The Tucson Flea Dark Arts Market. The Tucson Flea is always a good, quirky time. But for the holidays, they're really stepping things up by making this market full of handcrafted or vintage items completely focused on the Dark Arts. Aberrant Ceramics will be selling offbeat mugs and plates, Emily McGowan will have her otherworldly drawings, Kitty Hanson has all sorts of handmade pieces adorned with skulls and Herb Onyx Witchery will have handmade floral/herbal wands and crystals. Plus, vendors with names like Snake and Bone, White Raven Trading Co., Kitchen Mystic Goods and Zombisaur. It's not something witch you want to miss. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24. Owls Club, 236 S. Scott Ave.
Freddy's Saturday Night Car Show. It's the last Saturday of the month again, which means the Freddy's Car Show is back. There's trophies for pretty much everything you can imagine, from the best classic car of each decade from the '40s through the '90s to the best motorcycle, best 4x4 and people's choice. There's also plaques for categories including best Camaro, best Mustang and best Corvette. Of course, the show is right next to Freddy's, which means you can level up your experience with some good, old-fashioned custard and burgers. 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24. Freddy's Oro Valley parking lot, 11143 N. Oracle Road, Oro Valley. $10 registration per vehicle.
Bisbee Home Tour. Are you ready to be charmed? The Bisbee Woman's Club invites you to the 36th annual chance to tour some of this sweet little towns' sweet little (and not-so-little) homes. In addition, be sure not to miss the 17th Annual Art Chairs and More Auction, which features all sorts of unique creations, especially tables, stools and benches. The silent auction is going on all weekend, but a reception and final bidding is from 4 to 5 p.m. on Saturday. If you're concerned about parking, take the Bisbee Touring Company golf cart shuttle around town for free. (But leave a tip!) 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24. St. Patrick's Parish Hall, 100 Quality Hill Road. Bisbee. Tickets are $20 for adults, or free for kids under 12.
Music and Performances
Jon Simon's Jazz Piano. Sometimes, when a person is so fantastic at what they do that it makes you jealous, it helps to think about the things they might be bad at. Beyonce probably isn't that great of a cook, for example. Maybe Usain Bolt is really bad at math, or something. Unfortunately, when it comes to composer and pianist Jon Simon, it is difficult for us, the average Joes of the world, to find solace. Not only has he performed all over the world, been voted one of Moment Magazine's Top 10 Jewish Instrumental Performers and studied music composition under the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer William Bolcom, but he also has an MBA from Harvard and graduated summa cum laude with his bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. Plus, he's a family man, with a wife and three kids. Come see him play at this night of music and three-course dining hosted by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27. The Buttes at Reflections, 98090 N. Oracle Road. $45.
A Magical Cirque Christmas. Buckle up, because this show is going to be so full of delightful, talented performances, you may not be able to keep track. Magician Paul Dabek, one of the UK's top entertainers, is hosting the night by introducing each act. Tyce and Mary Nielsen of Duo Transcend (season finalists on America's Got Talent and formerly of Cirque de Soleil) will be defying gravity with acrobatics, aerial acrobatics and acrobatics on roller skates. Sebastian Nicolas will be showing off his world-renowned magic skills, Roberto Carlos will be juggling like no juggler you've seen before and Runfei Deng and Shilei Chen will be performing shoulder ballet acrobatics. It's incredible what sort of shows you can put together with a little bit of Christmas magic. 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26. The Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. $29 to $99.
Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert. Be honest. How high were the chances that you were going to be staying in and watching Star Wars this weekend anyway? So why not do it in style this time? Luke, Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca and the whole crew are coming all the way from a galaxy far, far away to be projected onto the big screen at the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, while TSO plays John Williams' iconic, Academy Award-winning score beneath them. Both Rebel Alliance and Empire members are welcome at this bipartisan event, so please try to be civil. And kids under 18 get 50 percent off tickets! 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. $15 to $86+.
Mamma Mia! Here we go again. Or, if you've never seen this hit ABBA musical, here we go for the first time. Mamma Mia tells the story of a young bride named Sophie who decides she wants to have her father, who she's never known, at her wedding. As it turns out, her mother was pretty... promiscuous around the time she conceived Sophie, so digging through her mother's diary just narrows down who Sophie's father is to three men. They all come out just a few days before the wedding, and, well, chaos and hilarity ensues. This production by Arizona Onstage Productions features more than 40 professional actors, singers and dancing queens. 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24, and Saturday, Dec. 1. 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 25, Saturday, Dec. 1, and Sunday, Dec. 2. Berger Center for the Performing Arts, 1200 W. Speedway. $35 GA, $25 student/teacher/artist/senior/military.
Shopping
Annual Reid Park Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair. Look, you have to get some of your holiday shopping done. But does the thought of going to the mall fill you with the deep existential dread that comes from visiting a place that, like you and me, is slowly but surely dying? Go shopping in the great outdoors! This annual event has been around for more than three decades, and is drawing in more than 140 photographers, painters, potters, jewelers and other artists. Stroll through aisles of fragrant handmade soaps, pick up some handcrafted stuffed toys and puppets for the little ones in your life, pick out something knitted or painted for a loved one and grab a gourmet treat for yourself. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, and Sunday, Nov. 25. Gene C. Reid Park and 22nd Street and Country Club Road. Parks and Rec suggests parking at the Concert Place entrance for ample free parking.
Artists of the Southwest. Could there ever be too many local artisan fairs during the holidays? No. Because you're probably going to miss all of them right up until the day before you need to give out presents, and then an army of local sculptors, metallurgists, painters, textile artists and other talented people will be the ones who save you from your own procrastination. And we've said this before, but we'll say it again: Supporting local artists is a cool thing to do! Head over to this fair full of art by regional artists, and enjoy music by Kindred Spirits. 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, and 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 25. Brandi Fenton Memorial Park, Ramada 1, 3482 E. River Road.
Carly Quinn Holiday Sale. Even if you don't know the name Carly Quinn, you've probably seen some of the hand-glazed tilework by this artist or her company around town, and probably thought it was gorgeous. She works with some of the top designers in Southern Arizona to create tiles for commercial and residential installation, covered with everything from geometric designs to scenes from nature to gorgeously depicted addresses. If you've always wanted one of her pieces, or always wanted to buy one of her pieces for a loved one, now's your chance: The first annual holiday sale offers 20 percent off all tiles and murals and 50 percent off first-run gift sets. Happy holidays, indeed! 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24. Carly Quinn Designs, 730 S. Russell Ave.
IMC's World Famous Rummage Sale. Surely you've already heard about this event, considering it's world famous. But just in case you haven't: Instrumental Music Center's annual sale full of weird stuff, cheap stuff, broken stuff, old stuff, new stuff and generally good stuff is an event they promise will be, and we quote, "THE MOST FUN YOU'VE EVER HAD IN YOUR LIFE." This year's value menu has all sorts of stuff on it, including violins, flutes and guitars for just $99; ukuleles for as low as $25, tuners for $5 and a drum stick pair for just $1. This Black Friday weekend, support a local business, and have the time of your life doing it. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 25. Instrumental Music Center locations at 7063 E. Speedway and 405 E. Wetmore Road (though the value menu only applies to the Speedway location).
Small Business Saturday. Black Friday deals can be pretty cool, but scoring discounts on locally-made treasures is even better. And tons of small businesses in Tucson are offering sweet deals this weekend, many for both Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. Fourth Ave. is full of deals. For example, Wooden Tooth Records is offering 15 percent off everything on Saturday, and a free tote bag with purchase of more than $50. Pop-Cycle is doing 20 percent off everything on Friday and 20 percent off in-house lines DDCo Design and Monster Booty Threads on Saturday. Across town over at 6178 Speedway, Annabell's Attic is doing 20 percent off storewide on Saturday. Tucson Bicycle Service (234 E. 22nd St.) is donating 10 percent of sales made on Saturday to a local nonprofit. This is just a tiny sampling of all the neat local businesses you can support! Amazon purchases can wait for Cyber Monday. Today, get out there and buy some one-of-a-kind gifts.
Haunted Hands' 3rd Annual Jewelry Exhibition. It's a full moon, a Saturday and the perfect day to pick up some reasonably priced jewelry (most pieces are $20 to $100) from Christina Holland Designs, Heliotrope, Andra King, High and Dry Jewelry Design, Lumenrose Jewelry and Luna + Saya Jewelry. This one-night event (well, technically they'll be doing it two nights—the next one is Friday, Dec. 21, for the procrastinators among us) is the perfect opportunity to get some Christmas shopping done, or to bring a loved one along and help them do some Christmas shopping for you. The other studios in the Metal Arts Village will be open to the public, Tucson Hop Shop has beer and food trucks and live music will abound at this dog-friendly and kid-friendly event. 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24. Haunted Hands, 3230 N. Dodge.
Sun Devil Alert. Unpleasantries will be exchanged inside the confines of Arizona Stadium Saturday afternoon, as longtime rivals University of Arizona and Arizona State University face off in the Territorial Cup football game in Tucson. The two sides are coming off losses, with the Sun Devils, who are 6-5 this year, falling to Oregon in Eugene, 31-29. The Wildcats were eviscerated by Washington State last Saturday, 69-28, and need a win over the Sun Devils to finish the year 6-6. The game, which will be carried nationwide on Fox Sports 1, will kick off at 1:30 p.m. local time, with tickets being sold through the UA's website, arizonawildcats.com.
Festivals
Western Heritage Festival. This town (Tucson) ain't big enough for the two of us. But at Old Tucson, there's plenty of room for everyone at this festival where we celebrate Southern Arizona's roots, with the help of groups like the Arizona Civil War Council and Ha:San Prepatory and Leadership School. Power from the Past will be displaying engines and serving up ice cream, and the Old Pueblo Bluegrass Band & Jazz Trio and Reyno Norteno will be providing live entertainment. Local artists and vendors will have booths where you can get some holiday shopping done while supporting the people who make our state great. The event does feature one prominent out-of-towner, though: Santa Claus himself, soaking up some Arizona sunshine before he gets into his busiest time of year. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 25. Old Tucson, 201 S. Kinney Road. $19.95 GA, $10.95 for kids 4 to 11, with discounts for seniors, military and Pima County residents.
American Indian Month Social. Native Americans were the first Americans, of course, and Arizona is rich with the culture of several tribal nations. This is a perfect chance to learn about 15 tribal nations and 10,000 years' worth of culture, while also enjoying gorgeous (and authentic!) artwork, crafts and entertainment. Held annually the weekend after Thanksgiving, the social invites everyone to come and learn a little bit more about the rich culture that has shaped the state we live in. Be sure to bring your camera! This year's featured cultural presentation is by award-winning hoop dancer Cecil Manuel, a Tohono O'odham and Apache. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 25. Sheraton Hotel Ballroom, 5151 E. Grant Road. Free, but a scholarship donation is always appreciated!
Annual Events
Thanksgiving Cross-Country Classic. Maybe you were planning to work out through the month of November and didn't get around to it, so you want to squeeze in one exercise session before Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe you just love hurdling over hay bales early in the morning. Or maybe you want to get out of helping set up for dinner at your house. Whatever your reason, the Southern Arizona Roadrunner's annual 5K and 1.5-mile fun run are not to be missed. Overall male and female winners each get a pair of new running shoes, and others might find themselves winning items like pumpkin pies. Breaking the women's course record (Tara Erdmann's 17:08.2, set in 2011) wins you $350, and breaking the men's course record (Craig Curley's 14:54.1, set in 2009) wins you $450. First race starts at 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving Day). Reid Park, Ramada 10, at Country Club just north of 22nd St. Race day registration is $30 for the 5K and $20 for the fun run.
Fun in General
Bear Down Fridays. This is the final Bear Down Friday of the year, marking the end of the 13th season of Bear Down Fridays. What are Bear Down Fridays? Well, in part, they're a giant pep rally with the Pride of Arizona Marching Band, UA Poms, Twirlers and Flags, UA Cheer and (of course) Wilbur and Wilma going down Tyndall Avenue south of University Blvd. But it's more than that! Restaurants and stores have all sorts of happy hour pricing, discounts, giveaways and activities. ESPN Tucson 1490 AM & 104.9 FM kicks things off at Gentle Bens at 3 p.m., and is joined by 106.3 The Groove at 4 p.m. Both will be doing giveaways and hosting media celebs. This week's guest speaker is Fred Harvey of track & field and cross country. 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23. Main Gate Square on University Boulevard, between Euclid and Park avenues. Free. And parking is free in the Tyndall Garage after 4 p.m. with a merchant validation.
Gratitude Full Moon Luminous Labyrinth. The holidays are the time of year where we'll all supposed to feel the most grateful. But it's also the time of year that can be the most stressful, making it easy to lose sight of what matters most. And you know one great way to re-center yourself? Walking through a labyrinth under the full moon. The Intuitive Shamanic Animists, a branch of Web of Life Animist Church, is hosting this opportunity to set an intention and find renewal—or whatever it is you're looking for—in the labyrinth. A drumbeat will guide your walk, but feel free to bring your own rattle or drum if you want to make your own rhythm. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23. Rio Vista Natural Resource Park, 3974 N. Tucson Blvd. $5 to $20 donation requested.
Pop-Cycle Holiday Clothing Drive. If thinking about all of the big, mean, cold things going on in the world gets you down, sometimes it helps to turn to the little corner of the world which you inhabit and make what little bit of warmth you can. Pop-Cycle is making it easy this holiday season. On Christmas Eve, their crew will be heading out to give food and warm clothes to people in need. Donations of any warm items, especially jackets, scarves, gloves, socks and sleeping bags, are hugely appreciated. Backpacks, toiletries, sweets and fruits to go with lunches would also be great! Drop off donations anytime from now until Sunday, Dec. 23. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Pop-Cycle Shop, 422 N. Fourth Ave.
Bottoms Up for Gil the Wonder Pup. Got company in town? In the mood to go out for drinks this weekend? Or just sincerely in the mood to support a good cause? Head to Catalina Brewing Company and raise a glass or two to benefit Gil, a paralyzed dog brought to Tucson for medical help. A percentage of each drink sold, as well as proceeds from a raffle, will help pay for Gil's therapy and ongoing needs. The raffle includes four tickets to the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl, a handmade quilt, gift certificates to local businesses, a custom dog treat basket from Rosie's Barket and more. The Gypsy Caravan food truck is on deck to keep you fed, so you can keep drinking for Gil. 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24. Catalina Brewing Company, 6918 N. Camino Martin, #120. Free, raffle tickets are $5 or five for $20 at the door.
Who-Bilation. If you have kids and you haven't checked out Our Play Place, the interactive children's play space full of climbing structures, slides and playhouses designed to encourage a sense of adventure and creativity, this is the perfect opportunity to do it. Join hands with kids and other parents and sing that old Who song, "Fahoo fores, dahoo dores, welcome Christmas, Christmas Day," at this event, which will feature plenty of playtime and a special Grinch ornament craft. This season has plenty of opportunities to see Santa, but this might be the only one for your kids to meet the Grinch himself! Come dressed as a Who if you're any fun at all. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 25. Our Play Place, 3951 W. Costco Drive. $15 for the first child and $12 for siblings.
ArtNow! With Pablo Rasgado. In case you're unfamiliar, ArtNow! at MOCA is a laid-back lecture series that gives you a chance to hear from artists about the work they create and how they do it. Rasgado just did a five-week residency at MOCA, and will be talking about that along with the interventions he does in urban spaces and architectural settings. This is a guy who's constantly discovering new mediums and techniques, and who likes to combine areas as disparate as archeology, restoration, linguistics and chemistry. He has a particular interest in the potential held in inactive spaces in cities. Did we mention there's snacks? 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27. Tucson Museum of Contemporary Art, 265 S. Church Ave. $10 for nonmembers, free for members.
