City Week: Weekly Picks

Southeast Arizona Birding Festival

AUG. 9 TO AUG. 13

Field trips, presentations, events, lectures, a nature expo — it’s like SXSW for bird lovers. All day, every day, shoulder to shoulder with folks whose passion for birding may be even greater than your own, your binoculars may fix on more species here than anywhere else in the Southwest. The fest’s website offers tips on how to prepare, including descriptions of Arizona’s “Specialty Birds” and their habitats.

Headquarters is The Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Tucson-Reid Park, 445 S. Alvernon Way, Tucson, $30, various times,

www.tucsonaudubon.org/festival

KXCI Benefit House Party:

Black Cat Zydeco

AUG. 4

“The Black Cat,” Dwight Carrier, rocks the house with his unique blend of zydeco, blues, country music and R&B. His accordion playing is arguably the most energized in any genre. He comes by it naturally. His family, like the music they helped popularize, is steeped in Cajun Creole culture. This event benefits Tucson and Southern Arizona’s community radio station, KXCI, whose programming includes music from all genres and eras as well as locally produced news and entertainment programs.

El Casino Ballroom, 437 E. 26th Street, Tucson, $25 in advance, $30 at the door, 7:30 p.m., www.kxci.org

“Anastasia: The Musical”

TO AUG. 6 – The Art Express Theatre presents the Broadway hit, “Anastasia: The Musical” for one more weekend. The musical is at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Arts Express Theatre, 5870 E. Broadway Boulevard, tickets start at $35, various times, 520-319-0400,

www.arts-express.org

Cool Summer Nights

TO AUG. 26 – Every Saturday night, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum celebrates summer with families.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road, tickets start at $20, free for members, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, until 9 p.m. Saturdays, 520-833-1380,

www.desertmuseum.org

Dog Days of Summer

TO SEPT. 30 – Guests can take their dogs to Tucson Botanical Gardens through Sept. 30. Imagine the smells they’ll enjoy and the fun of exploring new trails, most shaded by the gardens’ old-growth trees. No doubt they’d also welcome a bite from whatever you order from Edna’s Eatery on site. It’s run by Westward Look Resort.

Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way, Tucson, tickets start at $15 with discounts available, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., www.tucsonbotanical.org

Biosphere 2

DAILY – We may have experienced an earlier iteration of the Biosphere as something like a passive “zoo” of biomes, but now the focus is on climate change and sustainability research. Interdisciplinary scientists from all over are finding ways to “increase resilience and sustainability of Earth systems and human quality of life.” Ecosystems under glass include the world’s largest controlled tropical rain forest, desert, savanna, mangrove and ocean biomes. Eye-popping fact: 7.2 million cubic feet are sealed within 6,500 windows.

Biosphere 2, 32540 S. Biosphere Road, Tucson, $25, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

www.biosphere2.org

La Santa Cecilia

AUG. 5 – Pity our distant friends who have no opportunity to enjoy cumbia, norteña and waila music on the regular as we do here. We’re privileged by unique mashups, too, like Navajo punk and Spanish-language rap. Rising in the midst is La Santa Cecilia. Their multicultural sounds are highly accessible, in all the rhythms, especially the dance rhythms, of the western hemisphere. Their passion and their sense of fun make for an engaging stage presence, too — warm and rascally, like favorite cousins.

The Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street, Tucson, tickets start at $25, 8 p.m.,

www.rialtotheatre.com

Heirloom Farmers Market

SATURDAYS IN SEPTEMBER – Fresh fruits and veggies deliver the cool on these summer days. Find all your favorite local produce for a dessert, a salad or a slaw and stock up on pork, beef and eggs from nearby farms and ranches. The Heirloom folks now operate all five of the biggest farmers’ markets hereabouts. In this Oro Valley event, food vendors and artisans spread their wares among the historic structures and gardens of Steam Pump Ranch.

Historic Steam Pump Ranch, 10901 N. Oracle Road, Oro Valley, free admission, 8 a.m. to noon, www.heirloomfm.org

Tucson Jazz Summerfest

AUG. 4 – Hotel Congress features five jazz bands on two stages on Friday. Tucson Young Lions open things at the plaza at 6:30 and are followed by jazz/blues/R&B/soul/funk favorites, The Coolers, at 8:30 p.m. In the plush and air-conditioned confines of The Century Room, find the Jason Carder Quartet at 7 p.m., the Arthur Vint Sextet at 9 p.m. and a late-night jazz jam hosted by Pete Swan at 10:30 p.m. Hotel Congress Plaza and The Century Room, Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson, $10, free for members of the Tucson Jazz Festival, 6:30 p.m.,

www.hotelcongress.com

Short Rest Tavern: Ramones Night

AUG. 5 – Tucked inside the Tucson Games and Gadgets gaming store, the Short Rest Tavern is named for its counterpart in the Dungeons & Dragons game. A paradise for geeks and gamers, its IQ ambience is above average, but you don’t have to be a brainiac to enjoy the craft brews, snacks and special nights such as this one, dedicated to punk icons The Ramones. The bar also has 600 board games to try. Surely, you’ll be an expert at one of them.

Short Rest Tavern, Tucson Games and Gadgets, 4500 N. Oracle Road, Suite 253, Tucson, free admission, 8 p.m. to midnight, www.shortresttavern.com

Magic Moon Talent Show

AUG. 5 – The Valley of the Moon’s charm is ageless. For over a century, it has stood as a single artist’s tribute to Tucson’s fairy population. Its castles, cottages and ponds have provided a welcome respite for fairies, elves, nymphs and gnomes of all ages. Volunteers maintain it today, providing tours, plays and birthday parties. Now we’re invited to share our talents among our magical friends. The website also details a casting call Aug. 11 and 12 for an upcoming Valley of the Moon play.

Valley of the Moon, 2544 E. Allen Road, Tucson, admission by donation, 5 to 6 p.m., www.tucsonvalleyofthemoon.com

Swim With a Mermaid

AUG. 5 AND AUG. 26 – Mermaid Odette just loves Hotel McCoy’s saltwater pool. She’s been holding forth there every other Saturday, talking to kids about ocean conservation, creativity and following their dreams. Find her there on Saturday Aug. 5 and Aug. 26. She expects to spend the intervening weekend in Bisbee, where in lieu of their annual Return of the Mermaids on Fourth Avenue, Tucson’s mermaid cohort will descend upon Bisbee’s annual Pirate Weekend. It’s high time someone taught those pirates some manners.

Hotel McCoy, 720 W. Silverlake Road, Tucson, free admission, 6 to 8 p.m.,

hotelmccoy.com,

www.themermaidodette.com

Movies on the Lawn: “The Mitchells vs. the Machines”

AUG. 19 – Join the Oro Valley Community & Recreation Center for a top-notch film. “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” is shown on Aug. 19.

Oro Valley Community & Recreation Center, 10555 N. La Canada Drive, Oro Valley, free, 7:30 to 9 p.m.,

www.orovalleyaz.gov

This article appears in Aug 3-9, 2023.