|
What's New in Tucson
January, 2009
Family Friendly Weekends. Tucson's Downtown, 4th Avenue, and University of Arizona campus are the heart of the city's entertainment scene with the greatest concentration of performance venues, museums and galleries. Every weekend, fun-seekers can find art exhibits, film screenings, walking tours, concerts and special events, many aimed at families with youngsters. To help keep track of it all, a new program, tagged Family Friendly Weekends, will be launched at the Tucson Museum of Art on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 10:30 a.m. Central to the program is the Family Friendly Weekends website, which contains details such as parking areas, restaurant locations and a master calendar with 52 weekends of programming at venues such as the Tucson Children's Museum, Fox Tucson Theatre, Pima County Public Library and more. For more details about planning a family-friendly weekend in Downtown Tucson, visit www.visittucson.org/visitor/familyfriendlyweekends.
Gems, Cowboys & Golf. Wintertime in Tucson means a stampede of cultural activities and special events, several of which have been entertaining visitors for decades. First out of the chute is the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase, January 31-February 15. This international marketplace of buyers and sellers consists of 45 shows at 42 locations, including the 55th annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show at Tucson Convention Center. The Tucson Rodeo (La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, or Festival of the Cowboys) celebrates its 84th year February 21-March 1, with five professional rodeo events and the ever-popular horse-drawn parade, February 26. The World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play Championship happens February 23-March 1 at the brand-new Ritz Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain, located northwest of Tucson. At this stellar tournament, the world's top 64 male golfers square off in Match Play competition for an $8.5 million purse. Information on these and other Tucson events can be found at www.visitTucson.org/visitor/events.
Incentives for Tucson Meetings. The Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau (MTCVB) has begun a new incentive program to stimulate business and aid meeting planners with budgetary concerns. The program offers qualified groups booking meetings in Tucson in 2009 between $1,000 and $10,000 in credit per meeting. Credits will be applied to a meeting's master account and are dependent upon the number of peak-room nights booked. The MTCVB will provide half the appropriate credit and the participating hotel/resort will pay the other half in the form of a master account credit. For more details, contact Graeme Hughes, MTCVB Director of Convention Sales, at (520) 770-2174 or visit http://www.tucsononus.com/.
Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain Golf Course Opens. The initial 27 holes of the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain is expected to open January 17. Construction and grassing have been completed at the brand-new club, which on February 23-March 1 will host the 2009 World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play Championship, the first of three World Golf Championships events in 2009. Several ticket packages are available, including Weekday Ticket Packages and Hospitality Packages. For information or to order tickets, call (866) 942-2672 or (520) 571-0400 or visit http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/.
From Tucson, With Love. Create and send a free e-postcard adorned with a scenic Tucson landscape, special event or favorite getaway. Simply choose your photo and fill in the address. Information is at the Visit Tucson Photo Gallery.
Spring Training Baseball Hits Tucson. Experience the good old days of Major League Baseball during spring training in Tucson, Feb. 25 - April 2. Fans can get up-close and personal with favorite Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, and other Cactus League players. At Tucson's cozy stadiums - Hi Corbett Field and Tucson Electric Park - the plentiful, close-to-the-action seating is made for catching a souvenir fly ball, collecting autographs and even talking with the players. Bring the family and enjoy a picnic at the ballpark for a fraction of what a regular season game costs. Most games begin at 1 p.m. Tickets go on sale January 10 for Rockies games at Hi Corbett Field ($4-$17) and January 24 for Diamondbacks games at Tucson Electric Park ($5-$25). More information is at www.visittucson.org/springtraining.
Tucson Festival of Books Draws 340 Authors. More than 340 authors will be featured at the first annual Arizona Daily Star Tucson Festival of Books, March 14-15 on the University of Arizona campus. Internationally renowned authors such as J.A. Jance, Billy Collins, Diana Gabaldon and Elmore Leonard will participate in this unprecedented Tucson literary event. In addition to well-known authors, the two-day book festival will include an estimated 200 exhibitors and 15 stage areas with activities for all ages. A list of participants and activities is at http://www.tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/.
Historic Mission Tower Restored. Exterior restoration work on the San Xavier Mission's West Tower has been completed after five years of painstaking handiwork. Scaffolding that covered the West Tower has been taken down, revealing a flawless white finish and an unobstructed view of the mission - an architectural treasure built in 1797. Scaffolding will go up around the East Tower when the next phase of exterior restoration begins in March. Until then, visitors are encouraged to bring their cameras! The mission is open daily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more at http://www.sanxaviermission.org/.
Maynard's Market Opens at Depot. Just open in Downtown Tucson's Historic Train Depot on Toole Avenue is Maynard's Market & Kitchen. Named for Western artist Maynard Dixon, who painted murals for the depot lobby in 1907, the new market is a great place to enjoy a meal while watching the train roll by. Maynard's Market carries an array of regional products - fresh juices, pastries, coffees, healthy grab-and-go, simple necessities and good wines - both on the shelves and at the farmers market. Next door, the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum houses exhibits chronicling Tucson's railroad history. More information is at http://www.maynardsmarkettucson.com/.
Frost Gelato Expands in Tucson. Frost Gelato is delighted to tickle your taste buds from its newest location at La Encantada shopping plaza, located in Tucson's Catalina Foothills area. The Tucson eatery has attracted a loyal following since opening its first shop at Casas Adobes Plaza in 2007 and its second store near Udall Park in 2008. This third location offers the same made-fresh-daily gelatos and sorbets, using recipes and ingredients imported from Italy. For more information, visit http://www.frostgelato.com/.
Temple of Music & Art Tours. Go behind the scenes of Arizona Theater Company's (ATC) wondrous productions with a tour of the Temple of Music and Art in downtown Tucson. Docents will lead free backstage tours of the beautiful theater (built in 1927) at 11:30 a.m. on January 31, March 14, March 21, March 28, and April 11. Following the tour, patrons will receive a voucher for discounted tickets to the current ATC production. For tour information and reservations, call Don Gest at (520) 884-8210 or visit http://www.aztheatreco.org/.
Make it a Mild Winter. Winter in Tucson is mild compared with other areas in the United States. Daytime highs in the winter range between 64 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with overnight lows between 30 and 44 degrees Fahrenheit. This winter, make it a mild one, with a visit to sunny Tucson, Arizona. Check it out at http://www.visittucson.org/.
# # #
|
