News Releases

What’s New in Tucson
April 2006

Fox Tucson Theatre Screens Classic Movies –Classic movies return to Downtown Tucson’s Fox Tucson Theatre, with the “Fox Summer Classic Movie Series,” June 1 through August 19. The newly renovated 1930s movie palace will screen 27 of Hollywood’s greatest hits, featuring an appealing mix of (mostly) family-friendly films produced between 1933 and 1996, including Gone With the Wind, Treasure Island, Forbidden Planet, Mutiny on the Bounty, and American Graffiti. Tickets for reserved seats cost $10 each; loveseats-for-two are $25 each. Tickets will be available Monday, May 1 at the theater’s box office (520-624-1515) or Ticketmaster. For more information, see http://www.foxtucsontheatre.org/.

Downtown Art Galleries Host Open Houses – Eight galleries in Tucson’s burgeoning downtown-area arts district will open their doors for the annual Summer Art Cruise, Saturday, June 3. This free event, presented by the Central Tucson Gallery Association, begins at 11 a.m. and includes artist demonstrations and evening receptions. Nearly all the galleries are located close enough for customers to walk from one to the other. Maps and schedules will be available at participating venues, including Davis Dominguez Gallery, Dinnerware Contemporary Arts Gallery, Platform Gallery, Raices Taller, The Drawing Studio Gallery, The Gallery at 6th & 6th, Conrad Wilde Gallery, and Philabaum Glass Studio/Gallery. To request a brochure, phone Davis Dominguez Gallery, 520-629-9759.

Champagne on the Rocks – Literally. Do you see yourself sipping “bubbly”, taking in a breathtaking Tucson sunset, then hopping in a Hummer H2 and traversing down a rugged Sonoran Desert mountain? The professional drivers and desert guides of Black Diamond Hummer tours offer adrenalin-pumping, four-wheeling, adventure or more tame desert tours, all from the air-conditioned comfort of a Hummer H2. In addition to the Champagne tour, other packages include a Mount Lemmon, Rockin’ Adventure, and Saguaro Trail tours. All tours are led by experienced drivers and guides and include snacks and drinks. There are a million ways to experience the desert but there’s nothing like seeing it from a Black Diamond Hummer. For more information, visit http://www.bdhummertours.com/ or call 520-907-1061.

Summer Festival Welcomes Monsoon Rains – Celebrate the start of the monsoon rainy season at the Dia de San Juan festival, Saturday, June 24, 5 - 10:30 p.m. This annual event takes place on the south side of West Congress Street at the Santa Cruz Riverbed. A procession, ceremony, and blessing honoring St. John the Baptist (patron saint of water) draw attention to water’s importance in the desert, followed by games and local entertainment, including performances by Mexican charros (cowboys) and escaramuzas (trick horseback riders). Free. Food and refreshments will be sold on site. For more information, call the office of Jose Ibarra, Ward 1 Tucson City Council Member, at 520-791-4040, or visit
http://www.culturalexchangecouncil.org.

Mystery Dinner Theater for All Ages – Audiences help solve the crime as laughter, groans, and dinner are served at the Mystery Mansion Dinner Theater (near Fort Lowell and Campbell Roads). From now through August, see “Murder at Magic Manor,” a two-hour, fast-paced interactive whodunit that includes a three-course dinner, Friday and Saturday evenings. Also, “Who Stole the Magic Beans?” an interactive children’s play based on “Jack and the Beanstalk,” is performed at midday, Saturdays and Sundays. Live music, actors, puppets are included, as well as lunch, a craft activity, and a take-home magic trick. Birthday packages and group rates are available. Call 520-624-0172 for reservations and additional information.

Sidewinders Play Summertime Baseball – Summer baseball has begun in Tucson. The Tucson Sidewinders – the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks –play a 72-game home schedule at Tucson Electric Park from now through August, with nearly half the games on weekends. The team once again will bring Fireworks Fridays to the ballpark, in addition to Fourth of July festivities and weekly, theme night specials. With new family-friendly pricing, single-game tickets range from $5 to $9 and are available at the box office, online, and by phone. Parking is free for all home games. Tucson Electric Park is located at 2500 E. Ajo Way. For more information, call 520-434-1021 or visit http://www.tucsonsidewinders.com/.

Visitors receive Shopping & Dining Perks -– La Encantada, the luxury shopping center at Skyline Drive and Campbell Avenue, is offering a new “Shopping and Dining Incentives” card for out-of-town customers. The complimentary card features special offers and discounts at participating stores and restaurants, such as “savings of 10 to 20 percent off total purchase” and “free gift with purchase.” Available in both English and Spanish, the card expires March 31, 2007. To obtain one, a shopper must present his/her out-of-town driver’s license at the center’s management office (on the north side of the center, around the corner from the restaurants) during business hours (Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.). For more information, call 520-299-3556.