Friday, February 28, 2020

Things to Do, This Weekend, Feb. 29 - March 1

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Posted By on Fri, Feb 28, 2020 at 3:00 PM

Tea Tasting at Catalyst. The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance is hosting Chantilly Tea at their new Catalyst Arts & Maker Space for an afternoon of tea exploration. Tamara Read, certified tea specialist and proprietor of Chantilly, will go over multiple loose-leaf teas, such as oolong, black, green and white. You’ll learn the ins and outs of different tea types, and how they achieve their unique flavors. Scones will even be provided with the drinks to complete the event. Participants will also be given a selection of free tea samples to take home. You’ll be a tea snob in no time! 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. Located on the bottom floor of the Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road, Suite 110. $20.

Pop-Up Souk. The Elfa Refugee & Youth Empowerment nonprofit is hosting their third pop-up souk (or souq), a celebration of Syrian foods where you can eat as well as learn. This event features Syrian sweets, finger foods and chak chak, the Tatarstani fried cake often paired with hazelnuts or dried fruit. The souk also features two classes on how to make your own Syrian sweets. The proceeds from this ELFA event will go to support a Syrian family and a Russian family who recently came to Tucson. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. At Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St.

Portal Cocktails grand opening.
From the minds behind Ermanos Beer & Wine Bar comes Portal Cocktails, a “transformational experience” with a unique atmosphere designed to be far more than just another place to grab a late-night drink. Although the menu is still under wraps, Portal is dedicating itself to “craft cocktails.” What we do know for sure is that the Fourth Avenue location was designed by local architect Rob Paulus, and the design is just as much an art piece as are the fancy drinks. Opening 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. 220 N. Fourth Ave. 21+

History on Tap 2020.
While it can be tough to remember the difference between “historic” and “historical,” you can rest assured the Arizona History Museum’s speakeasy party will be both. For History On Tap 2020, the museum is “celebrating” the 100th anniversary of Prohibition by inviting a whole slew of breweries to share their brews, along with local food vendors and live music from the University of Arizona’s Fred Fox School of Music. Participating breweries include Crooked Tooth Brewing Co., Corbett Brewing Co., Old Bisbee Brewing Company, Harbottle Brewing Co., Barrio Brewing Co., Copper Hop Ranch Farm Brewery and many more. You’re invited to dress in your best 1920s-themed costumes and enjoy samples from each participating brewery and distillery. History on Tap is an annual event by Los Amigos, Friends of Arizona History, Inc., and the AHS Southern Arizona Chapter Board to support the Arizona Historical Society’s Arizona History Museum. 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. 949 E. Second St. $40.

Sentinel Peak East Anniversary Party. Sentinel Peak is celebrating their move to the east side exactly one year ago with live music, food and drink specials all day. Described as Sentinel Peak East’s biggest party of the year, they’ll also be serving up some racks of ribs and smoked brisket to complement their craft beers. I recommend either their dark Dewpoint Dunkel or the lighter Salida del Sol Amber as a great pair for the barbeque. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. 9155 E. Tanque Verde Road, suite 177.

Collage: A Creativity Workshop.
There’s something about using the creative part of your brain that can just leave you feeling refreshed and renewed. If you don’t think of yourself as a creative person, the great thing about collages is that you’re using existing material to make something new and beautiful. Artists Saraiya Kanning and Abby Dockter are hosting this workshop for people with all levels of experience to learn about making collages of words, images shapes and textures. All materials, plus a healthy snack, are provided. 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. Raebird Creations Studio (email raebirdcreationsart@gmail.com for location details). Non-refundable $20 deposit required.

Native Nations Day at the Presidio Museum.
Tucsonans like to talk about who was born here, who grew up here and who’s a transplant. But, when you consider the Tucson valley has been inhabited for over 10,000 years, you remember that we’re all kind of transplants. Head to the Presidio Museum this weekend to celebrate Native American culture though crafts, food and lectures. Local artists, including potters, carvers and basket weavers, will be doing demonstrations, and you can enjoy some food tastings from the San Xavier Co-op Farm. AND there will be fry bread for sale. A wonderful way to spend a Saturday. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. Presidio San Agustin del Tucson Museum, 196 N. Court Ave. Free with $5 GA, or $1 for kids 6 to 14 and free for kids 5 and under.

Party of the Century: A Black and White Masked Ball Celebrating 100 Years of Rialto. Always a pleasure celebrating an anniversary for one of our beloved local establishments. This month, the Rialto is celebrating a whole century of being one of the best places in town to rock! This is also their eighth annual fundraising gala, so you get to show your support while you’re having fun. Future Syndicate is spinning dance hits, Cirque Roots is providing live entertainment, Tucson restaurants are supplying food and, yes, there’s plenty of beer and liquor to sample. Plus live and silent auctions, raffles and games. Black and white attire is encouraged! Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St. $100 (includes two drink tickets; food; and beer, wine and liquor tastings).

Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch. Elaine Horwitch was an art dealer who played a major role in the contemporary art world if the Southwest from the 1970s through to her death in 1991. Her galleries in Scottsdale, Santa Fe, Sedona and Palm Springs launched the careers of hundreds of artists and fostered the style now known as “Southwest pop” or “new Western art.” This exhibit at the Tucson Museum of Art features the work of some of her galleries’ most popular artists, including Tom Palmore, Lynn Taber, Billy Schenck and Louise Nevelson. A companion book by Julie Sasse all about Horwitch will also be on sale at the museum. Opens Saturday, Feb. 29 and on display through June 21 at the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block, 140 N. Main Ave. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. $12 adults, $10 seniors, $7 college students, youth 13-17, free for kids 12 and under/veterans/active military/members.

Ansel Adams Birthday Celebration. This year, the UA Center for Creative Photography is celebrating Ansel Adams’ birthday just the way he would have liked us to: by spending some time outside. Staff and volunteers from Parks in Focus, a program that works to connect Tucson youth to nature though photography, will be leading a guided photography tour across the UA campus, where they’ll be offering plenty of tips and tricks. Also, CCP Chief Curator Rebecca Senf will be discussing and signing her new book, Making a Photographer: The Early Work of Ansel Adams. Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. Center for Creative Photography, 1030 N. Olive Road. Free.

click to enlarge Things to Do, This Weekend, Feb. 29 - March 1
Mark Anthony Febbo
Singer-songwriter Mark Anthony Febbo celebrates the release of Dry River Redemption, his latest album, on Saturday, Feb. 29, with a formidable ensemble of local talent backing him up: Oscar Fuentes, Heather Hardy, Alvin Blaine, Thøger Lund, Gary Mackender, Tom Walbank, Damon Barnaby, Bruce Halper and Misti Nowak. At Monterey Court. Billy Sedlmayr and Oscar Fuentes and Friends provide opening sets.



Dive Bar Bus Tour. Who doesn’t love a good Tucson dive bar? And who doesn’t love the idea of us all piling into a school bus to tour them all together? This event starts at 2 p.m., so buckle up and get ready to start diving into dive bars early. The best part is that the tour benefits The Sanctuary Project, which takes care of rescue dogs. So, pile into the bus and do some day drinking! Do it for the animals! Do it because you are noble! Do it for the greater good! 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. Start at Trident Grill II, 2910 N. Swan Road. $60.

Found Footage Festival. The lens of nostalgia has a peculiar way of tugging at the emotions, even if the memories aren’t your own. Take a child on a sunny lawn, throw a gritty VHS tinge over it, and you’ve got yourself a universal image. The best part, this works for almost any emotion, and the guys behind the Found Footage Festival know time’s power well. The Loft Cinema is hosting the ninth Found Footage Festival, featuring Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (The Colbert Report), and a whole mountain of once-forgotten VHS tapes ready for a new life. Pickett and Prueher have scrounged thrift stores and garage sales for our cultural subconscious, and are showing the funny and confusing relics to audiences around the nation. This is a celebration of “all things found.” 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 29. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $15.

Cookies & Cocktails. Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon & BBQ is celebrating the great Girl Scout Cookie Season with a series of signature cocktails, and this is your last chance to enjoy them. Get in before Sunday, March 1, to enjoy cookie cocktails their mixologists have concocted. These include Thin Mint, Samoa, Tagalong and Lemon-Ups cocktails, along with beer and wine pairings. Girls Scouts will also be on site selling cookies. 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 1. 1801 N. Stone Ave.

Southern Arizona Transportation Museum Lecture Series. Time to learn more about trains! This week, Richard Dick is talking about Clifton/Morenci and the Copper Mines and Railroads. Freeport McMoRan is the biggest employer of Morenci and Clifton to this day, and the Morenci Mine is one of the largest copper mines in the world. So it goes without saying that mining plays a big role in the history of these places. And hey, where there’s copper, there’s gotta be a way to transport the copper, right? Come on down to this lecture to hear more of the specifics from Dick. 3 p.m. Sunday, March 1. Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, 414 N. Toole Ave. Free.

Precious Guru (free screening). This documentary tells of the life and legacy of Padmasambhava, the eighth-century Indian yogi who carried Buddhism over the Himalayas into Tibet. The story is told by people from three continents, and has been passed on for centuries. Once barely known outside of the Himalayas, Padmasambhava’s story grew worldwide after the Chinese takeover of Tibet in 1959. Precious Guru is a “tribute to the resonance of Padmasambhava’s realization.” This screening is a rental of The Loft Cinema, presented by Arizona Friends of Tibet. This screening also includes a post-film Q&A with director Marc Wennberg. 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 1. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Free.

Winter Chamber Music Festival. This week of music put on by the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music is unique in that it features both well-known pieces and unexplored compositions. From Mozart and Schubert to Philip Glass and Jeffery Cotton, it truly runs the gamut. For example, Australian composer Ross Edwards is premiering a new commission that includes instrumentation for the pipa, a four-stringed Chinese instrument. Russian-born composer, pianist and poet Lera Auerbach is also premiering a musical interpretation of winter, as part of a Four Seasons series. There’s so much to see, and none of it should be missed! Sunday, March 1, to Sunday, March 8. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. every day except Sundays, when they are at 3 p.m. Leo Rich Theater, 260 S. Church Ave. On Saturday, March 7, a gala is taking place at 6 p.m. at the Arizona Inn, 2200 E. Elm St., instead of a standard concert. $30 per day or $10 for students, or $120 for five shows. Gala is $180.

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