 What's New in Tucson
December 2008
A Tucson Tradition: Jewish Film Festival. Four documentary filmmakers will participate in the 2009 18th annual Tucson Jewish Film Festival (TJFF), which begins January 10 with daily events through January 22 and special events on February 15, 22, and March 1. The filmmakers - Ilana Trachtman (Praying With Lior), Roberta Grossman (Blessed is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh), Michal Goldman (At Home in Utopia), and Jon Kean (Swimming in Auschwitz) - will introduce their films and answer audience questions afterward. The festival will kick off with a desert reception featuring a Tucson version of the Kung Pao Kosher Comedy, starring San Francisco comedian Lisa Geduldig, followed by the award-winning feature film, Noodle. A festival pass is available for $85 for all films and events. (www.TucsonJewishFilmFestival.org)
Dillinger Days: A Look Back at the 1930s. On January 24 downtown Tucson will roll back the calendar to 1934 in recognition of the 75th anniversary of the capture at the Hotel Congress of the notorious bank robber John Dillinger and his gang. The all-ages festival will include lectures, film screenings at the Fox Tucson Theatre, live music, walking tours, exhibits, displays of vintage cars, photo booths, children's activities, and food vendors. The highlight will be action-packed, live portrayals of the events leading up to the Dillinger gang's capture by Tucson police. Festivalgoers are encouraged to dress in 1930s garb and be "extras" in the re-enactments. For more details, call the Downtown Tucson Partnership at 1-520-547-3338, or visit www.DowntownTucson.org.
Celebrating Lincoln's Bicentennial. A letter signed by Abraham Lincoln will be the major attraction at ARIPEX 2009 at the Tucson Convention Center, January 23-25. Presented by the Arizona Federation of Stamp Clubs, ARIPEX 2009 is a World Series of Philately show, featuring by-invitation-only, award-winning exhibits from certified, national stamp shows. In keeping with the theme, "Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's Birth," the show will feature exhibits documenting the life of the extraordinary president, such as Lincoln-Douglas campaign letters and important Civil War related artifacts. Admission is free. Other Civil War memorabilia can be found at Tucson's Postal History Foundation (www.postalhistoryfoundation.org). For more ARIPEX details: www.aripexonline.com.
DeGrazia: 100 Years, 100 Works. DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun will honor Tucson's famous painter, Ted DeGrazia, with a yearlong exhibit that showcases both classic and never-seen works, beginning January 23. Some of DeGrazia's best-known pieces will be displayed, including Alone, created in 1967, and the 1957 oil painting Los Niños that was used in a UNICEF greeting card. Before his death in 1982, DeGrazia created more than 15,000 works, achieving international acclaim for his paintings of native cultures of the Sonoran Desert surrounding Tucson. In 1952 he designed and built DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 and is preserved by the DeGrazia Foundation. (www.degrazia.org)
Mineral Oddities and More. The city of Tucson will glow with gems, minerals, crystals, beads, meteorites, fossils, and more during the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase, January 31 through February 15. Tucson's world-renowned showcase is actually dozens of shows stationed all around town, under huge tents and at hotels and exhibit halls. The one show that started it all - the 55th Annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show - is going strong at the Tucson Convention Center Arena, and will spotlight "Mineral Oddities," February 12-15. For complete information on Tucson's largest treasure hunt, go to www.visitTucson.org/visitor/events/GemShow.
Tucson on the Cheap. Penny-pinchers rejoice! A little money goes a long way toward having fun in Tucson - from art and history, to science and outdoor adventure. Frugal visitors can enjoy a host of fun and educational activities in the Old Pueblo for $10 per person or less. The Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau has compiled a list of museums, galleries, family-friendly attractions, and fun activities in Tucson that can be enjoyed by everyone in any economic climate. The free-admission list includes popular attractions, such as: Center for Creative Photography, DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, Mission San Xavier del Bac, The University of Arizona Museum of Art, The Arizona State Museum, Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, and The Presidio Trail. To check out these and other rich experiences for next to nothing, visit http://www.visittucson.org/articles/index.cfm?action=view&articleID=401.
Treehouse in the Desert. Kids can see for miles and miles from the new Forever Young Treehouse at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. This treehouse-in-the-desert is equipped with wheelchair ramps so everyone can play together, close to nature. Kids in wheelchairs can roam the treehouse, and then follow a ramp and trail to Life on the Rocks - another new, kids-oriented exhibit. Life on the Rocks features real lizards, reptiles, birds, and other native creatures living above and below ground on a typical Tucson rocky slope. When the kids are finished exploring, they can enjoy a yummy lunch at one of the museum's high-quality eateries. More information is at: www.desertmuseum.org/visit/treehouse.php?print=y.
Local and Seasonal are Flavors of the Day. At the new Harvest restaurant in Tucson, only the freshest ingredients are included on the menu. Partner Matt Firth says, "It's important for us to know the source of every ingredient on the menu, and how it was raised and handled before it came to us." The menu is full of carefully selected local, domestic ingredients, offered during peak season: grass-fed beef from Oracle, organic vegetables from Willcox, and pecans and walnuts from Bowie. For items that cannot be obtained locally, the restaurant is committed to shopping the finest domestic markets. Harvest also features handmade pasta; cocktails prepared with fresh-squeezed juices; local loose-leaf teas; organic, fair-trade coffee; a well-rounded wine list. Prices range from $8-$12 for appetizers and salads, and $15-$29 for entrees. For more information: 520-731-1100.
Romance of Latin Music & Dance. The Tucson Symphony Orchestra's 80th anniversary season's festival will celebrate sparkling Latin music and the great composers of Mexico, South America, and Spain along with Latin-influenced works by Ravel, Respighi, and Rimsky-Korsakov. The four-program festival will consist of appearances by The Romero Guitar Quartet (known and loved worldwide as The Royal Family of Guitar), Argentina's Daniel Binelli (an internationally renowned master of the bandoneon - a South American version of the accordion - and tango music composer), and University of Arizona mezzo-soprano Kristin Dauphinais performing de Falla's Seven Popular Spanish Songs. Other performances will include the U of A School of Dance, Tucson Guitar Society, and the premiere of a new work by Sonora, Mexico-based composer Paola Prestini. The festival happens in February and March. (http://tucsonsymphony.org)
Match Play Tickets on Sale. Tickets are on sale for the 2009 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, featuring the world's 64 best PGA athletes playing from February 23 through March 1 at the luxurious Jack Nicklaus Golf Course at the new The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain - located in the scenic foothills of the Tortolita Mountains just northwest of Tucson. For tickets and information, visit www.worldgolfchampionships.com or call (866) 942-2672 or (520) 571-0400.
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