cool.
With a repertory of beers including "Señorwheata" and “Oats, Oats Baby,” the owners of Dillinger Brewing (all UA alumni!) knew they had to come to Baja Beer Fest prepared. So they’ve got the Boatshoes Hazy IPA, their entry into the festival's IPA competition, judged by the Tucson Homebrew Club, and named for their old college kicks that they still wear when they’re brewing.
Their second new offering is “The Notorious ESB.” The “ESB” stands for “Extra Special Bitter,” and the mild, malty brew is a part of Dillinger’s series of traditional beers. Said co-founder Aaron Long, "I mean, I think everyone likes old-school rap."
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. A full list of the beers available from the festivals' 40+ vendors can be found here.
The Bites
Shows
The Pajama Game. “7 1/2 cents doesn’t buy a helluva lot, 7 1/2 cents doesn’t mean a thing. But give it to me every hour, 40 hours every week, and that’s enough for me to be living like a king!” Tony Award-winning musical The Pajama Game is chock full of the sort of songs that will be stuck in your head for years to come. It’s a love story and laborer uprising story and a knife-throwing story all rolled up into one, and the Arizona Repertory Theatre is putting it on for your viewing pleasure. Previews at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 8 and 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 9. Full shows run Wednesday, April 11 through Sunday, April 29, with a varied selection of matinee and evening shows. Marroney Theatre on UA campus, 1025 N. Olive Road. GA $31, seniors/UA employees/alumni/military $29, students $15, preview $20.
Tags: choral music , pajamas , pajama labor union , Monty Python , Spamalot , Beetven’s Ninth , Odyssey storytelling , odyssey , arts festival , sculpture festival , home show , patio show , SAHBA , rose parade , Kartchner Caverns , Cyclovia Tucson , bikes , bicycles , Akido , martial arts , Humane Society , dog , cats , adopt a pet , pet adoption , first Fridays , Arizona History MuseumEarth Month , Biosphere 2 , Biosphere 1 , Boneyard Safari , planes , Native Seeds , The Gauntlet , trial running , running , race , horses , mustangs on a mission , Nightcrawler , tragically boring post-Foo-Fighter rock bands , Image
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
The third annual Baja Beer Festival features more than 40 vendors, all from Arizona, with a special focus on India Pale Ales, or IPA’s, this year. In fact, the Tucson Homebrew Club recently judged the
first-ever statewide IPA competition, and the winners will be announced this weekend as well.
Another first? The fest has teamed up with the Gastronomic Union of Tucson (GUT) to keep your stomach full of something besides bubbles. No outside food is allowed, unless in the form of a stylish pretzel necklace.
The Baja Beer Festival takes place from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 7 at Armory Park.
A $35 general admission ticket includes 20 tasting tickets (one ticket gets you one 4 oz beer tasting). $60 VIP tickets get you in at 1 p.m., an extra hour early, include 25 tasting tickets and a food voucher. Both come with a commemorative tasting mug, so you’ll have something to remember the afternoon by, even if you forget everything that actually happens. Designated driver tickets are available for 10 bucks.
Check out the full list of beers available at the event.
For more information, visit BajaBeerFestival.com
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Easter
Good Friday Cross Procession & Easter Sunday Sunrise Service. If you’re looking for a truly reverent way to spend Easter weekend, consider joining the Los Dorado Orphan League as they conduct the 51st annual procession up Sentinel Peak Friday evening. They’ll meet in the lower parking lot of Sentinel Peak at 4 p.m., and start the journey up the mountain to mount the cross at 5 p.m. Pastor Marvin Temple from Calvary Chapel leaders the procession, and the group will keep vigil through the night and through Saturday. Around 6 a.m. on Sunday, Pastor Temple will hold a sunrise service atop the mountain, in both English and Spanish. The son will rise with the sun! 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 30 and 6 a.m. on Sunday, April 1. Free.Easter ExtravaganZOO. Maybe your favorite part about Easter is the animals—the little Easter eggs laid by special Easter hens, the Easter bunny, Peep candies shaped like chicks. If so, then head over to the Reid Park Zoo on either Saturday or Sunday. Kids can meet the Easter Bunny, hunt for eggs (you get special prizes if you find a gold one!), learn about the zoo’s animal ambassadors and turn their eggs in for a special treat bag at the end. And no need to fear, parents of egg-crazy 10-year olds and less coordinated 3-year-olds! There will be age-specific egg hunting areas to ensure fun for everyone. Enjoy a breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, ham and fresh fruit, then visit the zoo and watch the animals enjoying their Easter treats. Mimosas and bloody Marys will also be on-deck for purchase. 8 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. $35 adult nonmembers, $30 adult members, $25 child non-members, $20 child members. Register online at reidparkzoo.org.
Easter Weekend at Old Tucson. Old Tucson is special every weekend, but this weekend it’s especially affordable, with buy-one, get-one-free admission all weekend. Kids can enjoy the petting zoo, adults can enjoy musical revues that come complete with saucy can-can girls and every one can enjoy train rides, a vintage carousel, live stunt shows and living history tours. If you really want to get into the Easter spirit, head over early on Easter Sunday to catch Cowboy Church from 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1. Old Tucson, 201 S. Kinney Road. Normal prices are $19.95 for adults and kids 12 and up, and $10.95 for kids 11 and under, with discounts for seniors, military, Pima County residents and groups. This weekend is buy one, get one free!
Easter Event and Egg Hunt at the Children’s Museum. Maybe Easter Sunday doesn’t work too well with your schedule. No worries! The Children’s Museum of Tucson is doing Easter a day early, and they’re packing it to the gills with fun activities. Decorate your own bunny ear headband, take a photo with the Easter bunny, try out bunny bowling, compete in egg and spoon races, play with chick and bunny puppets, make Easter scratch art and—of course—participate in an egg hunt. If you’re lucky, the kids will be so worn out from this event that they won’t wake you up at the crack of dawn on Easter morning. 10 a.m. to noon. Saturday, March 31. Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 Sixth Ave. $9 for adults and children.
Shows
Women in Jeopardy. It’s the divorcee power hour in Live Theatre Workshop’s latest show—but hold the wine and ice cream. When Liz gets a creepy new dentist boyfriend, her friends (and fellow divorcees) Mary and Jo are suspicious. The guy’s not just weird. In fact, once his hygienist mysteriously disappears, they start to suspect he might be a serial killer. The mishaps and pratfalls that follow in this Wendy MacLeod play are nothing short of hilarious. Opens Thursday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m. and runs Thursdays through Sundays through May 5. Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. $18 to $20, or $15 March 29 and 30.
Tags: music , shows , theater , outdoors , MLK , Easter , eggs , bunnies , records , beer , mind , labyrinth , wine , wineries , art exhibit , book of mormon , irreverence , Image
