Calendar of Events in Tucson, Arizona
For shows and events, home and garden tours, fairs and sales, and workshops and classes. From the latest edition of Tucson Home Magazine. Bookmark this page and mark your calendar for these great events in Metro Tucson, Arizona.
By Elena Acoba
Shows and Special Events
MID-MAY—MID-SEPT. Primavera
Cooks! elevates elegant restaurant dining
to the sublime with its calendar of special
dinners prepared by volunteer apprentice
chefs. At least 10 Tucson Originals
restaurants feature wine-paired dinners,
insightful chef talks, and spectacular
meal presentations. It all supports the
Primavera Foundation. For details see
page 41 for “Good Food, Good Wine,
Goodwill.” To make reservations
phone 623-5111, ext. 101. Visit
www.primavera.org for more information.
MAY—AUG. Bloom Night affords one of the showiest displays of the nightblooming cereus, or Queen of the Night cactus, which reveals its creamy white flowers for a single evening each year. Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, opens its gates to conduct guided tours and present talks on a night when the most blossoms from its 340 plants appear ready to pop open. Organizers announce the event at the last minute to take advantage of the optimal bloom. To find out when that is phone 742-6455, ext. 915, or check on www.tohonochulpark.org.
JUNE 5—7 Pima County Home Show exhibitors offer products, services, and advice on all aspects of home buying, maintenance, improvement, and entertainment. How-to demonstrations, giveaways, and celebrity presentations add to the mix. It runs Fri. noon—7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.—7 p.m., and Sun. 10 a.m.—5 p.m. at the Pima County Fairgrounds, 11300 S. Houghton Rd. Admission is $7, free for 16 and younger. Phone 800-690-1993 or see www.americanshowsinc.com.
JULY 11 Ha:san Bak, or Saguaro Harvest Celebration, at Colossal Cave Mountain Park focuses on Tohono O’odham culinary and cultural traditions surrounding the ruby-colored fruit of the stately saguaro cactus. A 6:30 a.m. workshop ($95) teaches participants how to gather and process the fruit into syrup as they learn about the natural history of the saguaro. A public event 11 a.m.— 2 p.m. (regular park admission of $5 per car with as many as 6 people) includes watching the workshop participants make the syrup, giving it a taste, enjoying traditional music and dance, and planting a saguaro seed in a pot to take home. Colossal Cave Mountain Park is at 16721 E. Old Spanish Trail. To reserve a spot for the workshop phone 647-7121. The public event does not accept reservations. Go to www.colossalcave.com.
Tours
All tours are self-guided and charge an admission fee unless otherwise noted.MAY 16, JUNE 20, JULY 18 & AUG. 15 The Great Xeriscape uses the gardens at Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte, to illustrate how to install native and arid-adapted plants into a landscape that minimizes water use. The monthly 10 a.m. guided tour is part of the park’s regular $7 admission fee, free for children younger than 5 years old, with other discounts available. Phone 742-6455 or visit www.tohonochulpark.org.
JUNE 6 Summer Art Cruise stops at current exhibits put on by the 13-member Central Tucson Gallery Association. Museums and galleries in and around downtown Tucson stay open late and hold special artist receptions and events. To get a map of the free tour, phone 629-9759 or visit www.ctgatucson.org.
Fairs & Sales
JUNE 5—6 Strange-looking succulents and cacti make up the products at the Weird Plant Sale at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way. The semiarid plants are prized by both collectors and homeowners who want something unusual for their landscapes. The sale also includes pots for planting. Admission into the sale is free. Phone 326-9686 or visit www.tucsonbotanical.org.
Workshops & Classes
MAY 23, JUNE 27 & JULY 25 Rainwater Harvesting Workshop provides hands-on experience digging a water-harvesting system for a residential landscape. Topics include land contours, mulch, and plant selection. No registration is required, but gloves, hat, and sunscreen are recommended for the 8:30—10:30 a.m. session at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way. The $14 cost includes admission into the attraction. Phone 326-9686 or see www.tucsonbotanical.org.
JUNE 13 Big Harvest in a Small Space demonstrates how to construct a vertical garden that coaxes summer vegetables to grow in a 16-square-foot plot that requires less water than other configurations. Participants help build a raised bed with trellises during the 1—3 p.m. class at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way. To make the required reservation phone 326-9686, ext. 19. Visit www.tucsonbotanical.org.
JUNE 20 Vegetables From Monsoon Rains shows how to grow an abundant garden of vegetables using seasonal rains for irrigation. The 9—11 a.m. class covers plant selection, garden location, soil preparation, and harvesting. It’s held at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way. To make the required reservation phone 326-9686. Check www.tucsonbotanical.org.