Friday, February 21, 2020
Things to Do, This Weekend, Feb. 21-23
Friday
Iberian Peninsula wine tasting. Maynards Market & Kitchen is hosting a special wine tasting event celebrating everyone’s favorite southwestern European peninsula. Home to Spain and Portugal, and the oft-overlooked Andorra, Iberia is known for its rich, full-bodied wines. But there are more than reds and whites to be found; Portugal is known for its specialty green wines, and strong ports abound. Maynards is letting you taste some of the more overlooked wines of this special region. 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21. 400 N. Toole Ave. $12. Free for Maynards Wine Club members.
Tucson Roadrunners vs. Stockton Heat. Head on down to the hockey rink for this week’s home games! Friday is 1, 2, 3 Night, with $1 soft drinks, $2 hot dogs and $3 beers, plus the T-Mobile 55+ night. On Saturday, the Roadrunners will be wearing their Kachina jerseys, and the first 1,000 kids (ages 14 and under) to arrive will receive their own free Roadrunners Youth Jersey! Save your ticket for the Saturday game, and, once the Roadrunners win, redeem it at the Tucson Arena box office to get a free ticket for Wednesday Feb. 26. 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. 22. Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave. $12 to $61+.
Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball. If you’ve ever been to Mardi Gras, you probably had a blast. If you’ve ever seen photos of anyone at Mardi Gras, they probably looked like they were having a blast. So, seize this opportunity to go all-out at a masquerade ball with Cajun food, Cajun musicians, specialty drinks and—of course—plenty of beads. Your ticket includes food, two drink tickets, entertainment, dancing, a souvenir photo and some. Did we mention proceeds benefit the Hero Support Charity? Not to be missed! 7 p.m. to 11:55 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21. Tucson Mardi Gras, 1102 W. Grant Road. Tickets start at $175.
Black Renaissance: Hotel Congress Takeover. Have you been keeping up with this month’s Black Renaissance events, which celebrate the contributions of black artists to popular culture? If not you’ve totally been missing out, but here’s another chance to jump in. Head over to Congress Friday for a night full of music. El Tambo and DJ Lady Staliet have got afrobeats on the outside mainstage, while Mattea, Stevie Rose, ASKE and more artists will be playing R&B and hip hop inside. You’re gonna wanna be there, trust us. 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21. Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Free.
42nd Quilt Fiesta. This sounds like exactly the kind of cozy party I want to go to. And it’s going to be beautiful, too! The Tucson Quilters Guild started with 10 women back in 1976 and has since grown to more than 450 people. They’ve got a small quilt auction! They’ve got a professional quilt appraiser (a real certification that exists!) on deck to appraise your quilt! Last year, they gave out prizes ranging from “Best Hand Applique” to “Best Use of Color.” 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. 22. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave. $10 per day or $20 for all three days.
Sorry Party // Dirt Friends–Australian Wildlife Relief Show. Sometimes it feels like there’s so much bad stuff going on in the world that we’re powerless to do anything about. So when a chance, comes along that makes it simple to contribute to a good cause, we always get excited. When that chance involves an indie rock concert at Gentle Ben’s, by LA band Sorry Party and Tucson band Dirt Friends, even better! You get to enjoy a concert, but in lieu of a cover, they’re collecting donations for WIRES Wildlife Rescue. What could be more rock and roll? 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21. Gentle Ben’s, 865 E. University Blvd. No cover, but donations (obviously) welcome.
Puzzling the Past: Fossils, Minerals, and Meteorites. Planetariums are places where we look at celestial bodies thousands of lightyears away. This new exhibit at Flandrau explores the Earth’s geologic history, giving us the opportunity to look at events that happened thousands of years ago. See a giant T-Rex skull, gems and minerals and trilobites while you learn about everything from the dawn of life to the rise and fall of the dinosaurs. Test your wits with hands-on puzzles throughout the exhibit. Exhibit opens Friday, Feb. 21 at the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, 1601 E. University Blvd. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. $16 adults, $12 kids 4 to 17/senior/military/college students, free for kids 3 and under.
Saturday
Donut Bar opening. The San Diego-based artisan donut shop is coming to downtown, and they’re giving away free donuts and swag throughout the day. Donut Bar is known for their wild and fancy pastries, such as the Nutella donut and the bacon and bourbon donut. The first 100 people in line will get exclusive Donut Bar bags, and there will be free donuts and balloons for kids. Doors open at 8 a.m. and close when they sell out. Saturday, Feb. 22. 33 N. Sixth Ave.
Cupping Coffee at Catalyst. SAACA’s new Catalyst art and makerspace at the Tucson mall is hosting Yellow Brick Coffee for a class teaching you how to perceive coffee like the experts. What do words like mouthfeel and acidity have to do with coffee? You’re about to find out. This tasting class features three coffees, and instructors will discuss “their origins, producers, milling process, and roasting recipe.” 10:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 22. Catalyst is located on the bottom floor of the Tucson mall. 4500 N. Oracle Road, Suite 110. $15 for non-members, $13 for members.
Weekend brunch at Penca. In getting ready for the warm springtime, Penca Ristorante owner Patricia Schwabe is bringing back their weekend brunch specials. The new menu is inspired by Central Mexican dishes and includes dishes like Encacnhuatadas, which are corn tortillas filled with mushrooms, hominy, greens and garlic with a guajillo peanut sauce; Molletes, which is toast topped with refried beans, avocado and queso Menonita; and Lonche de Pancita, which is a special braised pork belly on bread with avocado, cream, salsa and beans. And it wouldn’t be brunch without some fancy drinks to start your day, in this case Penca is serving beverages like the “Solanum” with tequila, tomatoes, tomatillos, rotating chiles and lemon, garnished with pickled nopal. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. 50 E. Broadway Blvd.
How to Talk to Trees. Have you heard of Subspace Collective? Built by and for emerging artists, the collective has been around for about two years, operating a small art venue in the basement of the historic Steinfeld Warehouse. This weekend, they’ve got their very first juried exhibit, exploring the relationship between humans and the natural world. You’ll get to see multimedia works by local artists and show your support for what they do just by showing up. What a win-win! 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. 101 W. Sixth St. Free.
Apex Short Film + Music Video Festival. The Screening Room is hosting the sixth Apex Short Film + Music Video Festival, which features short films from around the world, as well as a red carpet photo shoot and Q&A panels with filmmakers from across the Southwest. Selections from this year’s festival include “Withorwithout” a home-invasion-horror meets music video starring Milla Jovovich; “Sunrise” about a city couple rebuilding their relationship during a stay in a hippie village; “The Bag” about a father on his way to his daughter’s birthday party, who discovers a taxi at an abandoned gas station with hundreds of thousands of dollars in the trunk; and “New Bronx” about a girl’s crush on a boy becoming an obsession. 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. 127 E. Congress St. $8. For more information, visit apexfest.org.
The Cat Video Fest 2020. We get it: there’s a lot of videos of cats being weird and funny on the internet. But sometimes there are too many to sort through. Well, curation is coming your way in the form of the Cat Video Fest, hosted by the Loft Cinema. This collection of some of the most noteworthy cats on the net includes approximately 100 videos. A portion of ticket sales from these screenings will benefit the Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter & Sanctuary and HOPE Animal Shelter. Now that’s a cause worth going “pss-pss-pss” at! 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $10.
Cat Meditation Class. Have you been to El Jefe Cat Lounge yet? For cat lovers, it’s three stories of cuddly bliss. The lounge partners with Hermitage Cat Shelter to bring healthy, even-tempered cats to hang out with the public. If you fall in love with one while you’re visiting, they’re all up for adoption! Come have your kitty cuddles with a side of mindfulness at this event, where you can meditate right alongside the stars of the show. Bring a yoga mat or blanket (or rent one while you’re there). And hey, maybe you’ll find your Nirvana in a cat and end up taking one home. 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. El Jefe Cat Lounge, 3024 N. Campbell Ave., Ste. 141. $20.
Sunday
Southern Arizona Transportation Museum Lecture Series. It’s time to learn more about trains in this monthlong lecture series at one of downtown’s most charming museums. This week, Mike Bording will be telling you all about the Golden State Passenger Train. This puppy operated between Chicago and Los Angeles through the first half of the twentieth century, and, at more than 2,300 miles, was one of the longest continuous passenger railroads in the United States. 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, 414 N. Toole Ave. Free.
TMC Sunrise at Old Tucson Trail Run. There’s something uniquely hopeful about getting up early and actively watching the sun rise. Like forcing yourself to do this combination of living in the moment and looking forward to the day ahead. So, watching the sunrise at Old Tucson is like living in the past, present and future all at once, right? There’s a four-mile trail run, or a one-mile version, both of which take you through the dusty Main Street of Old Tucson Studios. Then, enjoy free admission to the park for the day! First race starts at 8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. Old Tucson Studios, 201 S. Kinney Road. $50.
Mike Wallace is Here. This documentary tells the story of the legendary reporter and host of 60 Minutes, who interrogated the 20th century’s biggest figures in his 50+ years on the air. Not only does it show his reporting style, but tells the story of the humble beginnings of 60 Minutes. This screening is part of the Loft Cinema’s “Journalism on Screen” series, and includes a post-film discussion with Andy Rosenthal, the former assistant managing editor of The New York Times. Noon to 2:15 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $8.
Wild and Scenic Film Festival. This touring film festival highlights a selection of films celebrating nature, and ranging from “love of wild places to social justice and scientific discovery.” This screening at the Loft Cinema is a fundraiser for Tucson’s first-ever Climate Jubilee, and also includes several Arizona environmental organizations working on conservation-oriented issues. These films, both gorgeously shot and covering gorgeous subjects, showcase how the natural world is worth celebrating, and certainly worth defending. This is a rental of The Loft Cinema, presented by Defenders of Wildlife. 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $11.
Iberian Peninsula wine tasting. Maynards Market & Kitchen is hosting a special wine tasting event celebrating everyone’s favorite southwestern European peninsula. Home to Spain and Portugal, and the oft-overlooked Andorra, Iberia is known for its rich, full-bodied wines. But there are more than reds and whites to be found; Portugal is known for its specialty green wines, and strong ports abound. Maynards is letting you taste some of the more overlooked wines of this special region. 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21. 400 N. Toole Ave. $12. Free for Maynards Wine Club members.
Tucson Roadrunners vs. Stockton Heat. Head on down to the hockey rink for this week’s home games! Friday is 1, 2, 3 Night, with $1 soft drinks, $2 hot dogs and $3 beers, plus the T-Mobile 55+ night. On Saturday, the Roadrunners will be wearing their Kachina jerseys, and the first 1,000 kids (ages 14 and under) to arrive will receive their own free Roadrunners Youth Jersey! Save your ticket for the Saturday game, and, once the Roadrunners win, redeem it at the Tucson Arena box office to get a free ticket for Wednesday Feb. 26. 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. 22. Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave. $12 to $61+.
Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball. If you’ve ever been to Mardi Gras, you probably had a blast. If you’ve ever seen photos of anyone at Mardi Gras, they probably looked like they were having a blast. So, seize this opportunity to go all-out at a masquerade ball with Cajun food, Cajun musicians, specialty drinks and—of course—plenty of beads. Your ticket includes food, two drink tickets, entertainment, dancing, a souvenir photo and some. Did we mention proceeds benefit the Hero Support Charity? Not to be missed! 7 p.m. to 11:55 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21. Tucson Mardi Gras, 1102 W. Grant Road. Tickets start at $175.
Black Renaissance: Hotel Congress Takeover. Have you been keeping up with this month’s Black Renaissance events, which celebrate the contributions of black artists to popular culture? If not you’ve totally been missing out, but here’s another chance to jump in. Head over to Congress Friday for a night full of music. El Tambo and DJ Lady Staliet have got afrobeats on the outside mainstage, while Mattea, Stevie Rose, ASKE and more artists will be playing R&B and hip hop inside. You’re gonna wanna be there, trust us. 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21. Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Free.
42nd Quilt Fiesta. This sounds like exactly the kind of cozy party I want to go to. And it’s going to be beautiful, too! The Tucson Quilters Guild started with 10 women back in 1976 and has since grown to more than 450 people. They’ve got a small quilt auction! They’ve got a professional quilt appraiser (a real certification that exists!) on deck to appraise your quilt! Last year, they gave out prizes ranging from “Best Hand Applique” to “Best Use of Color.” 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. 22. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave. $10 per day or $20 for all three days.
Sorry Party // Dirt Friends–Australian Wildlife Relief Show. Sometimes it feels like there’s so much bad stuff going on in the world that we’re powerless to do anything about. So when a chance, comes along that makes it simple to contribute to a good cause, we always get excited. When that chance involves an indie rock concert at Gentle Ben’s, by LA band Sorry Party and Tucson band Dirt Friends, even better! You get to enjoy a concert, but in lieu of a cover, they’re collecting donations for WIRES Wildlife Rescue. What could be more rock and roll? 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21. Gentle Ben’s, 865 E. University Blvd. No cover, but donations (obviously) welcome.
Puzzling the Past: Fossils, Minerals, and Meteorites. Planetariums are places where we look at celestial bodies thousands of lightyears away. This new exhibit at Flandrau explores the Earth’s geologic history, giving us the opportunity to look at events that happened thousands of years ago. See a giant T-Rex skull, gems and minerals and trilobites while you learn about everything from the dawn of life to the rise and fall of the dinosaurs. Test your wits with hands-on puzzles throughout the exhibit. Exhibit opens Friday, Feb. 21 at the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, 1601 E. University Blvd. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. $16 adults, $12 kids 4 to 17/senior/military/college students, free for kids 3 and under.
Saturday
Donut Bar opening. The San Diego-based artisan donut shop is coming to downtown, and they’re giving away free donuts and swag throughout the day. Donut Bar is known for their wild and fancy pastries, such as the Nutella donut and the bacon and bourbon donut. The first 100 people in line will get exclusive Donut Bar bags, and there will be free donuts and balloons for kids. Doors open at 8 a.m. and close when they sell out. Saturday, Feb. 22. 33 N. Sixth Ave.
Cupping Coffee at Catalyst. SAACA’s new Catalyst art and makerspace at the Tucson mall is hosting Yellow Brick Coffee for a class teaching you how to perceive coffee like the experts. What do words like mouthfeel and acidity have to do with coffee? You’re about to find out. This tasting class features three coffees, and instructors will discuss “their origins, producers, milling process, and roasting recipe.” 10:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 22. Catalyst is located on the bottom floor of the Tucson mall. 4500 N. Oracle Road, Suite 110. $15 for non-members, $13 for members.
Weekend brunch at Penca. In getting ready for the warm springtime, Penca Ristorante owner Patricia Schwabe is bringing back their weekend brunch specials. The new menu is inspired by Central Mexican dishes and includes dishes like Encacnhuatadas, which are corn tortillas filled with mushrooms, hominy, greens and garlic with a guajillo peanut sauce; Molletes, which is toast topped with refried beans, avocado and queso Menonita; and Lonche de Pancita, which is a special braised pork belly on bread with avocado, cream, salsa and beans. And it wouldn’t be brunch without some fancy drinks to start your day, in this case Penca is serving beverages like the “Solanum” with tequila, tomatoes, tomatillos, rotating chiles and lemon, garnished with pickled nopal. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday. 50 E. Broadway Blvd.
How to Talk to Trees. Have you heard of Subspace Collective? Built by and for emerging artists, the collective has been around for about two years, operating a small art venue in the basement of the historic Steinfeld Warehouse. This weekend, they’ve got their very first juried exhibit, exploring the relationship between humans and the natural world. You’ll get to see multimedia works by local artists and show your support for what they do just by showing up. What a win-win! 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. 101 W. Sixth St. Free.
Apex Short Film + Music Video Festival. The Screening Room is hosting the sixth Apex Short Film + Music Video Festival, which features short films from around the world, as well as a red carpet photo shoot and Q&A panels with filmmakers from across the Southwest. Selections from this year’s festival include “Withorwithout” a home-invasion-horror meets music video starring Milla Jovovich; “Sunrise” about a city couple rebuilding their relationship during a stay in a hippie village; “The Bag” about a father on his way to his daughter’s birthday party, who discovers a taxi at an abandoned gas station with hundreds of thousands of dollars in the trunk; and “New Bronx” about a girl’s crush on a boy becoming an obsession. 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. 127 E. Congress St. $8. For more information, visit apexfest.org.
The Cat Video Fest 2020. We get it: there’s a lot of videos of cats being weird and funny on the internet. But sometimes there are too many to sort through. Well, curation is coming your way in the form of the Cat Video Fest, hosted by the Loft Cinema. This collection of some of the most noteworthy cats on the net includes approximately 100 videos. A portion of ticket sales from these screenings will benefit the Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter & Sanctuary and HOPE Animal Shelter. Now that’s a cause worth going “pss-pss-pss” at! 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $10.
Cat Meditation Class. Have you been to El Jefe Cat Lounge yet? For cat lovers, it’s three stories of cuddly bliss. The lounge partners with Hermitage Cat Shelter to bring healthy, even-tempered cats to hang out with the public. If you fall in love with one while you’re visiting, they’re all up for adoption! Come have your kitty cuddles with a side of mindfulness at this event, where you can meditate right alongside the stars of the show. Bring a yoga mat or blanket (or rent one while you’re there). And hey, maybe you’ll find your Nirvana in a cat and end up taking one home. 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. El Jefe Cat Lounge, 3024 N. Campbell Ave., Ste. 141. $20.
Sunday
Southern Arizona Transportation Museum Lecture Series. It’s time to learn more about trains in this monthlong lecture series at one of downtown’s most charming museums. This week, Mike Bording will be telling you all about the Golden State Passenger Train. This puppy operated between Chicago and Los Angeles through the first half of the twentieth century, and, at more than 2,300 miles, was one of the longest continuous passenger railroads in the United States. 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, 414 N. Toole Ave. Free.
TMC Sunrise at Old Tucson Trail Run. There’s something uniquely hopeful about getting up early and actively watching the sun rise. Like forcing yourself to do this combination of living in the moment and looking forward to the day ahead. So, watching the sunrise at Old Tucson is like living in the past, present and future all at once, right? There’s a four-mile trail run, or a one-mile version, both of which take you through the dusty Main Street of Old Tucson Studios. Then, enjoy free admission to the park for the day! First race starts at 8 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. Old Tucson Studios, 201 S. Kinney Road. $50.
Mike Wallace is Here. This documentary tells the story of the legendary reporter and host of 60 Minutes, who interrogated the 20th century’s biggest figures in his 50+ years on the air. Not only does it show his reporting style, but tells the story of the humble beginnings of 60 Minutes. This screening is part of the Loft Cinema’s “Journalism on Screen” series, and includes a post-film discussion with Andy Rosenthal, the former assistant managing editor of The New York Times. Noon to 2:15 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $8.
Wild and Scenic Film Festival. This touring film festival highlights a selection of films celebrating nature, and ranging from “love of wild places to social justice and scientific discovery.” This screening at the Loft Cinema is a fundraiser for Tucson’s first-ever Climate Jubilee, and also includes several Arizona environmental organizations working on conservation-oriented issues. These films, both gorgeously shot and covering gorgeous subjects, showcase how the natural world is worth celebrating, and certainly worth defending. This is a rental of The Loft Cinema, presented by Defenders of Wildlife. 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $11.
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