Four Great Things to Do in Tucson Today: Thursday, August 16

Natural Grocers 63rd Anniversary. Who said grocery stores can’t have birthday parties? Natural Grocers is celebrating its 63rd anniversary with savings, snacks and more. Select items will ring in at 33 to 60 percent off, and carry your items off in a reusable bag, free with purchase. Enter to win prizes ranging from gift cards to a grand prize trip to Thailand. And what’s a birthday party without food? Catch a recipe demo and samples of Chocolate Powerhouse pudding from noon to 2 p.m., and stick around for a free ice cream social with sundaes and root beer floats from 4 to 6 p.m. Free event is from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16. 3016 E. Broadway Blvd. Details here.

Is This Thing On? Emo Night Tucson. Tucson is still reeling from the closing of the Flycatcher, but in the wake of the storm, one of the bar’s moodiest events will live on. Emo Nights, which are known for being all vinyl, all emo, all the time, have moved rig ht on over to Cobra Arcade. This Thursday is the very first night that the event will take place at its new home. So bring your quarters, bring your American Football song requests, bring your denim jacket and bring your broodiness, because #emonighttucson is still in business! 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16. Cobra Arcade Tucson, 63 E. Congress. Free. Details here.

Field Studies Class: Rain Garden Care. You fill your garden with plants that don’t need too much water because we’re in the middle of the desert. And then monsoon season comes and threatens the whole empire you’ve built. What do you do? You go to this seminar by the Watershed Management Group, where they’re going over proper care for different plant types, how to identify and solve potential rain garden issues, watering schedules, seasonal plant needs like trimming and weeding, and more. There’s an indoor classroom session as well as some hands-on outdoor work, so come prepared—and dressed—for both. The class is designed for new gardeners or new-to-the-Sonoran-Desert-gardening-environment gardeners, but all are welcome. 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16. Watershed Management Group, 1137 N. Dodge Blvd. $15. Details here.

Planets on Parade. You wanna see some planets? You wanna see some planets that are practically putting on a little show for us Earthlings? Mars and Earth came the closest to one another since 2003 at the end of July, Jupiter and Saturn are prominent right now, and Venus is starting the show at sunset. The night includes a light supper, a sunset viewing and a chance to look through the Kitt Peak Visitor’s Center 20-inch telescope while you learn about the history of planetary exploration. The final portion of the night includes telescope observations of the planets and other celestial spectacles. Bring layers, as it tends to be 10 to 20 degrees cooler up there (thank God). Make reservations in advance, and keep your cell phone handy, because they’ll make calls at 2 p.m. on the day of the event to let you know if it’s still on or if it’s cancelled (hard to see the stars when it’s cloudy, you know). Thursdays through Mondays through Aug. 31. Kitt Peak Visitor’s Center doesn’t have an address, but its coordinates are Lat.: 31.96, Long.: -111.598. $75 if reservations made online, $80 if by phone. Details here.

Events compiled by Emily Dieckman, B.S. Eliot, Ava Garcia and Jeff Gardner.