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 & Special Events
MAY–AUG. Prepare to roll
at a moment’s notice to see the
spectacular Bloom Night. The
event is scheduled at the last
minute when park staff predict
most of the 340 Peniocereus
greggii plants at Tohono Chul
Park will reveal their one-nightonly
blossoms. Park staffers say
they have the world’s largest
collection of queen of the
night cacti. Guided evening
walks reveal the waxy flowers.
To zero in on the date and
time, phone 742-6455, ext. 915,
or check www.tohonochul
park.org frequently.
MID-MAY–MID-SEPT.
Ten Tucson Originals
restaurants cook up
a storm, with the help
of volunteer chef
apprentices, for
Primavera Cooks!
Fabulous wine-paired
dinners raise funds for the Primavera
Foundation. Each event includes a
food talk by the restaurant’s chef and
spectacular food presentations. See
“Cooking Up Awareness” on page 36 for a
complete schedule and more information.
For reservations phone 623-5111, ext. 101.
JUNE 6–8 Ideas, advice, and vendors for
home and garden projects abound at the
Pima County Home and Garden Show.
Product displays, demonstrations, and
celebrity talks cover home improvement,
building, financing, decorating, designing,
landscaping, and entertainment. Up your
home I.Q. noon–7 p.m. Fri., 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Sat., and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sun. at the Tucson
Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave.
Admission is $7, free for 16 and younger.
Phone 800-690-1993 or visit www.american
showsinc.com.
JULY 28 Taste a desert treat at the annual Ha:san Bak: Saguaro Harvest Celebration. The 11 a.m. festival celebrating the Tohono O’odham new year has samples of saguaro-fruit syrup, talks about harvesting the saguaro’s blood-red fruit, music, and folk art demonstrations. Admission into the festivities is covered by the $5-per-car entry into Colossal Cave Mountain Park, 16721 E. Old Spanish Trail. A 6:30 a.m. workshop allows participants to harvest and cook the fruit in traditional Tohono O’odham fashion. The workshop costs $65 and reservations are required. Phone 647- 7121 or see www.colossalcave.com.
Tours
All tours are self-guided and charge an admission fee unless otherwise noted.
JUNE 7 Ten galleries present contemporary fine art in the free 7th Summer Art Cruise by the Central Tucson Gallery Association. From 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., galleries and museums host exhibitions, receptions, and other activities. A shuttle provides transportation to evening events. For maps and schedules phone 629-9759 or 903-0650.
AUG. 23 & 30 Solar Odyssey visits homes in Armory Park del Sol and Civano, as well as the Solar Store, to demonstrate how to reduce utility bills by tuning into the sun’s seasonal path. The $52 (or $47 for Desert Museum members) tour includes van transportation and lunch prepared in a solar oven. To register phone 883-3086 or go to www.desertmuseum.org.
Fairs & Sales
MAY 4 Find plants that do well in water features at the Water Gardeners Plant Sale at Reid Park, 22nd Street and Country Club Road. The Tucson Watergardeners club will also answer questions about creating a backyard oasis. The sale runs 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Phone 748-1417.
MAY 9 University of Arizona students sell pottery and sculpture at their End of the Semester Ceramic Art Sale. Proceeds fund educational activities for ASUA Art ClayWorks, a campus ceramic-arts club. The sale runs 11 a.m.–8 p.m. on campus at the U of A in the Ceramics Lab/Studio, ste. 114 of the Esquire Building, northeast corner of Helen Street and Park Avenue. Phone 621-3136.
JUNE 28 Master gardeners who are specially trained in gardening education offer the results of their own efforts at the Monsoon Plant Sale. They set out cacti, succulents, vines, herbs, ground covers, and other plant favorites for purchase 6–10 a.m. They’ll also answer gardening and landscaping questions during the event at the Pima County Cooperative Extension gardens, 4210 N. Campbell Ave. Phone 626-5161.
JULY 12 Desert Survivors Native Plant Nursery, a local nonprofit, hosts their third annual Monsoon Plant Sale. During the usual 8 a.m.–5 p.m. nursery hours, receive a 10% discount (20% for members) on native plants to suit your garden or landscape. Admission to the sale at 1020 W. Starr Pass is free. Call 791-9309 or visit www.desertsurvivors.org for more information.
Workshops & Classes
JUNE 19 Amazing Agaves covers species suitable for landscaping and gardening as well as techniques for growing them in Tucson. Matt Johnson, curator for the Desert Legume Program at The University of Arizona and Boyce Thompson Arboretum, also discusses human uses of the plant throughout history. The $20 class runs 7–8:30 p.m. at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way. To register phone 326-9686, ext. 19.
JUNE 21 Vegetables from Monsoon Rains reveals how to use the summer season to grow abundant vegetable gardens. Gardener Elaine West covers vegetable selection, garden location, soil preparation, and harvesting. The 8:30–10 a.m. class, which costs $20, takes place at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way. To register phone 326-9686, ext. 19.