Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

For a Good Cause

A 2nd Act. Listen to female cancer survivors share their stories–about their cancer, yes, but more importantly, about how they’ve chosen to live their lives after cancer and make a difference for other survivors. Founder Judy Pearson is a breast cancer survivor herself, but said it was important to her to include survivors of all kinds of cancer. Only women are featured in the show, however, because she’s found that men and women heal differently. “Women are happy to show mastectomy scars and talk about dry vaginas in a group,” she said. “Men don’t wanna do that.” You might cry, you’ll probably laugh, and you’ll definitely feel inspired. 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5. Berger Center for the Performing Arts, 1200 W. Speedway. $22 (proceeds go toward 2nd Act programs, including micro grants for survivors!)

2nd Annual Run/Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer. You “think pinked” your way through October, but you might not have realized that September was Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Take this opportunity to “feel the teal” and raise awareness of the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women. The Tucson chapter’s goal is to raise $30,000 for ovarian cancer awareness and research, and they’re well on their way, so even if you can’t walk or run, donate! 7 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 5. UA Mall, 1303 E. University Blvd. Pre-registration: $15 for kids 6 to 11 and survivors, $25 for ages 12 and up, $45 virtual walkers. Day of: $20 kids ages 6 to 11, $15 survivors and $40 for ages 12 and up.

The Gray & White Fete. Put this on your calendar now, or, much like the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland, you’ll be late! You’ll be late! For a very important date! The Center for Neurosciences Foundation in Tucson is holding this annual fundraiser for their mobile neuroscience lab The Brain Bus, and in the process, they’re transforming the downtown Bates Mansion into a magical wonderland. We could all use some time in a magical wonderland right about now, but add dinner, dancing, music, magic and the chance to support a good cause? Down the rabbit hole we go! 7 p.m. to midnight. Friday, Nov. 3. Bates Mansion, 283 N. Stone Ave. $100.

Dogtoberfest for Handi-Dogs. Just reading the name of this event is enough to make you realize that there should be a dog version of every holiday. Chrismutt? New Year’s Dog? Ind-pant-dence Day? Well… we have time to work on the names, and in the mean time, just head over to this canine carnival. Pups can paint pictures, enter costume and trick contests and run obstacle courses where they can even be clocked by radar guns. This year, they're also introducing the Dogtini Lounge, where dogs can enjoy their own special beverage selections. Humans can enjoy live music, food, a beer garden, raffles, a vendor fair and a huge selection of excellent dogs to feast their eyes upon, and maybe even pet. Proceeds benefit Handi-Dogs, a local nonprofit which helps people train service, therapy and emotional support dogs. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5. The Gregory School, 3231 N. Craycroft Road. $5, and free for dogs and kids 12 and under.

Shopping

Introducing the Cow Store. It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: a curated collection and one stop shop for all of the paintings of cows Diana Madaras has ever done. The Madaras Gallery crew has corralled all the cattle into an online cow store, where you can peruse prints, canvases, housewares and other moo-tiful cow adorned products. To celebrate, the gallery is throwing a party with special offers, drinks and some alfalfa to munch on (just kidding, they’ll have human treats.) 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2. Madaras Gallery, 3035 N. Swan Road. Free.


Shop Local Mingle & Jingle. Support local businesses and get a head start on your holiday shopping at this meet and greet event. Forty local businesses will be present to help get your sleigh bells jingling and your stockings stuffed. Bring a new unwrapped toy to the event for their Toys for Tots collection to receive five bucks off at the business of your choice. Start your sleigh engines and get ready, get set, Ho ho ho! 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. Hilton Tucson East Event Ballroom, 7600 E. Broadway Blvd. Free entry.

Annual Events

31st Annual Tucson Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games. More bagpipes please! Enjoy a celebration of all things Celtic at this music-filled, food-filled, dance-filled bonanza. An athletic competition hosted by the Tucson Celtic Hammerheads promises to keep your kilted butt on the edge of your seat, and an enormous kids area is the perfect hangout spot for the wee ones while you’re over doing some wine and whisky tasting. And don’t miss the fire dancers performing on Saturday night. After all, why (Celtic) knot? 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5. Rillito Raceway Park, 4502 N. First Ave. Ticket prices vary a lot, but are $6 to $16 for one day or $22 for two days. On Sunday Discount Day, tickets are $3 to $10. Kids 5 and under are free, and people who volunteer for four hours can get in free for one day.

28th Annual All Souls Procession. Tucson's annual walk to remember the dead is a community created event powered by the people for the people. The walk will take place over 1.5 miles on Grande Ave, a new location this year, and will end with a finale. Participants are invited to make offerings to the urn at the front of the procession, which will be burned during the finale of the event. Participants are also invited to dress up, wear a mask or create a puppet of piece of art to wear to the event. Times vary. Friday, Nov. 3 to Sunday, Nov. 5. Procession and Finale begin on Grande Ave south of Speedway. Free.

Tucson Comic Con. Fans of all kinds can come together to get in the spirit of Comic Con! Over the three day event, guests can visit various exhibits and photo ops, in the spirit of celebrating their love of pop culture and fandom. The event will have photo ops with Billy Dee Wiliams from Star Wars as one of the featured celebrity guests. Fans of all ages are welcome at the event with tickets for ages 9 and up. Children 8 and under are free. It's "Pop Culture for All!" Hours differ by day. Friday, Nov. 3 to Sunday, Nov. 5. Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave. $5-$150.

Seventh Annual Harvest Festival. The Tucson Village Farm is one of the last bastions of celebrating harvest season before proclaiming that it’s time for Christmas, and they’re doing it well. Gourmet food samples, a farm stand, live music, a petting zoo, hayrides, popcorn harvest, food trucks and loads of other family-friendly activities will have you holding onto the pumpkin spirit nice and tight. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. Tucson Village Farm, 4210 N. Campbell Ave. Free!

Theater and Shows

RENT 20th Anniversary Tour. There’s an episode of “This American Life” that features a clip of David Rakoff expressing his disdain for the part in RENT where its characters proclaim that they’re not going to pay rent (rent rent rent rent rent!) “Why aren’t they going to pay this year’s rent?” he wonders. While Rakoff may not be a RENT fan, many other people have been since the musical’s debut in 1996, including Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award committees. Celebrate 20 years (that’s 10,512,000 minutes, 10,512,000 moments so dear) of not paying rent at the Broadway Tucson leg of this tour. 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4; and 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5. Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $19 to $98.

Mamalinas Pedacitos de Cielo. It’s easy to forget about from the comfort and coziness of our happy desert abode, but the victims of the Puerto Rico Hurricane and Mexico City earthquake still need help. Head over to this benefit concert, where Sol Invictus and Combo Unico are playing, to enjoy dinner, dancing and raffles, and do what you can to help people in need. Fifteen percent of sales from the Monterey Court Café on the day of the benefit will also be donated to relief efforts. 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. 505 W. Miracle Mile. Call 235-9332 or 207-2429 to make reservations. $10 minimum, or whatever you can give to the cause!

The Value of Names. Invisible Theatre hosts the Arizona premiere of this play by Jeffrey Sweet, about a comic who resumes his career after a lengthy hiatus–said hiatus due to being placed on the 1950s Hollywood blacklist by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Things start to get really interesting when, through his daughter’s acting career, he finds himself crossing paths with the man who testified against him all those years ago. It’s not a new play, but the story remains powerful decades after it was first performed. Tuesday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 19. except Nov. 13 and 14. 7:30 p.m. performances, with 3 p.m. matinees on Nov. 12, 18 and 19. Invisible Theatre, 1400 N. First Ave. $34.

Family Fun

Animaniacs in Concert! Odds are you remember Pinky from Pinky and the Brain, Yakko from Animaniacs and Raphael and Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. So you’re already familiar with Rob Paulsen, the voice behind all of those characters. Animaniacs in Concert is a celebration of music, comedy and animation that Paulsen is taking on tour across the country, and the perfect opportunity for you to relive your childhood Saturday mornings–and make your kids relive them with you! 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. Rialto Theatre 318 E. Congress St. $27-$98.

Face Paint Town at Hotel Congress. Until we are able to make free face painting required by law throughout the whole town, Hotel Congress is going to do as much as it can to ensure that every face has some sort of temporary flower or Spiderman mask on it. Enjoy live music from The Steel Wheels, The Go Rounds, Birds and Arrows, Mesquite and DJ Buttafly. There will also be food and drink specials and an open invitation to “join us before and after the procession, or just stay here all night long.” Noon to midnight. Sunday, Nov. 5. Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Free.

Marana Earth Festival. As if it wasn’t cool enough that all of your sustainability needs are in one place for the day, it’s happening as a part of this fun-filled festival. Hit the drive up recycling station to safely dispose of your paper, hard drives and electronics, and get rid of your old medications through the town’s Dispose-a-Med program. Then enjoy a stage presentation on sustainability by Rosie on the House and peruse the selection of green exhibitors. Kids will enjoy a performance by Mr. Nature and a kid’s education center, while everyone will enjoy the sustainable food offerings. Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. Tucson Premium Outlets, 6401 W. Marana Center Blvd. Free.

Evergreen Mortuary and Cemetery’s 110th Anniversary. If you’re over the hill when you turn 50, the Evergreen Mortuary and Cemetery (the third oldest business in Tucson!) has completely finished with the first hill and is starting up the second. The “first hill” serves as the burial place for Mary Bernard Aguirre (1844-1906), the first female professor at the UA, and William Henry Barnes (1843-1904) a lawyer and judge who helped pen the Arizona Constitution. To celebrate, this free community event will feature guided historical tours, a lecture on cemetery art, children’s face paintings and complimentary food from You Sly Dog, Popped and Chimichangons food trucks. Two sweepstakes winners will receive $110 gift cards! 9 a.m. to noon. Saturday, Nov. 4. Evergreen Memorial Park, 3015 N. Oracle Road. Free.
Fun in General

Luminous Full Moon Labyrinth Walk. Enjoy a meditative walk through an LED-lit labyrinth, aligning your body mind and spirit as you search for both the center of the labyrinth and the center of yourself. Experience the transition from a desert sunset to the light of the full moon. To the beat of a drum and your own rattle-shaking (bring your own or borrow one) you’re sure to have a peaceful experience, sans Bowie, of course. It’s also Jacob’s (event host Earth Web Media’s labyrinth maker) birthday! The event will be on grass, and feel free to bring chairs or cushions.. 5:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. Rio Vista Natural Resources Park, 3974 N. Tucson Blvd. Requested sliding scale $5 to $20. No one will be turned away.

The Maverick’s 55th Anniversary. One of the rootinest, tootinest country music night clubs in the Old Pueblo is turning 55, and they’re doing a round up of as many Maverick musicians and country loving’ Tucson’s as they can find. Don’t miss this chance to dance the night away in honor of The Maverick joining the ranks of Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey (who are also 55). 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5 to 2 a.m., Monday, Nov. 6. The Maverick, 6622 E. Tanque Verde Road. $30 table for two (table with two chars, two commemorative t-shirts and one appetizer) or $50 table for four (four chairs, four t-shirts, one appetizer). Call 298-0430 for more info.

Tumamoc Hill Science Café: Beyond Cattle and Grains. As our climate changes, so must we. And as the stressors that we face as a species evolve, people in rural communities must change their way of life accordingly. In this presentation, America Lutz Ley, an assistant professor at the Center for Development Studies, El Colegio de Sonora, discusses the ways that Sonoran communities in particular must adapt their livelihood profiles. Be sure to make a reservation for the Science Café so that the staff can provide the right amount of shuttles to take everyone up to the Desert Laboratory, about halfway up the hill. 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8. Tumamoc Hill, 1675 W. Anklam Road. Free.

Tucson Roadrunners: Hops and Hockey. They’re both cold, they both should involve wings and too much of either can end with a headache. If you think about it, hockey and beer really are the perfect pair. Enjoy a local craft beer tasting extravaganza prior to the Saturday night Roadrunners game, featuring Dragoon, Sentinel Peak, Pueblo Vida, 1912, Blackrock Brewers, Green Feet Brewing, Dillinger Brewing Co., Thunder Canyon Brewery and even more breweries than that! Admission includes eight samples, a 5 oz commemorative sample glass and a premium side ticket. 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 (game begins at 7:05 p.m.) Tucson Roadrunners, 175 W. Broadway Blvd. $45 GA, $24 non-drinking, $25 season ticket members. All ages welcome, but only 21+ with ID served.

Art

Rain Art Show. The rain in Spain may fall mainly on the plain, but when it’s pourin’ in the Sonoran, we don’t let things get borin’. In fact, local artist Zac Anderson of Rain Artist, uses real raindrops to make art pieces that perfectly evoke the feeling of monsoony Tucson afternoons. Check out the pieces that came out of this summer’s monsoon season, enjoy snacks and beverages, and chat with the artist and other pluviophiles. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. 3255 E. Grant Road. Free.

Emotions in Art: Mad, Sad, Glad, Scared–Art Talk at Nanini. Have you ever tried to depict emotion on paper (other than a smiley face or frowny face?) It’s no easy task. At this event, examine the ways different artists have depicted different emotions over the years, and how the same piece of art can provoke a range of reactions in the people who see it. UA Docent Judit Schram leads the discussion on artistic styles of smiles and depictions of conniptions. 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2. Nanini Library, 7300 N. Shannon Road. Free.

Make ’n Take–Gratitude Journals with Mary Ellen Palmeri. What are you thankful for? We can help get you started: desert sunsets, saguaro cacti that look like they’re waving hello, a city jam-packed with both the sciences and the arts, friends who unexpectedly pick up the tab at lunch, the sound of wind chimes, lemonade on a Tucson summer day and libraries! Now that your gratitude juices are flowing, head over to the library to create a bookform journal filled stuff you’re grateful for, just in time for Thanksgiving. If you know anyone with a November birthday, you can fill up the book with things you’re grateful for about them and give it as a gift. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3. Eckstrom-Columbus Library, 4350 E. 22nd St. Free, but registration required at the library or by calling 594-5285.

Nightcrawler

Secondhand Serenade. If Ben Folds and that dude who played St. Jimmy in the Broadway cast of American Idiot got together to shout out razor pop, it’d sound a lot like this. Confessional, somewhat disturbed, and hook-filled, this is pure alt-rock gold. In fact, fans of Maroon 5 and latter-day Goo Goo Dolls will swoon to Secondhand Serenade’s unabashed 3.5-minute ballads and likely (and creepily) obey when they demand you “remember” them when “you fall asleep.” A decade ago, Serenade joined the first wave of web-based pop phenoms, earning up to $20K a month from My Space downloads and merch sales. Their home-recorded debut album subverted major labels when it sold 15k copies online, literally straight outta the garage. A decade later, Secondhand released a remix of that debut, added two new songs. Is the trap-listening world sweet enough to be serenaded? “Just come back/I’ll make it better than it ever was.” With He is We and Ronnie Winter-Defoe on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress. Doors at 6 p.m. $20-$25. All ages.

Remembering Rainer. November marks two decades since local legend Rainer Ptacek’s passing. His imaginative slide guitar playing and musical mojo made him a cult hero but what a cult: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Emmylou Harris, PJ Harvey and other luminaries paid homage on Inner Flame: A Tribute to Rainer Ptacek (1997) after Rainer was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1996. An inoperable tumor claimed his life a year later at age 46. Born in East Berlin in 1951, Rainer moved to Tucson in the 1970s. He set to fuse the raw power of blues with his Dobro slide guitar and experimental tape loops to create his signature sound. “I heard a Dobro once in my dreams when I was young, took note of that sound, and went looking for it,” Rainer once said. A traveler from Alberta introduced Rainer to 19-year-old Howe Gelb. “Rainer and I jammed before a crowd for 45 minutes on one chord. That's how we bonded,” recalls Gelb. They would go onto co-found Giant Sandworms (later shortened to Giant Sand) and collaborate on many projects. Gelb says: “His passing meant the end of innocence.” In his final interview, Rainer was asked, “Why are we here?” He replied, “To love away the pain.” Howe Gelb is hosting a night of local musicians to pay tribute to Rainer on Friday, Nov 3. Exo Roast Co., 403 N. Sixth Ave. 7 p.m. Donations.

Night of the Living Fest 5. It’s that time of year again. Night of the Living Fest is a one-day music and art festival, five years running. This all-ages event showcases rad local and national bands and features live art, interactive coolness, unique wares, weird rides, and more. In the words of festival organizer Ben Schneider: “NOLF believes in the power of love, fun and party.” This year’s line-up: Bob Log III, The Sloths, Tweak Bird, Ashton & The Terribles, Foxx Bodies, Nanami Ozone, Whispering Wires, Galactic Federation of Love, The Exbats, Mr. Free and the Satellite Freakout, Tight Fright, Same Sex Mary, ICE ROD, The Kevin Dowling Fitness Hour, Arianna Maya Gil (of Brujas and Ghe20 G0th1k), The Band Ice Cream, Jeff Lownsbury, JJCnV, Golden BooTs and Acorn Bcorn. Former Tucsonans Foxx Bodies—who relocated to the bright lights of Los Angeles this past May—are on the bill and vocalist Bella Vanek “cannot hecking wait to be home!” The Exbats—called ”a super tight father/daughter duo living on the Mexican border”—will also be rocking NOLF 5. Singer/drummer Inez McLain tells TW: “I just had a DNA test. Turns out I’m 100% pure stoked.” NOLF 5 is Saturday, Nov 4. 191 Toole, 191 E. Toole Ave. Doors at 1 p.m. $10-$15. A portion of the proceeds to benefit All Souls Procession. All ages.

Twin Ponies. Screechy-scratch 16th notes in one ear, vibrant, sustained chords in the other. Storming cymbals and tom-heavy drums pushed to the forefront with gobs of space between vocals, which morph movement to movement, eschewing the old verse-chorus-verse routine. Soon you’re stuck in a melancholic traffic jam; pieces of your life zoom by and you’re frozen in place. They finally arrive at desolate beauty after minutes of spindly, brain-fry guitar licks. This is Twin Ponies, a frayed-nerves, post-grunge-meets-science-rock band from that sprawling wasteland known as Phoenix. They got an underground heart of the 1990s—one part Mother Love Bone, one part Guided by Voices, one part Zig Zag Black. But they’re also one part desert sundown, and that makes them fist-jack worthy. With Tucson’s mighty Lenguas Largas. Also, Kal Marks and NOYES. Sunday, Nov. 5 at The Flycatcher, 340 E. Sixth St. 9 p.m. $5. 21+.

Goatwhore. What better way to end Halloween week/kick-off Procession of the Dead than a bill with six relentless, blackened death-metal combos? The headliner, Goatwhore, has two decades of hail Satan songcraft and a little Armageddon under their pentagon belt buckles. “Your nightmare’s just begun.” Hailing from the more moldy corners of New Orleans and mixing up members of legendary Acid Bath and Soilent Green, Goatwhore’s cred is scary serious. In fact, their road to hell is paved with face-melting guitar riffs, dexterous shredding, speedball drumming and growled, gut-hurt vocals. The back and forth dynamics between the drums and lead guitar—which offer subtleties rarely heard in black metal—could make any hardened metal muso drop jaw, which is why they’ve appealed to far more than just misguided Manson devotees over the years. “We are coming to rape your minds.” Now close your eyes and ball your fists.… With 1349, Tombs, Magguts, Suicide Forrest and SKOVILLE on Friday, Nov. 3. The Rock, 136 N. Park. 6 p.m. $17-$20. All ages.