City Week: Weekly Picks

Baroque Music Festival

Hosted by Arizona Early Music, Tucson’s first festival of Baroque-era music explores the geography of the music’s history. Friday, Feb. 10, “Across the Alps” highlights Baroque influences from Italy. Afternoon programs Saturday, Feb. 11, and Sunday, Feb. 12, feature, respectively, the music of J.S. Bach, Germany, and G.F. Handel Germany and England. The festival is curated and led by distinguished Baroque keyboardist and vocal music scholar, Avi Stein.
Various times Friday, Feb 10, to Sunday, Feb. 12, Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams Street, azearlymusic.org/festival, $30.90 per concert, $72.10 all access

“Jurassic Quest”

They’re here, they’re behemoth and you’re welcome to join them in taking over the Pima County Fairgrounds. The towering animatronic Spinosaurus and legendary terrorist tyrannosaurus rex are precisely true to every detail known about them, including the way they move about, which they do. To mitigate the roaring and roving imaginary nightmare scenarios, you and yours can engage with baby dinos or rascally adolescent ones, excavate fossils, make crafts, pretend to be a paleontologist, try to train a raptor or play in a roaring bounce house. (Socks are a must.) Some of the dinosaurs are rideable. Kids are encouraged to ride them all and pick a favorite.
Noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11; and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12, Pima County Fairgrounds, 11300 S. Houghton Road, jurassicquest.com/about-us, tickets start at $22, $19 age 65 and older

“Share the Love” at Playground

Playground invites Valentine’s Day revelers to dress to impress and party all weekend in its hearts and flowers-themed space. Drink specials, DJs, dancing and VIP bottle service bubble specials are promised. Watch the club’s social media for updates and more details.
Various hours Friday, Feb. 10, to Sunday, Feb. 12, Playground Bar & Lounge, 278 E. Congress Street, free, $10 to skip the line, playgroundtucson.com

Cruise, BBQ and Blues

SAACA elevates the status of auto design to high art in this annual event celebrating the design aesthetics and engineering innovations of classic models. There’ll be live blues on the main stage, oldies music in the air and barbecue on the grill, but the cars are the stars. SAACA judges name winners in more than 30 levels of best of show, best interior, best paint, best engine and people’s choice.
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, Oro Valley Marketplace, 12155 N. Oracle Road, Oro Valley, saaca.org/classiccarshow, $5 adults, $4 veterans and active duty, free age 10 and younger

Celebrate Arizona, The Valentine State

Arizona became a state on Feb. 14, 1912, and The Presidio Museum is getting its party on. Saturday, Feb. 11. The 1870s-1900s Town Band plays for dancing at 11 a.m. following a 10:30 a.m. tour of the Presidio Museum. Through a re-enactment and lecture at 11:45 a.m., guests discover the life of Atancia Santa Cruz, born inside the Presidio in 1850 and married to Sam Hughes at the age of 12. They had 10 children, and Hughes helped organize Tucson’s first bank. Another re-enactor portrays Tucson’s first teacher, Maria Wakefield Fish. Regimental re-enactments, musical performances and demonstrations of weaving, sewing and blacksmithing take place throughout the day.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, Presidio Museum, 196 N. Court Avenue, tucsonpresidio.com, $5, see website for info on discounts

Tucson Railroad History Odell Lecture Series

At 3 p.m. Sundays, The Southern Arizona Transportation Museum presents a series of lectures about the history of the railroad in Tucson. On Feb. 12, Richard Dick presents “The Arizona and New Mexico Railroad;” Feb. 19, David Quackenbush presents “Railroad Watches and Railroad Time;” Feb. 26, Chris Enss presents “Iron Women: The Ladies Who Helped Build the Railroad” and March 12, Paul Chandler presents “Icons of the Southern Pacific Railroad.” There is no March 5 lecture.
3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, a Division of Old Pueblo Trolly, Inc., 414 N. Toole Avenue, tucsonhistoricdepot.org, free

Send a Reveille Valentine-Gram!

Reveille will serenade your Valentine, whoever they are to you, with a song of your choosing. Selections include “Sucker,” “Bésame Mucho,” “I’ll Be There for You,” “You Are So Beautiful” and “Thank You for Being a Friend.” Complete the order form, including time zone and special requests, and pay on the website.
Order and pay online for delivery from Sunday, Feb. 12, to Tuesday, Feb. 14, reveillemenschorus.org, $25 Sunday and Monday, $50 Tuesday

One Rehearsal Short: “ORS You Need Is Love”

This quarter’s One Rehearsal Short show is at once an ode to, and a send up of, Valentine’s Day and all the tenderness, confusion and heartache it can bring. The cast creates new and often surprising settings, complete with costumes, to give each song a fresh, hilarious perspective. Look for solos, duets and group numbers featuring songs from the likes of “Rent,” ABBA, “Enchanted” and “A Chorus Line.”
6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, and Sunday Feb. 19, The Children’s Theatre at Live Theatre Workshop, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Road, orstix.square.site, $10

Invisible Theatre: “The Sabbath Girl”

A hip, young Manhattanite, with an art gallery job and upper-west-side apartment, finds her dream life perplexingly interrupted by an invitation to be a good neighbor. Laughter ensues as she obliges requests to help out the divorced, Orthodox Jewish boy next door with small tasks he’s forbidden on the Sabbath. The walls that separate the pair are less concrete than cultural. Of course, true love is said to conquer all.
Times and days vary Wednesday, Feb. 15, to Saturday, Feb. 26, Invisible Theatre, 1400 N. First Avenue, invisibletheatre.com, $40

The Dolly Parton-Inspired Country Western Diva Dance Party

Dolly Parton may be one of the most beloved humans in the world. How fabulous that we can also dance to her! Now that she’s earned a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, even Hotel Congress, the indie rock and jazz capital of Southern Arizona, can proudly, and not one bit self-consciously, have a party to celebrate. This party will also see props to other ladies who moved mountains to achieve success in the music business when that required more than a backhoe: Loretta Lynn, Tina Turner, Reba McEntire, Donna Summer, Whitney Houston and The Chicks.
8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, $15.95

This article appears in Feb 9-15, 2023.