What’s New in Tucson – April 2009
Tucson’s Boys of Summer. The legendary Tucson Toros baseball team will return to their original home at Hi Corbett Field for a series of 44 home games, all beginning at 7 p.m., May 21-August 31.
The Toros’ young pros will compete against nine other independent, Golden Baseball League teams from the Western United States and Southern Canada, such as Calgary Vipers, Orange County Flyers and Yuma Scorpions. Among the weekly theme nights will be seven fireworks shows following Friday night games. A new kids’ area will feature inflatable game structures and photo opportunities with team mascot, Tuffy the Toro. Single tickets, priced from $5 to $8, go on sale May 2; season passes and group tickets are available now. Parking at Hi Corbett is free.
For more information or order tickets, call the Tucson Toros office at 520-325-1010 or visit www.tucsontoros.com.
Primavera Cooks! Community members, under the tutelage of Tucson’s finest
chefs, will create and prepare 10 elaborate, wine-paired dinners for guests
as part of the city’s annual Primavera Cooks! summer dining event, May
20-September 17. The experiences takes place in the kitchens and elegant
dining rooms of esteemed Tucson Originals restaurants. Aspiring chefs and
sommeliers from the community will get a chance to apprentice at every
dinner in exchange for making a tax-deductible donation to the nonprofit
Primavera Foundation. Those who want nothing to do with planning and cooking
can donate $125 and enjoy the meal as a guest. Proceeds go toward supporting
services for Southern Arizona’s homeless and working poor community
members. A restaurant list and other information can be found at
www.primavera.org/events_cooks.php.
New Art Graces Cathedral Plaza. Tucson’s second most-photographed landmark
(after Mission San Xavier del Bac) has rejuvenated its public space with
improvements paid for with $1.1 million in donations and private funds. The
St. Augustine Cathedral complex has been transformed and renamed the
Monsignor Arsenio S. Carrillo Placita (after the priest who served the
community for 50 years). The focal point of the new Mexican-tiled and
landscaped plaza is a striking wrought-iron band shell adorned with
colorful, metal flowers and butterflies. The plaza will be available for
festive outdoor performances, art shows, weddings and other public events
after its dedication, May 31. For more information, contact John Shaheen at
520-838-2570 or visit www.staugustinecathedral.com.
Yo-Yo Ma to Perform at Tucson Music Hall. Famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma is coming
to Tucson to perform for the first time with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra
(TSO). The most revered classical musician of our time will perform DvorГЎk’s
Cello Concerto, the most beloved work for cello and orchestra, one night
only, Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Tucson Music Hall. Single tickets go
on sale August 24, and subscriptions are now available for renewal and
purchase. Yo-Yo Ma is the latest of a long list of internationally
critically acclaimed guest artists to perform with the TSO. Cherished by the
Tucson community for 80 years, the TSO has flourished as one of this city’s
cultural gems. Last fall, the orchestra’s highly regarded first CD topped
the Billboard Classical Music Chart. For more information, call 520-882-8585
or visit www.tucsonsymphony.org.
Fun for Next to Nothing. Frugal visitors can find a host of fun and
educational activities related to everything from art and history to science
and outdoor adventure at Tucson’s new website for savvy consumers:
www.TucsonOntheCheap.com. Tour Southern AZ & Mexico with the Argonauts. In
Greek mythology, the Argonauts were a band of heroes who accompanied Jason
on his quest to find the Golden Fleece. In modern times, Argonaut Tours
leads travelers on exciting excursions to mysterious destinations throughout
Southern Arizona and Mexico. The Tucson-based, family owned business has 40
years experience conducting tours with bilingual guides. Year-round tours
are offered to famous travel destinations in Mexico, including Copper Canyon
and the colonial cities. In Tucson and Southern Arizona, half- and full-day
tours are available in Tucson, Bisbee, Tombstone, Tumacacori and Tubac.
Travelers can explore such landmarks as Mission San Xavier del Bac,
Biosphere 2, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Old Tucson Studios and Mt.
Lemmon-to name a few. For schedule and pricing information, call
520-325-4321 or visit www.thecoppercanyontour.com.
Music & Drama in the Park. Spring and early summer evenings in Tucson are
cool and clear. It’s the season to bring a lawn chair or a blanket to
DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center in Reid Park and settle on the grass
with the family to enjoy a free concert or a play presented by Tucson Parks
and Recreation. The Music Under the Stars series of concerts runs Sundays at
7 p.m., May 10 through June 14, and features easy listening and patriotic
music performed by the Tucson Pops Orchestra and guest artists. The 2009
Shakespeare Under the Stars program will feature a community theater
production of “Julius Caesar” that is set in modern Wall Street. Six free
performances will take place June 19-21 and 26-28. For more information
about Shakespeare Under the Stars, contact Richard Symchak at 520-837-8032.
For more details the Tucson Pops Orchestra series, call 520-722-5853.
Get Fit with Southern Arizona Roadrunners. Have you ever wanted to run
through a riparian forest or jog past saguaros? How about dash through a
neighborhood of historical homes? The Southern Arizona Roadrunners (SAR)
conducts running- and walking-related events at out-of-the-ordinary places
in Tucson and Southern Arizona. The nonprofit club, which boasts over 1,000
members, plans events year-round. Coming up are the Cinco de Mayo 10K, May
3, through Starr Pass in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains; Meet Me
Downtown 5K, May 30, celebrates Tucson’s historical city center; and the
Saguaro National Park Labor Day Run/Walk, September 7, loops through a
cactus forest in the foothills of the scenic Rincon Mountains. For more on
these and other SAR events, visit www.azroadrunners.org.
New Tucson Golf Guide. Dreaming of a golf getaway? The 2009-10 Tucson and
Southern Arizona Golf Guide offers a comprehensive guide to Tucson and
Southern Arizona golf courses. Contents include in-depth course reviews, a
listings directory, and regional maps for 33 resort, municipal, public and
private golf courses. Among the reviewed courses: The Ritz-Carlton Golf
Club, Dove Mountain-home of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match
Play Championship. Request a free copy at 1-800-638-8350.
La Encantada Opens New Shop. Francesca’s Collections is the newest
trend-setting retailer at La Encantada, Tucson’s open-air, luxury shopping
center located in the Catalina Foothills. Francesca’s offers women’s
clothing, accessories, jewelry and gifts designed to appeal to women ages 15
to 55. The eclectic assortment of treasures comes from all over the world.
Since opening in 1999, Francesca’s is one of the fastest-growing women’s
fashion retailers in the world.
For more information, visit
April 15, 2009
Posted in: Uncategorized, United States SouthWest
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