This is the final weekend for the Pima County Fair, but there’s plenty of fun still to be had, from carnival rides to face painting, from fried foods to art displays, from champion livestock to model trains and planes. You can even come home with a free birdhouse from the friendly folks at the Audubon Society. Concerts include T.I. on Thursday night, Mammoth WVH and Ayron Jones on Friday night, Easton Corbin on Saturday night and Los Tucanes de Tijuana on Sunday night. Gates open at 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Through May 1. Pima County Fairgrounds, 11300 S. Houghton Road. GA $10, $5 for kids 6 to 10, free for kids 5 and under. $5 parking.

TOMBSTONE – Larry Widen believes ghosts and spirits have unfinished business in the human world. In what’s considered one of Arizona’s most-haunted towns, where ghosts lurk on practically every corner, his Ghost City Tours combine the Wild West history of Tombstone with stories of spirits who still linger.

“This town is one of the top 10 most-haunted cities simply because so many people lost their lives here in such a short period of time,” Widen said of Tombstone, founded in 1877. “There were lots of suicides, lots of gunfights, lots of people cheating each other in business deals because once the money started rolling again, friends weren’t friends anymore.”

Ghost tours in Tombstone and Flagstaff have seen an uptick in business during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many businesses closed because of social distancing requirements and a lack of customers. Ghost tours were safer, outdoor options.

Widen is a senior tour guide for the national tourism company’s Tombstone location. At night, he takes customers fascinated by the paranormal on a walking tour around town to some haunted locations, including Big Nose Kate’s Saloon and the infamous Bird Cage Theatre.

Tombstone is best known for the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and it saw many less-notorious clashes among cowboys, prospectors and thieves before the silver mines played out.

But when the pandemic hit, Tombstone, quite literally, turned into a ghost town.

Join Arizona Public Media and the Pima County Public Library in celebration of the rich Mexican-American and Latinx cultural heritage of Southern Arizona during Mes de la Cultura! Enjoy a virtual celebration of Mexican-American and LatinX art, music, and dance with performances by Mariachi Estrellas de Tucson, Mariachi Los Changuitos Feos, and Ballet Folklórico Tapatío.

Register here.

You’ll get a first look at Arizona Illustrated’s story about Carlos Valenzuela, a Chicano tile artist, and his work across Tucson’s south side. Plus, you’ll get an inside view of the Pima County Public Library’s Frank De La Cruz Borderlands collection!

After the show, performers will be sharing more about the rich cultural history of these art, music and dance forms, share some of their own experiences performing, and answering YOUR questions during a live Q&A. We hope you’ll join the conversation!

This event is sponsored by Arizona Public Media, and the Library's Welcome to America and Nuestras Raíces teams.

About the Performers

Mariachi Estrellas de Tucson is a youth mariachi group from Tucson. With performers ranging in age from 10 to 17 years old, the group has participated in the Tucson International Mariachi Conference in Tucson, Arizona, and the Rosarito International Mariachi Conference in Rosarito, Baja California, México.

Mariachi Los Changuitos Feos (LCF) is widely regarded as the first youth mariachi group and the first seed of the growing youth mariachi movement in the United States. The group includes twelve high-school aged musicians under the direction of Salvador Gallegos. Founded in 1964, LCF now carries a five-decade legacy of musicianship and dedication.

Ballet Folklórico Tapatío (BFT) is a non-profit folkloric dance group established in 1997 under the direction of Jose Luis Baca and Marissa Gallegos. This group is based in South Tucson, and has over 150 members. They have performed throughout the United States, Mexico and Colombia, and are recognized as one of the finest folkloric programs in the nation.

The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation department will open three more extended-season pools and all splash pads on Monday, April 19.

For more information on pools, go to the City of Tucson website.

City splashpads are:

• Catalina Park Splash Pad, 925 N. Fourth Ave.
• Clements Splash Pad, 8155 E. Poinciana Drive
• Naida Jane Baker Splash Pad, 2536 N. Castro Ave.
• Palo Verde Park Splash Pad, 355 S. Mann Ave.

City officials recommend that groups are 10 or fewer people, visitors should stay 6 feet away from anyone they do not live with, stay home if feeling sick and follow all other CDC guidelines to keep safe. Masks are required when not in the water.

On Thursday, March 25, the Arizona Exposition and State Fair Board unanimously decided to relocate the Arizona State Fair to a larger location for 2021 after 116 years.

The state fair, set for last fall, was cancelled due to the pandemic. The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) offered to host the 2021 fair on the Wild Horse Pass Development Authority (WHPDA), larger than the State Fairgrounds in Phoenix.

In a letter to the board, GRIC stated, “WHPDA has the space and the know how to host and deliver a meaningful, safe and appropriately scaled outdoor event. It would be their honor to work with State and outside medical professionals to develop a plan to safely host the Arizona State Fair.”

GRIC Governor Stephen Roe said “Safety has been our number one priority during the pandemic and we are prepared to carry on this legacy for all of Arizona in the most supportive way possible.”

The GRIC offered to host a March fair; however, as the State works to finalize the date, it will likely be later this year, according to a release from Gov. Doug Ducey’s office.

Since last year, the State Fair has been a location for mass testing and vaccine distribution, by relocating temporarily, this would allow them to continue.

“While we are hopeful that vaccine distribution will mean a return to normality, this temporary location gives us the ability to plan and ensure the Fair goes on no matter what,” said Jonathan Lines, Chairman of the State Fair Board.

Ducey applauded the decision by the board.

“The Arizona State Fair is a beloved annual tradition for countless Arizona families,” said Governor Ducey. “This gracious offer by the Gila River Indian Community and today’s decision by the Arizona State Fair Board ensures that another year won’t pass without a State Fair.”

Visitors to Downtown Tucson will again hear children laughing and playing when the Children's Museum Tucson reopens on March 25.

While the Museum may have been closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Executive Director Hilary Van Alsburg said that the staff has been busy working on activities, exhibits and attractions.

“We have spent the past year developing new programs, expanding our exhibits and gearing up for reopening - we are so ready for families to come back to play. Our focus is on fun engagement and welcoming families back to in-person experiences safely.”

The Museum, 200 S. Sixth Ave., will be limited to one-third capacity, with timed admission at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m.  and 3 p.m. Admission is $9 per person and visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance at ChildrensMuseumTucson.org. Discounts are available for military and visitors on public assistance.

Anyone 5 and older will be required to wear masks inside the Museum. The extended outdoor space and visitor limit ensure there is ample room for social distancing while allowing children to explore and play.

The Museum's other location, 11015 N. Oracle Road, will reopen on April 1. They've added a new train table, updated Toddler Town and new outdoor play activities. This Early Childhood Education-focused space will be open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday-Sunday with limited capacity. Admission is $7 per person with advance tickets available online and discounts available.

Now that COVID-19 cases are trending downward across Pima County —and the governor has removed business occupancy restrictions—Hotel Congress is looking to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

"We are not idiots. A traditional green beer and Irish whiskey-drenched bacchanalia is not an appropriate option, but maybe—just maybe— we do a little more than a "tip o' the hat" to St. Patrick's Day," according to a recent Hotel Congress release.

The hotel's Cup Cafe will begin serving traditional Irish fares like corned beef and cabbage, Guinness beef stew and Irish cream cupcakes until 3 p.m. Wednesday. Then the party kicks into full swing at 5 p.m. on the hotel's plaza as the Plaza Eats food truck serves up all your Irish food favorites, Irish coffee, Irish whiskey flights, along with specials on Guinness pints and Jameson shots.

DJ PC Party will be holding down the ones-and-twos, complimentary party favors will be handed out to partygoers and the evening is set to crescendo with the Great Guinness Toast at 10 p.m.

Hotel Congress will be adhering to COVID-19 protocols during the celebration. For more information, visit the Hotel Congress website. 

The Children’s Museum in downtown Tucson has announced their plans to reopen with limited admission on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The Museum will be open with two two-hour play sessions from 9-11 a.m. and from 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Visitors will have access to all indoor exhibits, as well as their outdoor “curiosity courtyard.” Museum admission, including the courtyard, will be by timed ticket only, with a limit of 50 visitors at the museum at once.

Visitors ages 5 and older will be required to wear masks while at the museum. There will also be sanitation stations in the courtyard for visitors, and staff will clean and disinfect activities and areas between sessions.

The Curiosity Courtyard is filled with activities, crafts and games, including a cactus ring toss and animal-themed beanbag toss. A dig pit with backhoes has also been added to the courtyard.

The Children’s Museum in Oro Valley will continue with virtual programming only as part of their phased reopening plan.

Admission is $9 per person, with discounts available for military and visitors on public assistance. The Children’s Museum is located at 200. S. 6th Ave.

For more information, visit ChildrensMuseumTucson.org

You don't have to be a dowager socialite to entertain guests like a pro. You just quality provisions and a certain culinary skill set.

Flying Aprons is moving their in-person cooking classes online via Zoom starting Thursday, Sept. 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

This week's class, Shaken Not Stirred-Single Malt Whiskey Tucson Style & Savory Bites—featuring Tucson's own Whiskey Del Bac—pairs Phoenix mixologist Jax Donahue with beloved Tucson chef Devon Sanner to produce three delectable food and libation experiences you'll learn how to recreate at home:

First Cocktail: The S.S.S with Whiskey Del Bac Dorado, honey syrup, citrus bitters and other ingredients.
First Savory Bite: Prosciutto-wrapped fig, honey + chamomile goat cheese, thyme, prickly pear gastrique.

Second Cocktail: The Lawless Drinker, using Whiskey Del Bac Old Pueblo, passion fruit, vermouth and lemon.
Second Savory Bite: Ginger and lemongrass shrimp spring rolls with coconut and peanut dipping sauce.

Third Cocktail: Stone Fashioned, features Whiskey Del Bac Classic, peach syrup and other ingredients.
Third Savory Bite: Pecan and basil pesto bruschetta with heirloom tomato, balsamic agrodolce.

Registration for the Zoom class is $40 per screen and ready-to-go kits for the cocktails and savory bites are available to preorder and pick up before the class begins.

Click here for more information.

 

Comedy at the Wench: A Virtual Funnyraiser. Fourth Avenue staple the Surly Wench Pub has been closed for almost six months now! While they’ve adapted to the times with their weekly comedy special, “Comedy Away From the Wench,” event is specially designed to help raise much-needed funds. Tune in for two hours of sketches, stand-up routines and other bits that are both live and prerecorded. They’ll also be auctioning off one-of-a-kind portraits of some local comedy icons. 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7. Tickets start at $10 and come with a sticker, but paying more gets you more treats—all the way up to $100+ donations, which get you a sticker, a pin or magnet, a mug or face mask, a t shirt or cap, and a limited edition Surly Wench 16th anniversary logo T-shirt. Details here.

Garden Bistro at Tohono Chul. Tohono Chul’s Garden Bistro is reopening this Friday, Sept. 3. What could be fresher than dining in a garden? They’ve got brunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday through Sunday out on their patio. Plus, there’s a bottomless prickly pear mimosa & margarita deal that we could all probably use right about now. While you’re relaxing, you can take in either a view of the gardens or of art by local and regional artists hanging in the dining rooms. See their website for an updated menu and more details.

Art as Resilience, Resistance and Respite. Local artist-run exhibition space Untitled Gallery is holding a virtual opening for their new show designed to connect artists and art lovers. David Andres of the Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery will be serving as guest judge at the Facebook Live event, and you’ll get to see the fantastic selection of art which will be on sale until Oct. 30. Perhaps the best part of a gallery opening from home is that you get all the hors d'oeuvres to yourself. 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5. Details here.