Shopping
Summer Artisan Showcase. Downtown clothing store Laura Tanzer Atelier is hosting an opportunity to meet Arizona artists, learn about their passions and buy some completely unique merchandise. Quiana Nwagbara is the "daughter" half of a Scottsdale mother-daughter business designing and creating African-inspired handbags and accessories out of mud cloth and leather. And Sam Patania is a third generation silversmith jeweler from Tucson. Both will be around to share stories and handcrafted goods, so bring your ears for listening and your money for spending. 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 19. Laura Tanzer Atelier, 410 N. Toole Ave.
Super Summer Sale on Fourth Ave. Fourth Avenue is one of those blessed places that feels worth going to even in this heat. And this weekend, they're going to make it even more worth it, with sales up and down the whole dang street. We're talkin' 20 percent off at Antigone, the Book Stop, Caruso's, Pop Cycle, Razorz Edge and the Rustic Candle, 10 percent off handwoven items at Del Sol, women's clothing up to 90 percent off at Off Fourth Outlet, and tons more. Half-off deals will abound, and you can go get your eyebrows threaded for $8. Get a free mermaid gift with purchase at Silver Sea jewelry! Get 10 percent off frozen drinks at Chocolate Iguana! There's still way more than we can fit here, so just head on down, or check out the Facebook event page for more info. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, July 20 to Sunday, July 22. Historic Fourth Ave.
Wild Animals!
Birds of Tohono Chul Walking Tour. It's easy these days to look up at the sky and see only a fickle force of nature, which seems like it's trying to set you on fire until it starts unpredictably pouring down water. But when you look up at the sky, you also have a pretty good shot at seeing one of the 140 species of birds that have visited Tohono Chul Park (on any given morning, you're pretty likely to see at least a dozen). From our state bird the cactus wren to sweet little families of quail, from woodpeckers hiding in cactus holes to one of our year-round hummingbird species, they're everywhere! Head over to Tohono Chul and a docent will walk you through it, teaching you how to identify birds and guiding you down the easy-to walk paths. 8 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday through September, and 8:30 a.m. October through April. Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte. $10 seniors/military/student, $13 adults, $3 kids 5 to 12, free for members and kids under 5.
Summer Safari Nights. Keep it coo' at the zoo this week, with this week's "Habitat Heroes" theme. With so much bad news blaring at you from social media, the television, the radio and even that pesky print media, it's easy to forget there's good in the world. This night could remind you, by showcasing all the work the Reid Park Zoo does to protect wild animals and wild places. Plus, you'll get to learn about how you can do your part to help too! Enjoy special guest appearances by elephants, anteaters, tapirs, rhinos, tamanduas, armadillos and the live band Dos Suenos. 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 20. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. $10.50 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6.50 children ages 2 to 14. Half off for zoo members.
Cool Summer Nights at the Desert Museum. We hope you're ready to have your mind blown, and, if you're squeamish, your skin crawl a little bit, because the theme at this week's iteration of the Desert Museum's "beat the heat" event is Insect Insanity! Entomologist Carl "The Bugman" Olson, an educator at UA, will tell audiences about the six-, eight-, and too many-legged creatures of the world through funny stories and awesome pictures. You'll have the chance to touch and take pictures with a variety of arthropods, and even to try a yummy, crickety treat if you want. And commemorate the night by trying on some wings and documenting it at the selfie station. As usual, the art exhibit "Becoming Animal" will be on display, live flute music will be in the air, and the stingray touch exhibit and Packrat Playhouse are open. 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 21. 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.
Sparks Club "Pupsicle Party." If you haven't heard of Sparks Club, it's a group over at the JCC that's designed for individuals with special needs, but is open to everyone, and can make for a really rewarding—and fun—time! Especially when hanging out with the group involves a visit with the therapy dogs from Kiernan's Kindness, which it does this week. You'll have the chance to make special, dog-friendly popsicles and feed them to the dogs, then enjoy your own, human-friendly popsicle. What could be more refreshing? 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 22. Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E. River Road. $10.
Learn Something New Make Something Great
Krav Maga/Self Defense Basics Class. It's a mad, mad world out there, so it's never a bad idea to beef up your self-defense skills (or even to start building them from scratch). If you head over to Tucson's Rising Phoenix Fitness and Defense, you can learn the basics of self-defense in a quick introductory lesson, then try out what you learned in a 45-minute hands-on class. You'll meet lots of talented people who practice Krav Maga, the military self-defense system that uses techniques from boxing, wrestling, judo, karate and other techniques. Your first class is totally free, and after that, it's only $35 to Krav Maga again. Or, if you're really into it, you can get a monthly membership, and the class will be included. 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 19 (and every Thursday through the end of the year). Tucson's Rising Phoenix Fitness and Defense, 1548 S. Euclid, suite B.
Midsummer Flower Crown Workshop. Not a lot of people know this, but Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is actually inspired by a dream he had, about making bohemian flower crowns in an air-conditioned downtown studio. And now is your chance to live that dream! Creative Tribe will provide the fresh blooms and the know-how on how to combine florals and greens, as well as some snacks and orange juice. (BYOB–bring your own bubbly, and make a mimosa if you want!) You'll leave the studio with a crown on your head and the knowledge of to make many, many more crowns inside your head. 10 a.m. to noon. Saturday, July 21. Creative Tribe Studio, 236 S. Scott Ave. $45.
Drop-in Hula Class. If you've had the Lilo and Stitch soundtrack on repeat ever since it came out (and who hasn't?), then it's about time you learned how to dance along. Those little dashboard hula dancers make it look so easy! It's time to find whether that's at all true. Movement Culture is hosting a chance for people of all ages to learn the basics of hula, what they describe as a "low-impact workout." And hey, we can't think of a more fun or interesting way to get a workout in than to give hula a shot. Get your head in the game, and get your hips in a hula skirt. (Actually, probably just wear workout clothes. And bring water!) 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 19. Movement Culture, 435 E. Ninth St. $10, cash only. Arte Bella Painting. Those paint-and-sip events are always so much fun, but sometimes you might find yourself doing a little more sipping than painting. At this event, that might actually work out in your favor, because you'll be doing a lovely, colorful and—most importantly—abstract painting of the ocean. Sip away! Sure, the event starts at 8 a.m., but it's on a Saturday. You have to start drinking early if you want to fend off the hangover you got from Friday night. There will also be breakfast burritos and coffee, though, if you're not a morning drinker. Bottoms, burritos and brushes up! 8 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 21. Trident II Grill, 2033 E. Speedway Blvd. $25.
March for Science Presents: Summer Science Trivia! Hooray for beer! And hooray for science! It's easy to forget (especially after you've had a couple of 'em), but a lot of science goes into the making of beer. This week, Mike Mallozzi, the cofounder of Borderlands himself, will be speaking about the science of brewing. He'll speak and lead hands-on activities for an hour, followed by an hour of science trivia on all sorts of topics. They say you learn better when you really dive into a subject, so you should probably have a beer to get a solid feel for the subject at hand. But this event is also kid-friendly, so beer-drinking is in no way mandatory. 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, July 23. Borderlands Brewing Company, 119 Toole Ave. Free.
Summer Camps
Space Camp. There's a little bit of a space geek in all of us, but if you're between the ages of 3 ½ and 12, and if you have an extra big dose of space geek in you, this camp might be the perfect way to spend a week—or just a day—of your summer. From space-themed games to imaginative crafts, from open playtime to lots of active learning, it's the type of camp that's going to keep your brain—and your muscles—moving all week. Don't forget to bring a sack lunch if you're staying all day. Just head over to the Heart and Soul Kids Activity Center, and from there, you'll take off to infinity... and beyond. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, July 23 to Friday, July 27. Heart and Soul Kids Activity Center, 8363 N. Oracle Road. $215 for the full week, $60 for one day, $30 for a half day and $5 each for morning care from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and after care from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Troubadour Theatre Workshops. This week, a local youth theatre company is putting on two workshops for your favorite little Liza Minelli or Lin-Manuel Miranda. On Tuesday, July 24, they're holding a musical theatre workshop for kids ages 10 to 18. Instructor Jake Walters will be working with participants on vocal skills from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. At 4:30, attendees will put on a performance for parents and anyone else who wants to attend. The next day, Tuesday, July 25 is the Play in a Day! Workshop, in which participants ages 11 to 18 will LITERALLY WRITE AND PERFORM A WHOLE PLAY in one day. The times are the same, including the 4:30 p.m. performance, after which these kids should be taken out to a well-earned dinner. Both classes are at the Troubadour Classroom, 204 W. Grant Road, and are $65.
Night Around the Campfire. Even in the heat of a Tucson summer, there's nothing quite so wonderful as sitting around the campfire with your friends. Except maybe sitting around the campfire with your friends and with cupcakes. This drop-off youth program at the Mini Time Machine Museum for kids ages 5 to 12 includes campfire cupcakes, games, crafts, flashlight tours and plenty of stories. In fact, storyteller Jordan Hill will be there especially to tell stories. Register now! Space is limited. 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 20. Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, 4455 E. Camp Lowell Drive. $20, or $18 for museum members.
Fun in General
Watermelon Weekend. 'Tis the season for a weekend trip over to Apple Annie's, and 'tis also the season to eat your weight in watermelon just to stay cool and refreshed. For the next two weekends, the produce farm location will be offering up free samples of some of the sweetest, juiciest goods around, and a whole garden from which you can select your own to take home. Before you head out, you're going to want to practice weighing and lifting some melons at home, because if you can guess the exact weight of the watermelon you're purchasing, you can have it for free! (One guess per purchase, obviously). 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 21, 22, 28 and 29. Apple Annie's Produce Farm location, 6405 W. Williams Road.
How Things Fly. Do you believe you can fly? Well, at the end of this event, you'll at least understand enough about air pressure, aircraft stability and the four forces of flight to understand how other things fly. And hey, maybe you're an aerospace engineer in the making, and you'll walk out of this event with an idea for how to give humans the ability to fly. Kids 8 and older (along with their parents) are welcome at this event, at which reservations are recommended. It's going to be one cool afternoon, plane and simple. 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 21. Pima Air & Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Road. Program is free with museum admission, which is $16.50 for adults (ages 13 and up) and $10 for kids 5 to 12. Discounts available for seniors, large groups and Pima County residents.
Sizzling Summer Sounds. We're coming to the end of the Invisible Theatre's two weeks' worth of musical magic, but we're going out with a bang with this week's performance: Ann Hampton Callaway-Jazz Goes to the Movies! Callaway has performed in Tucson before, as well as a few other places you may have heard of. Carnegie Hall, for example. But she's back, and she's paying tribute to the silver screen with tunes like "Taking a Chance on Love" and "Just One of Those Things." Between the ambiance of the Carriage House downtown, the 20 percent off discount if you eat at Downtown Kitchen before the show (excluding alcohol/Happy Hour) and Callaway's voice, you'll be on cloud nine. 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 20 through Sunday, July 22. Janos Downtown Kitchen, 125 S. Arizona Ave. and Carriage House, 1400 N. First Ave. $35 GA.
