BEST Things To Do In Tucson
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...
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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.”
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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!
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Dog Days
Tucson Botanical Gardens
2150 N. Alvernon Way
Tucson, AZ 85712
From June 1st through September 30th, your 4-legged friends will be allowed to enjoy the Gardens just as much as you.
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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.
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A Small Private Sale of Paintings and Objects from the Manabu Saito and John P. Craig Estate
Tucson Botanical Gardens
2150 N Alvernon Way
Tucson, AZ 85712
In 2018, The Tucson Botanical Gardens was fortunate to be the recipient of a collection of art and personal items from the estate of botanical artist, Manabu Saito and his partner, Dr. John P. Craig. It was Mr. Saito’s wish that the proceeds from the sale of his works and items further the mission of the Gardens.
The Gardens is pleased to offer a small selection of paintings and personal items for public sale. Mr. Saito’s collection is vast and varied. Works for sale includes watercolors from the New Jersey shoreline, a sea scape of Japan as well as Mr. Saito’s beloved flora paintings (prints and a few select originals) that were created throughout his life. Other items for sale include includes pottery, batik, masks and a few paintings from other artist friends of Manabu. Personal items such as journals, photographs, Manabu’s brushes and paints will also be on display, but are not for sale.
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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.
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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. ASMs 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 Americas Treasures Program.
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A Portrait of Poetry: Photographs and Video by B. A. Van Sise
Center for Creative Photography
1030 N Olive Rd
Tucson, AZ 85719
The Center for Creative Photography and the Poetry Center at the University of Arizona are delighted to collaborate to exhibit a captivating project by B.A. Van Sise in a celebration of the bicentennial of Walt Whitman’s birth. Van Sise is a New York–based photographer with a lifelong love of poetry and a family lineage that traces back to seminal American poet Walt Whitman. Van Sise has undertaken an expansive and inventive poetry portraiture project. Beginning in 2015, he embarked on a quest to make portraits of American poets that reflect the diversity and vitality of today’s poetry scene. Each portrait is a creative endeavor in which the poet becomes more an actor than a model, performing a concept Van Sise has created based upon one of the author’s poems. These narratives sometimes relate closely to the text (which is presented alongside the photograph), while at other times the connection is more abstract. The resulting “portraits” are at once a likeness of the poet, an evocation of the poem, and a presentation of a visual narrative fashioned by the photographer.
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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.
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Blind Wine Tasting
Maynards Market & Kitchen
400 N. Toole Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85701
Maynards Market and Kitchen hosts a summertime blind wine tasting on the first Friday of every month. Think you have the skills of a sommelier? Step up and try five wines blindly and guess the varietals.
