$25 Beer Flight and Food Pairing. Who needs dinner and a show when you can grab a flight with some bites? This Friday, head over to Catalina Brewing Company, where you can sample five different beers and chow down on small plates prepared by personal chef service Chef Chic for $25. 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3. 6918 N. Camino Martin, #120. Details here.
Summer Safari Nights at Reid Park Zoo. Holy moly! This is the last Summer Safari Night of the year! How did we get here? While it’s hard to believe it’s already been three months’ worth of learning, live music and lemurs, the zoo is closing out the season with a great program about the care and training of their animals. What’s it like to work at a zoo? Which animals are the neediest, and what sorts of needs do they have? Now’s your chance to learn, with a night starring elephants, tigers, goats, tamanduas, owls and baby alligators. Michael P. & the Gully Washers are bringing the live music, and—as always—enjoy food and drink specials, animal biofacts and wildlife activities. 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. $10.50 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6.50 children ages 2 to 14. Half off for zoo members. Details here.
Dragoon Monsooner Party at T&B North. It’s monsoon season, and though the rainstorms can be intense, during this event, you may find yourself hoping to see some dark clouds on the horizon. Tap and Bottle is hosting a Dragoon Monsooner Party, featuring Monsooner Dormunder Lager, Ohhaygrrl Gose, Barrel Aged Biere del Bac and more on tap. The kicker: If it monsoons during the party, all Monsooner will be $1 off. Bring your umbrella and cross your fingers! 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3. 7254 N. Oracle Road. Free entrance. Details here.
First Fridays at the Arizona History Museum. Looking for something to do near campus while you wait for First Fridays at The Loft to start? Why not learn about some of Arizona’s fascinating history? Admission to the Arizona History Museum is two for one from 4 to 8 p.m. on the first Friday of every month, which gives you a perfect chance to check out their History Lab exhibit, which includes steampunk-themed, community member-curated exhibits about subjects like Tucson’s early brewers, Tucson’s black history and the mine workers of Bisbee. You can even create your own exhibit in History Lab’s DIY activity! 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3. Arizona History Museum, 949 E. Second St. Regular prices are $10 adults, $8 seniors 65+, $5 adult students, $4 7 to 17-year-olds and free for kids 6 and under, AHS members, veterans and military. This event is two for one! Details here.
First Friday Shorts. It’s the most wonderful time of the month! Come out and see the wonderful short films made by and in your very own city. Whether they’re documentaries, animations, dramas, horrors or who-knows-what, First Friday Shorts is the cutting edge of the Tucson film scene. And if a short is great or terrible, you can let the director know! 9 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3. $6. Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Details here.
End of Summer! Family Funday at the Farmers Market. Summer might not be quite over yet, but Family Fundays are almost over, so you might as well enjoy the celebration at Trail Dust Town. This week, enjoy tunes by Mr. Nature’s Music Garden at 10 a.m., the ever-popular ‘Spin the Wheel’ game and a hula hoop area for kids provided by Cirque Roots. AND there will be face painting. Sure, it’s still hot out. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time! 8 a.m. to noon, Friday, Aug 3. Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road. Free entry. Wristbands with unlimited Ferris wheel, carousel and train access are $6. Details here.
TGIF ’90s Spectacular. For every Friday in August, Casa Video is allowing you to relive the ’90s! Go back to a wonderful decade where we didn’t have any of the strife we have today; no unnecessary wars and no corrupt politicians. It was just technicolor tracksuits and Tamagotchis, all day every day. For this first showing, they’re screening episodes of Full House, Dinosaurs, Family Matters and Perfect Strangers. 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3. 2905 E Speedway Blvd. Details here.
Eastern Europe Wine Tasting. Ever been to Croatia, Austria or Slovenia? If you haven’t, Maynards Market and Kitchen is giving you a chance to check visiting them (or at least trying their wine) off your bucket list. At the restaurant’s monthly wine tasting, sample the region’s offerings of Zinfandel, Gruner Veltliner, Pinot Grigio and more. 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3. 400 N. Toole Ave. $12 general admission, free entry for Wine Club members. Details here.
Akira. Despite the fact that it’s sort of just a series of explosions, Akira remains one of the most influential and powerful anime films ever made. Picture this: A futuristic Japan where gangs of street youths battle it out on high-tech motorcycles. Add in a bit of telekinesis, hallucination and noir, and you’ve got the recipe for a winner. Plus in the film, the 2020 Olympics take place in Tokyo, which is actually coming true. So maybe this will turn out to be a more accurate vision of the future than previously thought. 10 p.m. Friday, Aug.3, and Saturday, Aug. 4. Loft Cinema, 3233 E Speedway Blvd. $6. Details here.
Clyde Bellecourt Speaks on American Indian Movement: Past, Present and Future. Clyde Bellecourt, also known by his Native American name, Nee Gon Nway Wee Dung, or “Thunder Before the Storm,” is the founder and national director of the American Indian Movement, or AIM, and has been called the most significant living American Indian in the United States. The Ojibwe tribe member has been an advocate for international social justice and equality since he was born in 1936. At this talk, he’ll speak about the past, present and future of the Native American people and challenge cultural stereotypes about them. He’ll also speak about some of the subjects he mentions in his 2016 autobiography, “Thunder Before The Storm: his childhood, his time in the prison system and the war he’s waged against entrenched racism.” Bellecourt will be doing a signing of his book after the talk. Content of the talk is appropriate for ages 14 and up. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3. Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, 330 E. Seventh St. $25 advance, $35 day of show. Details here.
Salsa Fiesta at Apple Annie’s Orchard. Spice up your weekend and try free samples of Apple Annie’s Orchard’s salsas at the produce farm location. If you can take the heat, bring home any of the salsas for 20 percent off. Want to create your own salsa? Take home free salsa recipes, and stock up on salsa supplies like chili peppers, tomatoes and jalapenos for 20 percent off when you buy five pounds or more. 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 4-5 and Aug. 11 and 12. 6405 W. Williams Road. Free entry. Details here.
Fitness and Beer—Burn off a Brew. The next time you head to Borderlands Brewing Company, bring your sneakers. The brewery is joining the ranks of other bars that offer a fitness-and-drinks combo event. Its inaugural Fitness and Beer event kicks off with a class coached by Courtney Nielsen, open to all levels of fitness. Finish it up with a hard-earned brew. 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. 119 E. Toole Ave. $10 for the class and pint, or $5 for the class only. Details here.
Mead and Bacon Pairing. Celebrate National Mead Day with—what else?—mead, but here comes the unexpected part: It will be paired with bacon. The brewers at 1912 Brewing Co. are offering up a flight of three Superstition Meads with three different types of bacon. If you, like me, didn’t know there were even three different types of bacon, this might be a chance to expand your palate while ringing in this quasi-holiday. 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. 2045 N. Forbes Blvd., suite 105. Details here.
Rye’ld Up Beer Release. Cue the nostalgia: vintage arcade game Frogger is back in a tournament led by Harbottle Brewing Company. Do your best to cross to the other side of the road in this single-elimination, bracket-style tournament, and you might just walk away with the $50 gift card and trophy grand prize—or at least a $6 gift card if you win your bracket after the first round. Fuel up in between rounds with the brewing company’s latest release, “Rye’ld Up” Rye IPA. There will also be discounts on draft beer throughout the event. 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. 3820 S. Palo Verde, suite 102. Must buy one beer to enter competition and use discounts. Email mike@harbottlebrewing.com or go to brewery to secure a spot. Details here.
Downtown Desert Deals. The next time you’re trying to pick a restaurant, head downtown. From now until Aug. 11, many restaurants are offering a host of deals to try out. We’re talking happy hour deals at Maynards, HighWire Lounge, HUB Restaurant, Batch Café and Bar, and Playground Bar and Lounge; $10 summer grilled margaritas at Charro Steak; a summer dinner deal for two at 47 Scott; and half off bottles of wine 4 to 10 p.m. Sundays at Cup Café. Can’t decide where to go? Taste of Tucson’s Historic Downtown and Downtown/4th Ave tours are discounted $5 per person when you use code TOTDSUM on their website. For details on each deal and hours/addresses, visit each restaurant’s individual website. Details here.
The Doctor From India. This documentary follows the life and travels of Dr. Vasant Lad, an Indian healer and founder of the (possibly wonderful, possibly pseudoscientific) Ayurvedic Institute. Join the Loft Cinema for an examination of the growing spread of Ayurveda, a form of herbal and metallic medicine with roots in ancient India. Members of the Ayurveda Professional Association of Arizona will be present for a short Q&A on the ancient science of Ayurveda after the film. 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. 3233 E Speedway Blvd. $10. Details here.
Dom Dolla is a massive EDM producer (and artist) back in Melbourne, Australia. With his throwback soft R&B vocals (replete with tape-echo vocals, ’70s-era Johnnie Taylor), the big update is a hollow mid-to-low range synth and heavily emphasized calypso/world beat pulse. Whether programming tracks himself, like the popular “You” or collaborating as a producer, such as with Go Freek for Australia’s chart-topper “Define,” Dolla is picking up where Seal left off 20-plus years ago, adding up-to-the-moment electronic touches to radio-friendly love-pop nostalgia (see ’70s Johnnie Taylor). As with many international sensations, there’s the chance to see possible greatness in an intimate Tuc-town venue, one is used to closing EDC-level events in his native land. This is soft-groove sex-sway, melodic and comforting. A re-embrace of the sensual versus the current head-crank grind, and its popularity perhaps explains there’s a heartbreak beat in all of us, still. Saturday, Aug. 4. Gentle Ben’s, 865 E. University Blvd. 7 P.M. $10-$18. —B.S. Eliot Details here.
JourneyDance First Saturdays. It’s too hot to work out outside, so you might as well try out a new type of exercise. Why not JourneyDance? This dance form, which combines freestyle and structured movement to help you get of your mind and into your body, is being taught in Tucson by Joanna Carichner, a certified JourneyDance facilitator. All bodies are welcome! Seriously. You don’t have to have any dance experience. AND, to make this event even more low pressure, there will be no mirrors in the classroom, so you really don’t have to worry about what you look like. Just focus on feeling good. 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. Tucson Yoga Studio, 150 S. Fourth Ave. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Details here.
Living Lab and Learning Center Tour. Nothing gets you thinking about starting a water harvesting system like monsoon season. And the Watershed Management Group is here to help. With rainwater on tap and almost 100 percent of their water needs met with rainwater, greywater and stormwater, the group’s living lab is an excellent demonstration site of sustainable living. The tour is outside, so be prepared for the heat, and bring the kids—they can hang out in the Raindrop Retreat, a children’s playhouse with a rain tank, a play kitchen with greywater and a sandbox. 8 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. Watershed Management Group, 1137 N. Dodge Blvd. Free, registration required. Details here.
Connecting Plants & People. Head on over to Tohono Chul for this first Saturday event, where you’ll learn all about the edible and useful plants of the Sonoran Desert. For example, a saguaro can be used as a weapon if you hit someone with it. And if you dip a prickly pear cactus into your tequila, it automatically becomes a margarita. OK, but seriously, there’s all sorts of useful stuff out there, like chia sage, agave and cholla buds, which are all edible. But hey, we just lost credibility on this subject when we told you to whack someone with cactus, so don’t take our word for it. Go on this free tour and learn more! 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte. Tour is free, admission to the gardens is $13 adults, $10 senior/military/student, $3 for kids 5 to 12 and free for members and kids under 5. Details here.
The Last Five Years. Roadrunner Theatre Company presents this Jason Robert Brown musical that almost got Jason Robert Brown sued, because it’s all about the disintegrating relationship between him and his ex-wife. It’s a beautiful, hilarious relatable musical though, about two characters—Jamie and Cathy—falling in and out of love. Jamie tells the story chronologically, so his story arc goes from blissful to resigned, and Cathy tells the story in reverse chronological order, so while her first song is about dealing with a divorce, her last is about the excitement of a new relationship. The two characters only interact onstage in the very middle, when they meet for a duet about their wedding. Go see Chach Snook and Jodi Darling star in this production directed by Mark Klugheit. Friday, Aug. 3 through Sunday, Aug. 26. 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Roadrunner Theatre Company, 8892 E. Tanque Verde Road. $25 GA, $22 seniors and students, $18 military and starving actors. Details here.
Cool Summer Nights at the Desert Museum. Over in the jungle (the mighty jungle), the lion is sleeping tonight. But here in the desert (the Sonoran Desert), bats, owls and kangaroo rats are just a few of the animals that are out and about after dark. This week’s “Creatures of the Night” theme features two 45-minute “Live and (sort of) on the Loose” presentations by staff members from the herpetology department all about the Sonoran Desert Region’s venomous reptiles. Jay Pierstorff will also lead a class about what to look for if you’re thinking about buying a mirrorless camera. As usual, the Packrat Playhouse, the Stingray Touch Exhibit, family art activities, the art exhibit “Becoming Animal” and plenty of docent stations will be on hand as well. 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. 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.
Film Production with Avai d’Amico. Well, of course you want to make a movie, who doesn’t? But when you take into account camera operation, lighting, sets, actors, budget and paparazzi, things can get a little more complex than you once imagined. But have no fear, because the Tucson Film Actor Workshops is here to help you out. You get firsthand experience, and even better, the first class is free for everyone interested! 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5. 1111 N. Main Ave. Details here.
Events compiled by Emily Dieckman, Dylan Reynolds, BS Eliot, Ava Garcia and Jeff Gardner.
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2018.
