Busy Wednesday night? Playground Bar & Lounge is hosting a free preview of the upcoming Barrio Stories performances by Borderlands Theater. The performances will feature “actors bringing to life the oral histories of the residents whose homes were lost to the construction of the convention center,” according to the event’s Facebook page.

In the late 1960s, a culturally diverse, 80 acre residential and business district in downtown Tucson was demolished as a consequence of urban renewal and the construction of the Tucson Convention Center complex. Over 100 years of historically significant and irreplaceable cultural spaces, shops, homes, restaurants and entertainment venues, notably La Plaza Theatre, were wiped out.

However, through the work of University of Arizona faculty, Borderlands Theater and the Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, the Barrio Stories Project is reviving the history of this neighborhood by sharing the stories of its residents. 

The preview will take place Wednesday, Feb. 10  from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Playground Bar & Lounge, 278 E Congress St.

The full performances will take place March 3 through March 6 on the grounds of the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S Church Ave—March 3-4 at 10 a.m. and March 5-6 at 11 a.m. There will be a $10 suggested donation at the entrance. Tickets are not available in advance, but the performance can accommodate up to 1,200 people per day.

For more information, visit barriostories.org.