Friday, June 22, 2018

31 Great Things to do in Tucson this Weekend: Friday June 22-Sunday June 24

Posted By on Fri, Jun 22, 2018 at 1:00 AM

Summer Safari Nights at Reid Park Zoo. For all the wildlife in Tucson, the first thing you think of when you think of the city probably isn’t a safari. But anything is possible at the Reid Park Zoo, especially when it takes place on a summer evening, when the weather is much more bearable. This week, the program’s theme is “protecting the sounds of the wild,” and will give kids and adults alike the chance to learn about the sounds of animals like dart frogs, elephants, lemurs, lions, tigers and goats. It’s the kind of desert symphony everyone can enjoy! 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 22. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. $10.50 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6.50 kids 2 to 14. Half off for zoo members! Details here.

University Bar Crawl: Back to School Night. Relive your college days with Tucson Young Professionals’ bar crawl through bars right outside of the UA. Rep your alma mater in your college gear and enjoy free food and drink deals like extended happy hours and $3 shots at participating bars like Frog and Firkin, Gentle Ben’s and No Anchovies. $5 for non-members. TYP members get free drinks and food. 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, June 22. East University Blvd. Details here.

click to enlarge 31 Great Things to do in Tucson this Weekend: Friday June 22-Sunday June 24
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Niki J Crawford
Niki J Crawford. With the command of a small-town gospel choir leader and the grace of a woman who’s come of age on camera in Black Hollywood, Niki J Crawford has mad capacity for wide appeal. Only the world needs to catch up (and perhaps pen her stronger material). Crawford’s band ably backs her with a sunny Caribbean flare, bringing out the cheery hopeful tones of a young Whitney Houston in her voice. But she can go deeper, accessing that scratchy, Macy Gray (or Samantha Fish) age-old pain of loving too much, and too hard. “Don’t lose your power/Playin’ it down/Never lose faith/Stand your ground.” Having so far cameoed with The Roots and at Bonnaroo, she’s coming up, hard. She is beautiful and hard-working and well-versed in the BlackExpos and street fests this nation over. Maybe an up-to-the-moment Quincy Jones will step in, someone as versed in songwriting, arranging and soul as they are the gadgetry and gimmick of modern pop stardom. Friday, June 22 at Monterey Court Studio Galleries, 505 W. Miracle Mile. 7 p.m. $10. All ages. —B.S. Eliot. Details here.


Seanloui could be called the new Seal. Utilizing synths and modern EDM scratches, whirs and sped-up backing vocals, he sings adult contemporary jazz/R&B for the 4 a.m. comedown crowd. And like Sade, too, Loui sounds generic at first, but listen close. His voice floats and lilts atop pulsing backbeats, nuanced and guileless. The songs swell and gently jab in ways that make emotional sense. It’s an earned listen because once night falls and fatigue sets in, his can be a warm bubble bath with a lover and a sweet strain of sativa. The subtle charms of his gentility emerge with no irony—words like romantic, chivalrous, tender come to mind. And belying the Trumped-up, polarized era we live in, Loui sings of the bliss of coming home to a woman he actually adores, the joy of quiet evenings, the way shadows climb and curve and gyrate across his mind’s eye. His up-to-the-minute production ensures that a whole new generation of listeners can discover the simple pleasure of connecting hearts—the songs sound like creative necessities, not bedroom-studio naval-gazes for self-indulgent brand merchants, like so much pop now. With Jaca Zulu and Taco Sauce the Band on Friday, June 22. Club Congress, 311 East Congress St. Doors at 8 p.m. Free. —B.S. Eliot. Details here.

Pollinator Party. “The mountains are covered in pollen, and I must go,” John Muir once said. If you adopted a bee at Tohono Chul earlier this month, your invitation to this exclusive party is calling, and you must go. Go where there will be locally-distilled spirit sampling, food from the Garden Bistro featuring bee pollen and honeycomb, and a regional honey bar hosted by Dos Manos Apiares. You can also meet community experts on beekeeping, bee habitat building and general bee knowledge, and hopefully even meet the bee you adopted. Plus, the gardens will be sprinkled with pollinator-themed poetry, and you can take a photo with a 5-foot anatomically correct model of a Cactus Bee! Bee there or bee honeyless. 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 22. Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte. Adopting a bee costs between $5 and $100, depending on what bee you get. Details here.

click to enlarge 31 Great Things to do in Tucson this Weekend: Friday June 22-Sunday June 24
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108 Sun Salutations 2018


108 Sun Salutations 2018. Join the team at Fourth Avenue Yoga for the sixth annual 108 Sun Salutations in honor of the 2018 Summer Solstice. The number 108, as it turns out, is sacred. There are 108 sacred sites throughout India, 108 sacred places on the body and 108 Upanishads. Everyone is welcome, whether you’ve never done yoga before in your life, or you’ve already used yoga to reach Enlightenment. Namaste! 10 to 11:45 a.m. Friday, June 22. Fourth Avenue Yoga, 413 E. Fifth Ave. $5. Details here.


Westworld (The 1973 Original).
Yeah, it turns out that TV show that you still need to check out is based off a semi-forgotten film from the ’70s. Well, don’t worry, Casa Video Film Bar is screening the classic so you can finally tell your friends that you’ve seen Westworld and they’ll stop pestering you. 7 p.m. Friday, June 22. 2905 E. Speedway Blvd. Details here.

click to enlarge 31 Great Things to do in Tucson this Weekend: Friday June 22-Sunday June 24
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The Maverick’s Ninth Annual Beach Party

The Maverick’s Ninth Annual Beach Party. It’s that time of year where we’re all acutely aware of how far we live from the beach, and yet how close it feels when we think about the Gulf of Mexico and the beaches of California... alas. In the meantime, the Maverick’s bringing the beach to us, which means a giant waterslide, live music, giveaways and dollar domestic drafts. Beach attire is encouraged (dust off those flip flops, baby!) and there will also be specials on Malibu, Patron and Corona (the beachiest alcohols) from 8 p.m. to close, a happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. and a dance lesson for 5 bucks a person from 7 to 8 p.m. 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, June 22. The Maverick, 6622 E. Tanque Verde Road. Free. Details here.

Tucson Kidsfest. A dinosaur encounter, a slam dunk show, game trucks, inflatables, carnival rides, electric animal rides and a Bookman’s entertainment area? The Tucson Convention Center is absolutely THE place to be for kids of all ages this weekend. And actually, it’s the place to be for adults too, because the whole thing is indoors. In addition to all of the above, there’s also plenty of entertainment in the form of games, dancing and celebrity guests from Disney Channel shows Jessie, Bunk and Andi Mak. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 23 and Sunday, June 24. Tucson Convention Center, 26- S. Church Ave. $12 to $75+. Details here.

15th Anniversary Freestyle Explosion. Content is king, but form matters too, which is why this isn’t a “Freestyle Event” or a “Freestyle Orderly Line,” but a real Freestyle Explosion! Pacific Concert Group and 106.3 The Groove present this event at the Tucson Arena, featuring artists like Lisa Lisa, Stevie B, Taylor Dayne, Exposé, Shannon, Nu Shooz, JJ Fad and The Jets. Don’t wait to buy your tickets, and don’t wait to get your groove on. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 23. Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave. $28 to $55+. Details here.

Tiki Party Can Release. Dreaming of a tropical vacation? Dillinger Brewing Company’s got you covered, no plane ticket required. Dillinger Brewing Company’s newest can release is Tiki Party, a kettle sour with mango and passion fruit that is ready to be enjoyed poolside. To celebrate, the brewery’s hosting a tiki party, so break out your Hawaiian shirt and head over to try the new brew, grab food truck fare and jam out to tropical tunes. Cans sell for $15 for a four-pack. 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 23. 3895 N. Oracle Road. Details here.

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. For their “Classic Films at the Temple of Music and Art” series, the Arizona Theatre Company is screening this 1994 Oscar-winning cult hit. It tells the story of two drag queens traveling across the desert and doing what they do best. Plus, you get to see Hugo Weaving as a drag queen! The screening will be introduced and hosted by Tucson’s own drag diva, Tempest DuJour. 7 p.m. Saturday, June 23. 330 S. Scott Ave. $10. Details here.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High. So now that summer is underway, the Fox Theatre is treating you to one of the most Californian films ever. What says summer more than sex, drugs, rock n’ roll and Sean Penn’s sunburnt face? 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 23. 17 W. Congress St. $7. Details here.

Stella Artois Iron Chef Tucson. Tucson’s culinary stars face off in this Iron Chef competition. Maynards Market and Kitchen’s Brian Smith takes on current Iron Chef Tucson Travis Smith of The Parish in a culinary showdown decided by three judges. It’s all going down at Casino Del Sol’s Culinary Experience event, which showcases food products and services like kitchen gadgets and food demos. Purchase tickets online. $25 for general admission to Culinary Experience, $40 for Culinary Experience and Iron Chef competition and $75 for Culinary Experience, Iron Chef competition and VIP reception. Culinary Experience noon to 5 p.m., Iron Chef competition 5 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 23. 5655 W. Valencia Road. Details here.

Cool Summer Nights: Pollinator Party! All the cool kids hang out at the Desert Museum on

 Saturday nights, and this week is no exception—it’s going to bee great. There’s a presentation on how people and pollinators can and do work together, a spelling bee (maybe practice “anthophila” ahead of time) and a presentation on the little-known world of native bees. Seriously, did you know the Sonoran Desert has more bee species than anywhere else in the world? The art exhibit “Becoming Animal,” the Packrat Playhouse and the Stingray Touch exhibit will also be open, as you might HIVE expected. 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 23. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road. $22 GA, $20 seniors 65 and up, $9 kids 2 to 12, $18 military, $17 Arizona/Sonora resident. Details here.

Night Wings. The Pima Air and Space Museum is joining the ranks of some of Tucson’s finest institutions: museums that are open for late hours during the summer. For this special event, the entire grounds of the museum will be open until sundown, education activities in the Dorothy Finley Space Gallery abound and the Flight Grill is open for dinner, so that your appetite won’t weigh your imagination down as it tries to take flight. 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 23. Pima Air and Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Road. $10 for adults, free for members and kids 12 and under. Details here.

Cuentitos! Little Stories About People, Places and Things. Are you eager to spend a Saturday getting cultured, while your kids are a little less excited about the prospect? Head over to the Arizona History Museum for some family-friendly exhibits and a free children’s storytime program every third Saturday of the month (with classics like “Josefina Javelina” and “The Tortoise and the Jackrabbit.”) There’s nothing like getting kids engaged in learning at a young age, and it’s never too early for kids to learn the ol’ “perseverance > cockiness” lesson. 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 23. Arizona History Museum, 949 E. Second St. $4 for kids 7 to 17, $5 for adult students, $8 for those 65 and up, $10 for adults, and free for kids under six, as well as veterans and museum members. Details here.

Oro Valley’s Got Talent Semifinals #1. You probably already knew that there was talent in Oro Valley, but now you’re about to see just what kind of caliber we’re talking about here. Auditions for this prestigious title began back in May, and now we’re entering the first round of semifinals before the second round in July and the finals in August. The only real rule is that people couldn’t audition with fire or pyro acts, so “talent,” could truly mean anything. Singers, dancers, maybe some rubber-band ball makers or professional spitballers? You never know with these things. But hey, you don’t want to risk missing the debut public performance of the next Susan Boyle, do you? 6 p.m. Sunday, June 24. Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley, 1305 N. Oracle Road. $12.50 GA. Details here.

El Dia de San Juan Fiesta. You know that everything starts to feel a little different with the return of monsoon season. The heat starts to seem a little more bearable (even if it’s not actually letting up), things start to bloom, and the clouds start looking extra beautiful. This festival celebrates the season, and all of the renewed life and pretty things that come along with it. Join the festival at the MSA Annex and the procession that follows. 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday, June 24. MSA Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Convento. Free. Details here.

How to Transition to a Plant-Based Diet. Learn how to ditch your carnivorous diet and make Meatless Mondays a way of life with this class. This Barefoot Studio workshop guides attendees through switching to a plant-based diet. The “Happy Vegan Couple” will lead attendees through a cooking demo, and guests can try out some of the plant-based recipes for inspiration. $16 for members, $20 for non-members. 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 24. 7352 N. Oracle Road. Get tickets online at wellnessliving.com. Details here.

Repticon. They’ve got amphibians! They’ve got invertebrates! And, of course, they’ve got plenty of reptiles. There’s exhibits like the reptile den, the turtle shack and all sorts of other herpetological marvels. Plus, there will be plenty of pets, cages, supplies, feeders and other reptilian merchandise available. It’s a perfect way to spend a fun, educational day with the kids or with your favorite reptile-lover (even if it’s you yourself). 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 23 and 10 am. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 24. Pima County Fairground’s Thurber Hall, 11300 S. Houghton Road. Online tickets are $12 adults, $5 kids 5 to 12 and free for kids 4 and under. Prices at the door vary depending on whether you attend one or both days. Details here.

Thread and Vine. Are you making clothes, in the midst of alterations, or just finally hoping to get back to the sewing project you’ve been putting off for the last 12 years? Wanting to take up crocheting? Exo Roast is hosting a day where you can bring in any project that has to do with needle and thread to work on. Melissa Dudley, an experienced designer and seamstress, will be on hand to help ease any sew woes and work through any tangles. It’s like Pinterest herself will be there to help you on your project. This is also going to be a monthly event on Sundays. 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, June 24. Exo Roast Co., 403 N. Sixth Ave. A $10 donation to Melissa for her time includes a glass of wine. Details here.

Tucson Saguaros. Tucson’s Pecos League champions are back with a homestand that includes games against the High Desert Yardbirds and the California City Whiptails. If you’re comparing the idea of a lizard frantically whipping its tail around to the strong, silent type of the almighty saguaro, it’s hard not to think about the fable of the "Tortoise and the Hare." Let’s just say, we’re root, root, rooting for the home team, and you should be too. We promise if you go, you’ll end up more invested in the game than you expected to be. There’s a game every day between Thursday, June 21 and Sunday, June 24. Time of first pitch varies; see saguarobaseball.com for details. Reid Park, 3200 E. Camino Campestre. $15. Details here.

Baseball Nights at Kino Sports Complex. “Take me out to the ballgame! Take me out to the croooowd!” Don’t you just love the United States of America’s national anthem? Okay, so maybe that’s not the real anthem, but what’s more patriotic than eating a hot dog and popcorn at a baseball game, and cheering on the home team—in this case, any of the eight teams on the Sun Belt College League, made up of recent high school graduates from Southern Arizona and other parts of the country? Some cheat codes: $1 Hot dogs on Tuesdays, half-off soda and popcorn on Thursdays and special appearances by Woody the Woodpecker and Daffy Duck Thursdays through Sundays. There are several 7 p.m. games this week: The Javelinas vs. the Knights on Thursday, June 21, the Cochise Stars vs. Team Tucson on Friday, the Knights vs. Team Tucson on Saturday, the Cochise Stars vs. the Tucson Champs on Monday and the Kings vs. the Javelinas on Tuesday. Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, 2500 E. Ajo Way. $5 adults, free for kids 12 and under. Details here.

Dog Days of Summer at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. There’s nothing like a stroll through the botanical gardens to remind you how gorgeous desert plant life is. And there’s nothing like an afternoon with your best canine friend to remind you how gorgeous life in general is. Now, you can combine the two! The gardens are offering a $20 summer membership to their dog days program, which gets you unlimited admission through Sept. 30, and the ability to bring your doggie in for just $3 a visit. Plus, your dog will get a stylish custom canine membership card to attach to their collar or leash. You really pant miss this! Through Sept. 30. Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way. $20. Details here.

100 Years, 100 Ranchers. If you need a break from Tucson this week, head over to Phoenix’s Arizona Heritage Center, home to the Centennial Museum, where this photography exhibit by Scott Baxter is on display through Sept. 18. His black-and-white photos are meant to illustrate a century worth of ranching in Arizona by examining the relationship between ranchers and their animals, the isolation of ranching the hardships, and the beauty and fulfillment that ranchers experience. His goal is to recognize the families that have struggled to persevere and preserve Arizona’s ranching tradition through changing times. Arizona Heritage Center, 1300 N. College Ave, Tempe AZ. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $12 adults, $10 seniors 65+, $8 kids 7 to 17, free for kid 6 and under, AHS members, military and veterans. Details here.

Creature from the Black Lagoon in 3D. Back in the ’50s, a 3D movie didn’t mean having your world flipped upside down as you zoomed through lasers and explosions. It meant putting on some red and blue glasses and flinching when an actor pointed toward the camera. Relive those glory days at The Loft Cinema as they screen this monster classic, the way it was originally shown. It’s spooky, it’s silly, it’s a fishin’ good time. 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 22 and 23; and 11 a.m., Sunday, June 24. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $7. Details here.

Tucson Bicycle Service. There are places where you buy a bicycle. There are places where you get your bicycle fixed. And then there’s Tucson Bicycle Shop, which does both! After 18 years of experience as a Shimano certified bicycle mechanic, Mario Lizarazu is bringing a service-focused shop down to Fourth Avenue. They offer everything from one-time tune ups to basic and pro-level annual plans, which include tune ups, free bike checks and discounts on parts and labor. If you’re a bike lover, it’s a place with perusing. And if you’re a bike lover in need of some maintenance, it’s doubly worth checking out. To celebrate its recent opening, the shop is offering 10 percent off tune ups and service plans through the end of 2018. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Tucson Bicycle Service, 234 E. 22nd St. Service prices vary.

2001: A Space Odyssey. You know what’s a great movie? This one. You should see it. If you know what it’s about, that’s all the reason you need to go see it. And if you don’t know what it’s about, you still certainly recognize the name, and that’s proof enough of its importance. Either way, I’ll see you at The Loft for their new 70mm screening. 12:30 p.m./4 p.m./ 7:30 p.m., Friday, June 22 through Thursday, June 28. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $10. Details here.

Sauce Summer Sampler. For those like me who can't stray from always ordering Sauce's mac ’n’ cheese, this deal might be a game changer. Choose a salad, a 12-inch pizza and two glasses of wine or beer for $22. There are endless combinations to try out during the deal's run until Aug. 31. Don't miss out on seasonal offerings like the watermelon and arugula salad. All Sauce locations in Tucson. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Details here.

Lunch Specials for a Good Cause. Get your pizza fix and help out the community all in one meal. For the duration of June, Barro’s Pizza and Pepsi are teaming up to raise funds for the Arizona Cancer Foundation for Children with a daily lunch special. Specials include a slice of pizza and small drink for $2.75 or two slices and a drink for $4.25. Barro’s will donate all proceeds from the lunch special (up to $20,000) to the nonprofit. 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 1-30. 5884 W. Arizona Pavilions Drive. Details here.

Events compiled by Emily Dieckman, Dylan Reynolds, BS Eliot, Ava Garcia and Jeff Gardner.


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