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For a city of its size, Tucson is abuzz with cultural activity. It's one of only 14 cities in the United States with a symphony as well as opera, theater, and ballet companies. Wintertime, when Tucson's population swells with vacationers, is the high season, but the arts are alive and well year-round. The low cost of Tucson's cu
For a city of its size, Tucson is abuzz with cultural activity. It's one of only 14 cities in the United States with a symphony as well as opera, theater, and ballet companies. Wintertime, when Tucson's population swells with vacationers, is the high season, but the art
For a city of its size, Tucson is abuzz with cultural activity. It's one of only 14 cities in the United States with a s
For a city of its size, Tucson is abuzz with cultural activity. It's one of only 14 cities in the United States with a symphony as well as opera, theater, and ballet companies. Wintertime, when Tucson's population swells with vacationers, is the high season, but the arts are alive and well year-round. The low cost of Tucson's cultural events comes as a pleasant surprise to those accustomed to paying East or West Coast prices: concert tickets are as little as $20 for some performances, and touring Broadway musicals can often be seen for $35. Parking is plentiful and frequently free.
The free Tucson Weekly (www.tucsonweekly.com) and the "Caliente" section of the Arizona Daily Starwww.azstarnet.com) both hit the stands on Thursday, and have listings of what's going on in town.
Feeling casual and eclectic? Hit
Tucson's 4th Avenue Street Fair, usually held in
May and December, where you can buy handcrafted wares
and hear local bands while munching on every kind of
festival food imaginable.
A Wednesday-night chamber-music series is
hosted by the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music at the Leo
Rich Theater in the Tucson Convention Center from October
through April. There's also a music festival the first
week of March.
In winter the Arizona Symphonic Winds performs
a series of free indoor concerts and then goes outdoors with
a spring–summer concert schedule at Udall Park in Northeast
Tucson. Performances in the park are Saturday at 7 pm;
arrive at least an hour early for a good spot on the grass.
7200 E. Tanque Verde Rd., Tucson, Arizona, 85715, USA
From September through May, Arizona's
state theater performs classical pieces, contemporary drama,
and musical comedy at the historic Temple of Music and Art.
It's worth coming just to see the beautifully restored
historic Spanish colonial–Moorish-style theater; dinner at
the adjoining Temple Lounge is a tasty prelude.
This company presents new stories of the
Southwest border region—often multicultural and bilingual—at
venues throughout Tucson, usually from September through
April.
Dance, music, musical theater, and other
performances take place at the University of Arizona's
Centennial Hall. The UA Presents series is held here during
the academic year (September through May).
1020 E. University Blvd., Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA
Children of all ages love the clever, original
melodramas at the Gaslight Theatre, where hissing at the
villain and cheering the hero are part of the
audience's duty.
One of Tucson's hottest venues, the Rialto
Theatre, once a silent-movie theater, now reverberates with
the sounds of hard rock, jazz, folk, and world-music
concerts. You can experience great musicians up close for
reasonable ticket prices.
Every February this rural artisan
extravaganza brings artists from around the country to
exhibit their eclectic, fine, and tourist-oriented art
in the charming village of Tubac, about 45 miles south
of Tucson.
Much of the city's cultural activity,
including opera, touring Broadway shows, and Tucson Symphony
concerts, as well as the international gem and mineral show,
takes place at the Tucson Convention Center. Within this
complex are the Arena, the Music Hall, and the smaller Leo
Rich Theater.
This huge two-week trade show in February,
comprising nearly 40 different shows at venues in and
around Downtown, is the largest of its kind in the
world. Most vendors sell to the public as well as to
wholesalers. Admission to the shows is free, except for
the prestigious Gem and Mineral Show held at the Tucson
Convention Center during the last four days of the
two-week period. The Tucson Visitor Center is the best
source of information about the event.
The small but vibrant jazz scene in Tucson
encompasses everything from afternoon jam sessions in the
park to Sunday jazz brunches at resorts in the Foothills.
The Tucson Jazz Festival brings national and international
artists to town for 10 days in mid-January; call for
information.
In October, Tucson Originals, a group of
independent local restaurants, hosts the World Margarita
Championship. Sample foods, wines, and killer margaritas
prepared by more than 40 local indie chefs and
mixologists, and then cast your votes for your
favorites.
The first weekend in April brings the Tucson
Poetry Festival and its four days of readings and related
events, including workshops, panel discussions, and a poetry
slam. Such internationally acclaimed poets as Jorie Graham
and Sherman Alexie have participated.
In May, June, and September the Tucson Pops
Orchestra gives outstanding free concerts on Sunday evenings
at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center in Reid Park.
Arrive about an hour before the music starts (usually at 7
pm) to stake your claim on a viewing spot.
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