Tucson, Arizona offers a unique blend of year-round sunshine and lush vegetation, a mixture of cultures and traditions. Whether your family lives year-round in Tucson, or you are just visiting the Old Pueblo, you are sure to find myriad types of entertainment and leisure activities. Following is a list of free summer activities in Tucson for you to enjoy.
Head downtown for Saturday on 4th. Every first and third Thursday you can enjoy live music by several local performers at a variety of locations up and down Tucson’s funky, eclectic 4th Avenue. Stroll down the street viewing one-of-a-kind arts and crafts, vintage shops, and tantalizing food. For more information about Tucson’s Saturday on 4th events this summer, click here
Tucson’s Center for Creative Photography is located on the University of Arizona Campus. The Center is an archive and research center that preserves over fifty archives of great 20th century photographers such as Ansel Adams and Harry Callahan. Admission to the gallery is free, although donations are accepted. The center is currently open every day except holidays. For directions or more information, click here
It takes two to tango! So grab a partner and head to the Hotel Arizona at Broadway and Congress in downtown Tucson on Saturday nights for Argentine Tango Parties. Introductory classes are also available an hour before the party starts (classes cost five bucks, but that includes a tango CD for you to take home). For details including party times and directions, call 520.870.2999. Make sure you wear comfortable (yet sexy – it is the tango you know) shoes that won’t slide off your feet.
Kick off Tucson’s long-awaited monsoon season by celebrating at the Dia de San Juan Fiesta. The party takes place at the Santa Cruz River on St. John the Baptist Day and includes a traditional procession and blessing, performances on horseback by charros (traditional Mexican cowboys), children’s games, family activities, dance performances and live music. While admission to the fiesta is free, food and beverages are sold at the event. To find out the date of this year’s fiesta, click here
Juneteenth is a holiday for all Americans to celebrate. It is a day to appreciate the freedoms and liberties that we are all afforded. Celebrate Juneteenth in Tucson at Kennedy Park. The Tucson Juneteenth Festival is a two day event with food, song, dance and other activities. Admission is free. For dates, directions and other information about the Tucson Juneteenth Festival, click here
The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block covers an entire city block and offers myriad exhibits as well as a unique view of the Presidio district of downtown Tucson. Enjoy the museum’s traveling exhibitions of anything from paintings to sculptures to glass works and a collection of more than 7000 pieces. Wander the historic block – five houses constructed in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. Families can benefit from free admission to the Tucson Museum of Art the first Sunday of each month. Click hereor call the Tucson Downtown Alliance at 520.547.3338.or call 520.621.7968.for the Cultural Exchange Council of Tucson, Inc.’s website.or call 520.225.2670. for details, or call 520.624.2333.
