Tucson, we have some visitors. BBC Pop Up is traveling around the US, introducing the world at large to different cultures and they’ve landed in the Old Pueblo. I want to love it.

I mean, sure, in their first video they referred to Tucson as the “Wild West,” shot half the footage at the OK Corral and had cowboys introduce the state. That’s not great. But I like that they also used their intro video to touch on border issues, and they did give some non-costumed Tucsonans a minute in the spotlight.  

The team is camping out at the Arizona Daily Star’s newsroom, and you can follow their adventures all over the Internet.
From their website: 

For the next several weeks, BBC Pop Up will be based in Tucson, Arizona, a hot, arid landscape known for desert, cacti and immigration debates­­. Having just left South Dakota, where the air temperature is cold enough to freeze the ears off a donkey (-2F last I checked), it’ll be a much needed change.

We’re very excited about this stop. About 50% of those we speak to on the telephone from Tucson warn us about a gem festival that will “pinch the city”.

I’m still not entirely sure what they’re speaking about, but from what I’ve gathered a large rock convention is taking place downtown in a week or so. It’s expected to draw hundreds of thousands of geology experts, jewellers and hobbyists.

Other events, happenings and sites we’ve heard about include an airplane graveyard that houses thousands of decaying planes, the OK Corral and professional bicycling trails.

Alright, fellow “Arizonaians.” We’ll see how this goes.

This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2015.

Bookworm, cat lady, journalism enthusiast.

6 replies on “The BBC has Popped Up in the Desert”

  3. I agree MJS .That’s a good start. Tucson has so many diverse cultures.. The food trucks alone offer a fantastic look into Tucson’s diversity.
    Tucson is also a town of relocated refugees from all over the world.
    The music and art scene is second to none compared to many cities across the contry.
    Keep it midtown and downtown.
    This is the Tucson I know and love.

  4. You can’t beat Kitt Peak for astronomy, either. It’s fairly local and world-class, west of us! Lot’s of tours! And, we have incredible views on roads through our local mountains!
    ~Bob Shank, Tucson resident, Tucson Mountain Foothills

  5. Be sure they visit the Desert Museum to experience the tremendous ecological diversity that exists in the Sonoran Desert.

  6. It’s a shame they spent the first two minutes talking to Tombstone cowboys with fake Texas accents. And then they talked to some real “Arizonians.” Props for using Calexico as background music, though.

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