Sizzling Summer Sounds. In this series, the Invisible Theatre hosts six performances by world-class entertainers. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 7, see IT’s ToReeNee Wolf headline “Star Child.” At 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 8, and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 9, Liz Cracchiolo and Daniel “Sly” Slipetsky perform “Come Fly with Me.” And stay tuned for another round of performances by different artists next week.
7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 7, and Friday, July 8, and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 9. Invisible Theatre, 1400 N. First Avenue. 520-882-9721, invisibletheatre.com. $40.
Tucson Art Walk. Another month means another art walk hosted by some of the Foothills’ finest galleries. Wilde Meyer Gallery, Jane Hamilton Fine Art, Sunset Interiors, Sanders Gallery, Settlers West Gallery and FoR Fine Art Gallery will have works on display, so you can spend an evening strolling through the selections. Find the perfect piece to take home or give as a gift, or, if it’s more in your price range, just enjoy taking it all in. The evening also features light refreshments and live entertainment by harpist Vanessa Myers.
4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 7. Foothills Art District at the intersection of Skyline and Campbell (some galleries on the southwest corner and some on the northeast corner). foothillsartgalleries.com. free admission.
The Chicken and the Egg. Puppet shows keep kids — and sometimes adults — entertained. However, they’re great ways to share stories and concepts in a relatable and unintimidating way, too. For example, the most recent show at Red Herring Puppets uses colorful shadow puppets, original songs and a big ol’ bird to talk about the cycles of life and the birds and the bees. Recommended for folks aged 6 and older, the show will teach everyone a thing or two about the animal kingdom. Lisa Sturz, the top-notch puppeteer behind Red Herring, has worked with everyone ranging from Jim Henson Productions to Lucasfilm to Disney Imagineering.
2 p.m. Saturdays, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30. Red Herring Puppets, 4500 N. Oracle Road in the Tucson Mall. 828-273-1488, redherringpuppets.com. $8.
Summer Safari Nights at Reid Park Zoo. The theme of this week’s special nighttime series at the zoo is “caring for carnivores.” And how could you not care for cuties like jaguars and African lions? As usual, stroll through the zoo for a night full of keeper chats, animal encounters, artifact stations and special activities. You can also take a ride on the Cox Jungle Carousel and enjoy a special performance from Mr. Nature. If all this talk of carnivores has you working up an appetite, grab dinner and a cold drink at the Zoofari Market.
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 9. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. 791-3204, reidparkzoo.org. $10.50 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6.50 kids ages 2 to 14.
Cool Summer Nights at the Desert Museum: Astronomy Night. If you’d like to venture a bit farther than the Reid Park Zoo for a themed museum night, head to the Desert Museum for an evening of exploration, activities and stargazing. Museum docents will be around all night to talk about subjects ranging from scorpions to desert skies. You can also enjoy art exhibits in the Ironwood Gallery and Baldwin Education Building, hit up the stingray touch exhibit, and reserve a spot for the kiddos in the Packrat Playhouse. You can even grab the night’s specialty cocktail, the Space Monkey.
6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 9. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road. 883-2702, desertmuseum.org. $24.95 general admission, $22.95 seniors, $21.95 military and AZ/Sonora residents, $13.95 youth aged 3 to 12, free for kids and members. Other discounts available.
Monsoon Literacy Celebration at the Fox. We love any reason to celebrate monsoons here at the Tucson Weekly, and this is a particularly good one to teach kids about the Sonoran Desert and the joys of reading. The afternoon starts with readings from books by Julia Donaldson and Byrd Baylor, who wrote 30 books about the Southwest and Native American culture, going on to win a Caldecott Medal before dying last year at age 97. That’s followed by hands-on activities and a screening of Thomas Wiewandt’s award-winning movie “Desert Dreams: Celebrating Five Seasons in the Sonoran Desert.” After a singalong and video series is the main event, a 30-minute animated film called “The Gruffalo,” based on the storybook by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
2 p.m. Sunday, July 10. Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress. 547-3040, foxtucson.com. Free with registration.
Loteria Game Night at Crooked Tooth Brewing. Have you ever played this game of chance? Sometimes called Mexican Bingo, it’s a total blast, especially when played over a few local beers. Pablo Sandoval is hosting this evening fun at Crooked Tooth, where the first-place winner receives a $35 gift card, the runner up gets a $15 gift card and third place yields a $10 gift card. Participation is free — just make a purchase or two while you’re there to support the event, please. Teams of one to five people can sign up on a first-come, first-serve basis, so show up early to secure your spot.
7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 12. Crooked Tooth Brewing, 228 E. Sixth Street, 444-5305, free admission.
Have a Drink for Jim Nintzel. Wherever you are, and whatever you may be doing on the day this issue of the Tucson Weekly comes out, I ask that you pour yourself another glass of whatever you’re drinking in honor of Jim Nintzel (though a Fresca might be the most fitting tribute). As you likely know, he’s been on the Weekly staff for decades. Right around the time I moved to Tucson five years ago, he took the helm as executive editor of the paper and has been its fearless leader until now, with his last issue. You may know him best for his long-running column, the Skinny; for his ever-clever editor’s notes; or for his tireless dedication to using that photo of former Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller lying in the road. I know him best as a headline-writing wizard and a boss who always looked out for his people, letting us report on everything from politics to alleged psychics to out-of-state music festivals; making us laugh even in stressful situations; and making us better writers. He’s off to greener pastures now, where, he tells me, he will ponder what it means to not have a deadline for the first time since the 1980s. Here’s to you, Nintz. The Weekly will never be the same.
