Editor’s Note: While we are delighted to see Tucsonans once again gathering for fun events, we are also aware that variants are in widespread circulation. Please consider getting vaccinated against COVID if you haven’t yet.
The Mercado Flea. Now that the holiday shopping season has drawn to a close, I hope you’ll join me in breathing a sigh of relief. Now that we’re not trying to find the perfect gift for our moms, dads, aunts, uncles, friends, coworkers, grandmothers, dog sitters, neighbors, hairstylists, neighbors’ dogs, boss’s dog’s hairstylists and so on, we can just… shop to shop. And wandering through the Mercado Flea, where nearly 50 vendors sell antique, vintage and collectible items, is the perfect way to remember what it’s like to shop and stroll without feeling frantic. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9. Parking lots and sidewalks on Avenida Del Convento between Congress and Cushing Streets.
Rumors. This 1988 play by Neil Simon is a modern comedy classic, and Live Theatre Workshop is delivering it to Tucson to get us laughing this month. It’s the story of a farcical dinner party gone terribly wrong—starting with the host shooting himself (just a flesh wound, though!) As people gather for the anniversary dinner party, the man’s lawyer and wife try to get their story straight, but find themselves in a web of confusions and miscommunications that just keeps getting worse. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays from Jan. 6 to Feb. 12. On Feb. 12, there is a matinee in place of an evening show. Live Theatre Workshop, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Road. $23 GA, $21 military/senior/student, $15 Thursdays and previews.
Zoppé Family Circus. The circus is such a weird and wonderful and completely unique form of entertainment. If you’re still shaking off the cobwebs of 2021, a visit to the circus might be just the reset you need as we begin a new year. The Zoppé family is back in Tucson for the 11th year in a row for this two-and-a-half-week run of their show “La Vita Nuova” (A New Life). See entertainment on the Russian bar (where balance beam meets trampoline), acrobatics, sword balancing, Nino the Clown and plenty more. And after last year’s adapted drive-in show, this year they’re back in the circus tent. Shows are at various times from Thursday, Jan. 13, through Sunday, Jan. 23, at 221 S. Avenida del Convento. $25+.
Rich De Mont: Elemental Monuments. A new year means a new artist exhibiting over at Tohono Chul, and you’re in for a treat with DeMont’s large scale watercolors. He uses a combination of dots, marks and strokes in exaggerated colors. The work is reminiscent of Monet in the way it comes together in a full picture when viewed from a few feet away, but swirls in mosaic abstraction when seen up close. He’s most inspired by nature, and his beautiful depictions of Sonoran Desert landscapes will no doubt leave you feeling inspired too. Opens Monday, Jan. 10. Tohono Chul Entry Gallery, 7366 Paseo del Norte. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. $15 GA, $13
seniors/military/students, $6 kids 5 to 12.
HUB Superfood Ice Cream Truck Tour. If you resolved to eat healthier this year, HUB Ice Cream has got you covered with a new line of ice cream featuring healthy and pretty unexpected ingredients. There’s “Guac This Way” with avocado and local desert honey, “Chocolate-Corn Pinhole” with indigenous corn, “Berry Fit” with acai, “Pretty in Pink” with prickly pear cactus, and “Golden Milk” with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and coconut milk. Those last three are even vegan! This weekend, their vintage ice cream truck will be stopping around town at places like the Food Conspiracy Co-op, the Tumamoc trailhead and Sabino Canyon. See the HUB Facebook page for up-to-date info on where to get your healthy ice cream fix. Saturday, Jan. 8, and Sunday, Jan. 9.
Friends of the Pima County Public Library Members Only Book Sale. Oh, used book sales. What a treat you are. At this one, look through records, videos, audiobooks and more than 70 categories of carefully curated books until you have too many to carry or until you remember how many unread books you already have at home (whichever comes first). This is a members-only sale, but membership is just 20 bucks, can be bought at the door, and is a great way to support the library. Plus, it will get you into the group’s book sales for the rest of the year! 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8. Friends of the Pima County Public Library Book Barn, 2230 N. Country Club Road. $20 for membership, free entry for members.
Cat Trivia Night. Did you know cats are believed to be the only mammals who don’t taste sweetness? Or that they have whiskers on the backs of their front legs? Be sure to brush up on your feline facts before heading to El Jefe Cat Lounge for a night full of trivia—spent in the company of 30 beautiful kitties. The event is 18+, and those 21 and over are welcome to BYOB. Grab a friend, grab some booze and grab all the cat knowledge you got to take out the competition (and snuggle with some cute kitties). 7 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 7. El Jefe Cat Lounge, 3025 N. Campbell Ave., Ste. 141.
Tucson International Jewish Film Festival. We love a film fest! And we also love that the hosts of this festival have decided to keep things virtual for another year in order to protect the community. This fest lasts more than a month, and aims to inspire Jewish values, life and learning to honor the rich history and bright future of Judaism. Most films have a 72-hour window in which you must start watching. Then, once you start, you have 72 hours to complete the film (if you need to pause it and come back, for example). This week, they’re showing The Crossing, The Good Traitor and On Broadway. Both festival passes and individual film tickets are sold per household. A festival pass (12 feature length-films, a mini series, six shorts and all post-film program) is $120. Individual event tickets are $12. Visit tucsonfilm.eventive.org for more info.
Tucson Roadrunners vs. Colorado Eagles. Come support our local hockey team at one of their two home games this weekend! On Saturday evening, there’s a “Whiskey and Wings” event, where you can sample whiskeys and wings from different vendors before the game. The $49 ticket also includes the game itself. And on Sunday afternoon, kick off the winter games at an exclusive pregame event with former Olympic athletes! From swimming and softball to track & field and ice hockey, it’s a chance to hang with some of the greats! 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9. Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave. Game tickets start at $15, with different prices for special events.
