Spring Break! Family Fun Day at the Farmers Market. Were you planning to take the family over to Trail Dust Town this weekend anyway? Well, now, you should make sure to, because they're going all out this Friday, with 15 local food vendors, live music, face painting and a whole area just for hula hooping! In honor of Earth Day, they'll also have plenty of themed games for the kids. $6 wristbands will provide unlimited access to the Ferris wheel, carousel and train, to keep the kids busy while adults check out the gift shops and vendors. Millie's Pancake Haus is open for breakfast and lunch, as well! 8 a.m. to noon. Friday, April 19. Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road. Free.
Earth Day Events
Earth Day Festival at the Children's Museum. Earth is something to celebrate every day! What's cooler than a rock floating through space that has exactly the right resources to support all of the wonderful plants and animals that roam its surface—including the entire human race? Head over to the Children's Museum to learn about ways to make our planet a healthier and greener place to live by recycling and composting, gardening, and getting out to enjoy nature. Local wildlife groups can also show you how to bring nature into your own backyard. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20. Tucson Children's Museum, 200 S. Sixth Ave. Admission to the museum is free all day!
Earth Day at Kartchner Caverns. There's lots to celebrate about this big, beautiful Earth every day, but on April 20, we celebrate it a little extra. One of its coolest features: caves! Head over to Kartchner for a day full of presentations and interactive activities (like dissecting an owl pellet!) You'll also get to hang out with live animals and make crafts. What better way to celebrate Earth Day than by climbing right into Earth via Kartchner Caverns? 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21. Kartchner Caverns State Park, 2980 S. Highway 90, Benson, AZ. $7 per vehicle, with cave tour tickets being extra.
Buffalo Exchange Earth Day $1 Sale. If you're ever feeling like the world is just too full of problems that you can't do anything about, it sometimes helps to remember that, technically, treating yourself to a day of thrift-store shopping is helping the planet. But reusing existing items and upcycling old fashions, you're supporting sustainability and putting a little bit less stress on our planet's resources. So treat yourself, and the planet, this Earth Day, at Buffalo Exchange's special sale: a selection of men and women's clothing, shoes and accessories will be just one buck, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Humane Society of the United States. It's cash only, and the clothes move quickly, so get your booty over to Buffalo—and into a cute, affordable, new (to you) pair of pants. Starts at 10 a.m. and goes for as long as supplies last. Saturday, April 20. Buffalo Exchange, 2001 E. Speedway Blvd. (plus all locations across the country, except outlets).
Easter Celebrations
Easter ExtravaganZOO. Is it really a holiday weekend if the Reid Park Zoo isn't throwing a special event in honor of it? Bring your own basket for an Easter egg hunt that starts at 8 a.m.—and keep an eye out for the golden eggs, which will get you special prizes. You can turn in your eggs for a treat bag sponsored by First Watch Café after the hunt. And you'll get to meet plenty of the zoo's animals—including the Easter Bunny, who we heard may be spending a summer sabbatical in Tucson. Delicious breakfast will be served! 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, April 20 and Sunday, April 21. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. $35 adult nonmembers, $30 adult members, $25 child nonmembers, $20 child members, $30 Easter
Avalon Gardens Eggstravaganza. It's an Easter Eggstravaganza: organic edition. Which is probably the best kind of Eggstravaganza there is. Don't worry: There's all the usual hayrides, pony rides, face painting and live music. There's just also a super healthy, super delicious lunch buffet made with local organic food. There are also theater and dance performances by students from the Global Community Communications Schools for Teens & Children. And you get to tour Avalon Organic Gardens & EcoVillage, to see their sustainable practices like permaculture, water harvesting, solar power and composting. 9 a.m. Sunday, April 21. Avalon Gardens, 2074 Pendleton Drive in Tumacacori. (Use the directions on their website, not your GPS.) $12 adults, $10 kids 5 to 17, $5 for kids 4 and under. Pony rides are $5 and face painting is $2. Ecovillage tours are $15/$5/free for respective age groups.
Easter BOGO Weekend at Old Tucson. If you're going to be celebrating Easter in Tucson this Sunday, then you have no choice but to celebrate Easter in the west. Why not make it the old, wild west? Old Tucson is offering a buy-one-get-one offer on admission for both Saturday and Sunday. Plus, Big Jake's will have a special Easter Dinner on both days, with honey glazed ham, jalapeno scalloped potatoes, roasted cut corn, a honey butter biscuit and a drink for just $16.95 for adults and $9.50 for kids. Sounds irr-Easteresistable, right? 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21. Old Tucson, 201 S. Kinney Road. GA is $19.95 for adults and $10.95 for kids ages 4 to 11.
Theatre and Dance
Polaroid Stories. This fascinating show combines stories told by real teens who have lived on the street with a retelling of Ovid's Metamorphoses to tell a series of vignettes that explore difficult themes like abuse, violence, drug addiction and lost love. Street language and poetry come together as well, to create an atmosphere that director Marc Pinate describes as "a terrible beauty." Thursday, April 18, through Sunday, April 28, with shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. ASL interpreters on Thursday, April 25. PCC Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre, West Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road. $17 GA, $10 PCC students.
Sinkers: An Original Work of Physical Theatre. The School of Theatre, Film & Television Studio Series is putting this show on as part of their Studio Series. It's focused on physical theatre, and they brought in Wolfe Bowart, a physical theatre playwright, performer, educator, artist-in-residence and mentor to work with the BA theatre art students. They started rehearsals at the start of the spring semester, and let the performance piece evolve throughout. How would Bowart describe it? Well, he says it's counterintuitive to describe something so visual with words. But he does add, "I've enjoyed watching as we solve the puzzles inherent in translating a theatrical form that is more about muscle than memory." 8 p.m. Thursday, April 18, through Saturday, April 20, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 21. Harold Dixon Directing Studio, Drama Building, room 116 (SE corner of Park and Speedway on the UA campus). $7.
Horizons–Student Spotlight. The UA has a nationally reputed dance program that teaches its students ballet, modern and jazz in equal amounts. As dancers prepare to graduate and take the stage at professional venues all over the world, the School of Dance presents this concert as a culmination of all of their work here in Tucson. The student choreography and diverse perspectives will have the whole audience looking forward to what lies on the horizon for the dancers. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, and Wednesday, April 24. 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 20 and April 27. 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 21. Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, 1737 E. University Blvd. $25 GA, $23 senior/military/UA employees, $12 students.
20th Century Blues. Four women like to stay in touch by meeting for a photo shoot once a year, so they can document the ways the change and age over a lifetime of falling in and out of love, falling into and out of careers, having children and watching major world events happen. But when their private photos have the potential to go public as part of a retrospective for an art museum, 40 years of friendship is tested, and the women must look at who they were, who they are and who they want to become. Two-time Obie Award-winner Susan Miller is the playwright! Tuesday, April 23, through Sunday, May 5. Shows are at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Invisible Theatre, 1400 N. First Ave. $35, or $20 for the preview on Tuesday, April 23.
Things I Know to be True. You kind of think, or at least hope, that being a parent will get easier when your kids are all grown up. And in many ways, it does get easier. But when it's time for kids to leave the nest, and sometimes to push behind the confines of their parents' loving expectations, things get tricky. This show at Arizona Theatre Company paints a portrait of Bob and Fran, working-class parents who have dedicated their lives to giving their children more opportunities than they had themselves. It takes place over the course of a year, in which we watch regrets come to life and many parts of their lives fall apart. Saturday, April 20, through Saturday, May 11, with showtimes at 2 and 7:30 p.m. on various days. Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. $41 to $66.
Music
Sundays in the Garden: UA Steel Band. If you love a good calypso piece, you'd better not miss this afternoon at Tohono Chul, where the UA Steel Band—one of the longest running collegiate steel bands in the country—will be serving up traditional Trinidadian music and works composed specifically for steel drum ensemble. Picture yourself: prickly pear margarita (or lemonade) in hand, sitting in the shade at the beautiful gardens of Tohono Chul, and letting yourself float away on the beat. Looks like your Sunday afternoon is set! 1:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 21. Tohono Chul Performance Garden, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte. $13 adults, $10 military/student/senior, $3 kids 5 to 12, free for members and kids under 5.
The Musical Box–A Genesis Extravaganza. The year was 1973, and five British musicians were about to change the world of rock concerts as the world knew them as they toured their fourth album, Selling England by the Pound. The surreal sets, fantastical visual effects and (obviously) rockin' music mean it's considered by some as one of the first multimedia performances. If you missed it then, this restaging of the show, based on hundreds of photos, slides, amateur films, and media articles, is your chance to see it again. The Musical Box went out and found all the right instruments, meticulously replicated the special effects and costumes and got together a group of talented musicians, who have been touring this show since 1993. That's more than 25 years! It must be pretty damn good to still be going. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18. The Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. $26 to $86.
Pima County Fair. From carnival games to a beer fest to an exhibit on the pharaohs of Egypt, you'll find there's something for everyone at the fair—there always is. Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 28. Gates open at 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The carnival starts at 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. 11300 S. Houghton Road. $9 GA, $5 youth 6 to 10, free for kids 5 and under with the purchase of a GA ticket. Admit discount day is Monday, April 22, with $2 tickets for all ages!
ZOFO Piano Duet. ZOFO—the super cool stage name of Eva-Maria Zimmermann and Keisuke Nakagoshi, have been wowing audiences and earning Grammy nominations since they banded together as one of the only duos in the world exclusively devoted to playing piano duets back in 2009. This live concert experience features 15 new commissioned duet compositions from top composers all over the world. ZOFO asked each composer to pair their work with a painting representative of his or her culture and how it relates to the creative process. It's like a 21st-century version of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18. Pima Community College Center for the Arts Proscenium Theatre, West Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road. $10 to $30.
Tucson International Mariachi Conference. Face it: You'd be a lot cooler if you knew more about mariachi music and Baile Folklorico. Especially if you knew how to perform either. This festival, which started in 1982 is your chance! Check out a mariachi or dancing workshop, or, if watching is more your style, you can attend the El Mariachi Canta Vocal Competition on Wednesday, April 24, the Showcase Concert on Thursday, April 25 or Festival Garibaldi on Saturday, April 27. At the Espectacular Concert on Friday, April 26, watch some of the best performers in the country showcasing the culture, music and dance of mariachi. The festival runs from Wednesday, April 24 through Saturday, April 27. Casino Del Sol Resort, AVA Amphitheatre, 5655 W. Valencia Road. Event times and ticket prices vary.
The LeBoeuf Brothers. When your last name is LeBoeuf and you've got a brother, what are you to do but end up as a precocious jazz duo? With Remy on the saxophone and Pascal on keyboards and composing, these two have won accolades like the Independent Music Awards' best Jazz Album and Best Eclectic Album, and took first place in an international songwriting competition in 2010. They've performed all over the country, and now they're coming to Tucson. They're holding a free clinic at Utterback Middle School at noon on Saturday, April 20, at which everyone is welcome. But the main event is their performance, where they'll be joined by bassist Giulio Xavier and drummer Christian Euman. 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 19. Utterback Middle School Theater, 3233 S. Pinal Vista. $15 adults, $10 students/seniors.
Fun in General
History of Pharmacy Museum tour. Did you know the UA has a History of Pharmacy Museum? And seriously, what's more interesting than learning about all of the ways people used to treat diseases that seem so outlandish to us now? The museum has thousands of artifacts, from old drug containers and bottles to photos to chewing gum that belonged to John Dillinger himself. There's even a full-scale replica of an old fashioned drug store. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 24. Skaggs Pharmaceutical Sciences Center & Drachman Hall, 1295 N. Martin Ave. Free, but reservations required! Visit visitorcenter.arizona.edu.
Art Opening: Gina Beca. The Agave Heritage Festival is going on this week, and there are all sorts of exciting events going on. A chance to see Gina Beca's depictions of the female form and desert landscapes on display at Hotel Congress is just one of them. Her warm, pale pieces depict beauty, resilience and whimsy in equal parts. Come on down to one of the coziest hotels around for the opening reception of Beca's work. 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 24. Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Free.
