BEST Things To Do In Tucson
Monday, April 22, 2019

The Event Oracle knows ALL the fun things to do in the land of the Tucson sun. Select your date above then scroll down for all the Arts, Entertainment, and Events in my crystal ball...

• Carnival of Illusion

  Scottish Rite Grand Parlour
  160 S Scott Ave.
  Tucson, AZ 85701
  

  Carnival of Illusion is an evening of Old-World Magic in the style of classic entertainers such as Buster Keaton, Mae West, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Harry Houdini. The hosts have performed as house entertainers at the world's top resorts, Fortune 100 CEOs, to the 200 Most Powerful Women in America and operate the longest-running Arizona theater show. Carnival of Illusion is “Magic, Mystery, and OOOH La La.”

  CHECK TICKET AVAILABILITY HERE

• Mountain Adventure Horseback Ride

  Eastside District
  14301 E. Speedway Blvd.
  Tucson, AZ 85748
  

  Every Monday and Wednesday, year round, expand your horizons with a half day Mountain Adventure Ride through the desert. Starting at 8:00 AM you will set off with your favorite horse deep into the Rincon Mountains where you will be able to take in the beautiful scenery and broad wildlife of the Sonoran Desert. This walk ride is an adventure for all skill levels of horsemanship so long as you are involved in the riding program or have passed the lope check. With large elevation gains and losses and narrow trails, this is a unique way to explore the desert on horseback. Complete with a packed lunch in the winters and pack breakfast in the summer, it is a great opportunity to live like the cowboys and cowgirls of the old days. Perching next to your favorite Saguaro or in the shadows of one of the low lying trees, you can take in the beauty of the Saguaro National Forest. Back by high noon, it is a great chance to take memorable photos or simply enjoy the sights the Tucson area has to offer. See you in the saddle!

• Birds of Tohono Chul Walking Tour

  Tohono Chul Park
  7366 Paseo del Norte
  Tucson, AZ 85704
  

  Tohono Chul hosts several docent-led and self-guided walking tours of its grounds. Learn to identify birds that are local residents and those just passing through, plus information on habits and habitat during the Birds of Tohono Chul tour. Tours are included in the admission price; reservations are not necessary.

• The Retablo of Ciudad Rodrigo

  University of Arizona Art Museum
  University of Arizona, 1031 Olive Rd.
  Tucson, AZ 85721
  

  The Altarpiece of Ciudad Rodrigo is a jewel of the University of Arizona Museum of Art's collection and one of the most important works produced in 15th-century Spain. This altarpiece, also called a retablo, was made for the cathedral of the city (Ciudad) Rodrigo in the province of Salamanca, Spain, between the years 1480 and 1488, and after 1493. This exhibit is on permanent display, Tuesday-Sunday, at the University of Arizona Museum of Art.

• Woven Through Time: American Treasures of Native Basketry & Fiber Art

  University of Arizona
  1013 E. University Boulevard
  Tucson, AZ 85721
  

  Arizona State Museum's new permanent exhibit features a sampling of the more than 35,000 specimens of basketry and other fiber art in the museum's extensive collection, ranging from millennia-old objects to modern-day masterpieces that celebrate the Southwestern U.S. region's ancient and abiding fiber-weaving traditions. ASM’s total assemblage of basketry and fiber art specimens dating back some 8,000 years represents the major indigenous basket-making cultures from across North America. The museum's unparalleled collection of basketry and pottery has been designated an American Treasure by the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Save America’s Treasures Program.

• Exhibit: Along the Distant Mesa - Homage to Maynard Dixon

  Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery
  6872 E. Sunrise Dr., Ste. 130
  Tucson, AZ 85750
  

  An homage to Manynard Dixon through the eyes of the finest artists working today, "Along the Distant Mesa" features works by 40 nationally and internationally recognized artists influenced by Dixon. The works will be exhibited March 7 - April 30 at Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery.  The show is unique as the contemporary artwork will be hung next to Maynard Dixon drawings, illustrations and oil paintings, over 40 Dixons will also be for sale.

• The Resiliency of Hopi Agriculture: 2000 Years of Planting

  The University of Arizona
  1013 E. University Boulevard
  Tucson, AZ 85721
  

  Arizona State Museum presents this photographic exhibit--guest curated by Michael Kotutwa Johnson, Hopi farmer, photographer, and UA Ph.D. candidate in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment--which illustrates traditional Hopi farming practices, which are based on spiritual beliefs, community values, and ancient, time-tested techniques. Arizona State Museum is closed on Sundays and federal and state holidays.

• Carlos Estevez: Entelechy at Tucson Museum of Art

  Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block
  140 N. Main Ave.
  Tucson, AZ 85701
  

  Works by one of the most prominent Cuban artists of the late 20th century are being featured at the Tucson Museum of Art (TMA). The museum's new exhibit, Carlos Estévez: Entelechy, Works from 1992 to 2018 is a survey of the artist's work from the past 25 years. The art of Carlos Estévez reveals an interest in the link between human spirituality and the infinity of human experience. He explores notions of symbolism, time, anatomy, metaphysics and the cosmos in a quest for understanding that transcends the visual to enter the realm of the mind in complex works in different media.

• Sonoran Sunshine and Beguiling Miniatures

  Desert Artisans' Gallery
  6536A E. Tanque Verde Rd.
  Tucson, AZ 85715
  

  Desert Artisans' Gallery, owned and operated by local artists, opens a new exhibition "Sonoran Sunshine" and "Beguiling Miniatures."   Featured gallery artists for this exhibit are: Le Craven, Tom Kolt, Susan Meyer, David Thekan, Jan Thompson & Dikki Van Helsland.

• Art Exhibit: Recognize This?

  Wilde Meyer Gallery
  2890 E Skyline Dr, Suite 170
  Tucson, AZ 85718
  

  Wilde Meyer Gallery presents an exhibition of paintings featuring figures, landscapes, animals and more all abstractly pushed to the limits of recognizable.

• Sakura: Photography by Mark Taylor

  
  2130 North Alvernon Way
  Tucson, AZ 85712
  

  Opening on February 9 with a free reception in the Art Gallery at Yume Japanese Gardens is “Sakura: Photography by Mark Taylor.” Departing from the usual idyllic portrayals of cherry blossom season, it contrasts the fragility of flowers with the hard edge of Japan’s urban jungle. Captured in these images is the tension and opposition visible in the sight of nature blooming amid a dense visual grid of buildings, power lines, freeways, signs, and commuter trains.

• Meet Me at Maynards: Social Run & Walk

  Maynards Market
  400 N Toole Ave A
  Tucson, AZ 85701
  

  Southern Arizona Roadrunners presents a non-competitive 3-mile run/walk and social event beginning and ending downtown in the patio courtyard at Hotel Congress, across Toole Avenue from Maynards, every Monday evening, rain or shine. Bring the kids (strollers welcome) and the dog (on a leash...and not barking please. Food/beverage specials are available at downtown restaurants/bars.

• Spring Awakening

  College of Fine Arts - University of Arizona
  1017 N Olive Rd
  Tucson, AZ 85719
  

  Now LIVE at the Tornabene Theatre!

• Arizona Repertory Theatre: SPRING AWAKENING

  The Tornabene Theatre
  1025 N. Olive Rd.
  Tucson, AZ 85721
  

  Based on Frank Wedekind's play of the same name, Spring Awakening explores with poignancy and passion the complex journey from adolescence to adulthood of a dozen young people in 1891 Germany. With a book and lyrics by Steven Sater and music by pop star Duncan Sheik that Entertainment Weekly calls, "the most gorgeous Broadway score this decade," this eight-time Tony Award-winning landmark musical is an electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality and rock-n-roll.