Tucson Weekly: Cheap Thrills (March 12

Cheap Thrills ST. DELORIS: Doloris Elizabeth Flannery, widow of a second-generation Irish American, single-handedly raised eight kids and sent them off to college after her husband died. Her hard-earned accomplishments will be recognized when she's named grand marshal for this year's St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival on Tuesday, March 17.
"In honoring this devoted, hard-working mother, we honor the greatest gift of Ireland--those Irish, both famous and lesser known, who make the entire U.S. and our hometown, Tucson, such a wonderful place to live," says Settle Madden, parade president.
And there's a wee bit more that makes this parade and party a great time as well--including good food, fine music and more action than you can shake a pint at.
The parade begins at 11 a.m. at 17th Street and Sixth Avenue, travels west to Stone Avenue, north to Broadway, east to Sixth Avenue, and then turns south to Armory Park.
Festivities in the park run from noon to
6 p.m., with entertainment provided by Round the House Ceile Band, the Seven Pipers Society, Sean Ciaol, Bracken School of Irish Dance, and vocalist Mark Luther. A "Danny Boy" competition is also planned, and there will be tons of kid stuff. They include "Willie's Log Ride," picnic-style games, face painting clowns, costume characters and Seanachies. For the uninitiated, the latter are Irish storytellers.
And topping it off, the festival's featured yarn spinner will be 14-year-old Scott Raab, Arizona's Storytelling Olympics champ. A student at Rincon High, Raab specializes in leprechaun stories, and he'll be weaving his tales from 4 to 4:30 p.m. In addition, the Tucson Children's Museum will be offering children's' craft activities from 1 to 3 p.m., with discount admission through 6 p.m. for festival-goers.
For more information, call 797-9431.
MAD MAX: Tucson Weekly's own hilarious--and dangerously twisted--inner comic will sign copies of his book, RED MEAT: From the Secret Files of Max Cannon.
Perhaps the Old Pueblo's most defiantly odd humorist, Cannon is finding widespread success for his troubled masterpieces. First syndicated in 1993, the Red Meat strip is now featured in more than 50 alternative weeklies and college newspapers, while the Red Meat web site averages some 30,000 hits a week.
Free signing is 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 12, in Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 5130 E. Broadway. For details, call 512-1166.
POPPY WATCH: According to Dick Ferdon, manager of Picacho Peak State Park, his folks are well into a hardcore Mexican gold poppy watch. "Here the carpet of yellow is now visible from the road, and is moving up the peak," he says. "We think we're going to have a bloom that exceeds what we've had since the last El Niño in 1983."
The poppies aren't some Latin American contraband. They're part of this spring's spectacular wildflower display scattered throughout Arizona, and especially at Picacho. Ferdon said the blossoms open at approximately 10 a.m. on sunny days, and close around 3 p.m.
To reach Picacho Peak State Park, travel north from Tucson on I-19. Drive time is approximately 45 minutes. For details, call (520) 466-2183.

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