MegaMania. The Pima County Public Library is wrapping up its summer reading event—which includes book giveaways, a summer reading kickoff and an event at the Fox Theater—with this chance to celebrate all things geeky, from cosplay to gaming to crafts to fantasy books. Represent your favorite fandom, meet local authors and artists, play video games and tabletop games, enjoy a photobooth and escape rooms, make crafts and chow down on some snacks. All fandoms and all ages are welcome! 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 13. Pima Community College Downtown Campus, 1255 N. Stone Ave. Free.
Annual Monsoon Plant Sale. July is the traditional time to plant lots of Arizona crops, because the approach of monsoon season makes this month basically like a "second spring." This sale at Native Seeds/SEARCH is a great chance to pick up heat tolerant plants and soil, including things like starters for fruits, veggies and herbs. Of course, there will also be wildflowers and native landscape plants aplenty! This year's regional growers include Nighthawks Native Nursery, Four Saguaros, Mission Garden, Vilardi Gardens and Native Seeds/SEARCH. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, July 12 though Sunday, July 14. Native Seeds/SEARCH, 3061 N. Campbell Ave.
July Full Moon Luminous Labyrinth Walk. Labyrinths are ancient creations, and some people believe they act as magical portals that can transport your mind, spirit and body in ways that are uplifting and meditative. Even if you don't believe in that sort of thing, you have to admit there's something peaceful-sounding about making your way slowly to the center of a labyrinth beneath the full moon. The Intuitive Shamanic Animists, a branch of the Web of Life Animist Church, host this event, inviting participants to set their intentions, express their gratitude, find their centers and leave feeling renewed. 7:45 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 16. 38974 N. Tucson Blvd.
Theater and Performances
Identity Crisis. Who do you think you are? No, not in a threatening way. Like, seriously? How would you define what makes you you? What's your identity? Now, imagine losing your identity and your sense of self. Would that be a blessing or a curse? In this play written by Gavin Kayner and directed by Gretchen Wirges, you'll watch five characters grapple with this exact problem in the care home where they live. Along the way, they'll learn about who they are and who they aren't, and you'll enjoy some theater V. Flynn called "wonderfully weird and totally enjoyable." 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27. 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 14, 21 and 28. Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre, 738 N. Fifth Ave. Call 780-7476 for tickets, or get them at the door with cash or a check. $20.
Middletown. Do you ever feel like you're not really here or there? Like things aren't the same as they were, but like you haven't gotten where you want to go yet? Like you're just sort of stuck in a... Middletown? This play by Will Eno, on at the Rogue Theatre, explores life, death and loneliness through characters like an astronaut, a guy fixing a sink, a librarian and a town drunk. It's about the importance of human connection, the little moments that make up a life and the way existential dread shines through different people in different ways. 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Thursday, July 11 through Sunday, July 21. The Rogue Theatre at the Historic Y, 300 E. University Blvd. $38, or $28 for the preview performance on Thursday, July 11. $15 student rush tickets (pending availability) for purchase 15 minutes before curtain.
International Boys and Men's Choral Festival. This festival, designed to honor male singers of all ages and foster intercultural understanding and camaraderie, has been held in Arizona twice before. Master conductors from the BBC Singers, the Estonian National Opera Men's Choir, the Yip's Children's Choir of Hong Kong, the Ragazzi Boys Chorus and the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus have all led the event, which features master classes, rehearsals and performances for boys and men's choirs, as well as individual singers from all over the world. Come see the culminating performance here in Tucson! 3 p.m. Sunday, July 14. Crowder Hall, 1017 N. Olive Road.
Odyssey Storytelling Presents: Fireworks. What do fireworks make you think of? Fourth of July celebrations from your childhood? Your first kiss with someone you really love? The strontium, barium and copper compounds that give us red, green and blue fireworks, respectively? Whether they're burning above you or within you, fireworks are known for having an explosive impact. That's what tonight's storytelling show, curated by Ana Gaskin, is centered around. 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 11. The Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, 330 E. Seventh St. $10 adults, $7 students.
Tuck Everlasting the Broadway Musical. The wildest part of this musical, based on the classic book by Natalie Babbitt, is actually not the part where 10-year-old Winnie Foster falls in love with the dreamy 17-year-old Jesse Tuck, but the part where you find out that Jesse Tuck is ACTUALLY 104 years old, because he and his entire family are immortal. A little bit of a spoiler, maybe, but it's safe to assume that if you don't already know the plot of this hugely popular book from 1975, then you could have guessed it had to do with immortality by the title. 7 p.m. Friday, July 12, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, July 13 and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 14. Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. GA is $20 adults, $15 seniors/students/military & $10 children 12 and under, with different prices for premium reserved and reserved balcony seats.
Learn Something New
Hello Moon Night. The UA is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20 by leading up to it with a whole week of activities they're calling Moonfest. On Saturday, July 13, the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association will be offering free telescope viewing (weather permitting) on the UA mall from 7:30 to 10 p.m. There will also be family-friendly moon activities from 5 to 8 p.m. and a chance to explore the special exhibit From Tucson To The Moon, all about the UA's role in the Apollo mission. A planetarium show about the Apollo Missions called CAPCOM GO! The Apollo Story, is playing throughout the month as well. Saturday, July 13. Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, 1601 E. University Blvd. Open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Exhibits and regularly scheduled planetarium shows are $5.
Cool Summer Nights. A drive to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is the perfect excuse to sit in your car and enjoy the AC for an extended period. Plus, if you go on a Saturday night, you can enjoy their special summer event. This week's theme: Creatures of the Night, all about the critters that come alive while we're all in bed sleeping, like bats, owls and kangaroo rats. Artist Guy Coheleach will give kids a chance to create their own Big Cats masterpieces, herpetologists will be doing a live animal presentation featuring venomous reptiles, and kids can enjoy the Packrat Playhouse and stingray touch exhibit. 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 13. Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road. $21.95 GA, $19.95 seniors 65+, $8.95 for kids 3 to 12, free for kids under 3, $17.95 for active or retired military, $16.95 for Arizona/Sonora residents.
Summer Safari Saturday Nights. When you think about what you have in common with animals at the Reid Park Zoo, you might think about how you can relate to a bear's desire to sleep for several months at a time, or about how, much like an ostrich, you wish you could stick your head in the ground when life gets complicated. You may not have considered whether your diet is at all similar to that of the zoo animals. Come spend your evening at the zoo for specialty drinks, food, games and a chance to learn all about the diet prep for the animals. Featured animals are the anteaters, grizzly bear, tiger, hedgehog, tamandua and goats. Featured musical guest is Dos Suenos. 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 13. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. $10.50 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6.50 kids ages 2 to 14 and free for zoo members.
Portal Opening Drumming Classes. This isn't like one of those boring classes, where you just learn to play the djembe and don't connect with your cosmic memory of who you are. In this class, you'll learn about traditional West African rhythms, contemporary rhythms, and cosmic rhythms to help you open up a portal where you can connect with cosmic energy. It can support healing of yourself, others and Mother Earth. And who couldn't use a little bit of musical soul healing and cosmic traveling? 2:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 14. Solar Culture, 31 E. Toole Ave. $15, plus $5 for the drum rental, if needed. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Desert Night Shift. While we humans wind down when it gets dark, the desert around us comes to life! Join Pima County naturalists on this easy hike to learn about who and what is out and about while we're snoozing and/or binging Netflix. It's not just animals that are nocturnal, either—some plants are, too! Bring a flashlight or headlamp, your sense of curiosity, and your most nocturnal mindset. All ages welcome. 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 13. Pima County Veliz Paseos Park, 1600 N. Camino de Oeste. $5 adults, free for kids and adults who are Pima County Parks & Rec members.
Especially for Kids
Make it Mondays! Nothing like a visit to the Children's Museum Tucson to beat the Monday blues. Especially when you consider that every Monday this summer, admission to the museum is just three bucks a person, and there's a different special guest every week. This week: Funny Foot Farm and Tucson Petting Zoo! So get ready for a day not only full of educational fun, but full of the opportunity to pet adorable creatures. Animals will be around from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, July 15. Children's Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Ave. $3.
Flashback Friday Nights at Old Tucson. There's nothing like the freedom for a kid to wander around outdoors on a summer evening. And there's definitely nothing like the chance for a kid to wander around the Wild West on a summer evening. Old Tucson is making it easy, by having free admission for kids 11 and under EVERY Friday night through August. The adults will enjoy the live entertainment, sunset drink specials and signature dishes. And it goes without saying that they, too, will enjoy the chance to wander around the Wild West on a summer evening as well. 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 12. Old Tucson, 201 S. Kinney Road. Adult admission is $19.95.
Art
Party Like It's 1999. Scrunchie your hair into a side ponytail, or tie your flannel around your waist, depending on whether you want to go for the preppy or the grungy version of 1999, and pay a visit to the Madaras Gallery to help them celebrate their 20-year anniversary! (Seriously, you're eligible to receive a special gift if you dress in '90s fashion, so throw on your converse high tops or block heels at the very least.) Enjoy a ribbon cutting, refreshments, and plenty of 90s music, of course. A special offer through the night includes 20 percent off one "Madaras" item! 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 11. Madaras Gallery, 3035 N. Swan Road. Free.
Hope & Healing: The Art of Asylum at the Monastery. What's more fun for kids than watercolors, paper and a brush? Not much! That goes for all kids, including those who have fled to the U.S. with their families seeking asylum. Casa Alitas, now operating a refugee shelter in the former Benedictine Monastery, has been offering art-making to traumatized kids ever since it opened in a small Tucson house in 2014. Artist Valarie James, who has shown her immigration-based artwork internationally, runs a regular clase de arte at the Monastery. Now she and Antonia Gallegos have curated an exhibition of the children's works, which range from bright pictures of the flowers and casas of their homelands to more somber images of border enforcement. The show opens Friday night, July 12, at the Ward 6 office, 3202 E. First St., with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Exhibition continues through Aug. 31; gallery is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Free.
Fun in General
Tucson Cars & Coffee. What do your car and your coffee have in common? You need both to get to work on time! Also, while lots of people drink coffee and drive cars, there are some people who appreciate fine coffee and good cars on a while different level. Obsessions Car Club's monthly event at La Encantada is back with plenty of both. This month's theme: American Muscle. Make sure you get there early if you want to show your car. Start your engines with some coffee, then start your car's engine and head on over. 6 to 9 a.m. Saturday, July 13. La Encantada, 2905 E. Skyline Dr. Free.
Southern Arizona Senior Pride Book Club. You've probably been meaning to get around to reading Howard's End, the E.M. Forster novel about social conventions in England at the turn of the 20th century that's often ranked as one of the best novels of the century. Now's your chance! Southern Arizona Senior Pride always picks fantastic reads for their book club, and book clubs in general are a great way to stay accountable for reading books you've been meaning to get to. Come chat about this read with the group from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 17. Ward 3 Council Office Conference Room, 1510 E. Grant Road. Free. ■
