Plan Summertime Fun in Tucson this June

Tucson AZ – Tucson lies in the borderland, a region that blends the cultures of the United States and Mexico, and has a long history of settlement by ancient Native American peoples, Spanish explorers and Anglo frontiersmen. This June, plan a weekend getaway, family outing or a vacation and enjoy all that Tucson has to offer.

Beat the Dog Days of Summer. Three Tucson attractions are extending their hours and offering special programming this summer. The Tucson Botanical Gardens opens to dog walkers on Tuesdays from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. during Dog Days of Summer. The Gardens also opens on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for Twilight Thursdays and live, all-ages entertainment, the return of the Prehistoric Gardens exhibit, and buffet dinners catered by the Gardens Café, now through August. The Tucson Children”s Museum opens on Monday nights, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., for Monsoon Mondays, with reduced $1 per person admission, Memorial Day through Labor Day. Pima Air and Space Museum stays open late one summer Saturday per month (June 27, July 25, August 29) for tours of special hangars and kid-friendly, hands-on activities during Night Wings. Find more ideas for summertime fun on http://www.visittucson.org/, at http://www.showup.com/, and on the Family Friendly Weekends calendar at www.visitTucson.org/visitor/FamilyFriendlyWeekends.

Celebrate GLBT Pride Week.  June 26 is the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village, N.Y. and the beginning of the modern GLBT rights movement. To mark the occasion, Tucson Pride will oversee a Pride Week celebration, June 17-27. The celebration kicks off with “An Evening with Wicked author Gregory Maguire” presented by Pima County Public Library at The Loft Cinema, June 17. Other events include a concert by folk-pop band Girlyman at Hotel Congress, June 23; a free concert by Tucson’s GLBTS chorus, Desert Voices, June 28; and Pride Week activities in the arts colony Bisbee, June 19-21. Details are at http://www.tucsonpride.org/.

Discover 70 Years of Moviemaking Magic. Old Tucson Studios-Arizona’s Hollywood in the Desert-celebrates 70 years as a filmmaking location on July 25 with an exhibit of never-before-seen production stills from classic westerns (some starring John Wayne or Clint Eastwood), including Gunfight at the OK Corral, Rio Lobo, Bonanza, McClintock, Gunsmoke, The Three Amigos, Young Riders, and Tombstone. Columbia Pictures built old Tucson Studios in 1939 as a frontier-town set for Arizona, the first major outdoor movie of the time. Over the years, Old Tucson Studios has been the site for more than 300 Western-themed film and television projects. The historical film location is also an all-ages entertainment venue offering live shows, including thrilling stunts, saloon musicals, and Old West dramas. View the clip for the retrospective exhibit at http://www.oldtucson.com/.

Enjoy a Golf Caddie Concierge. At the newest golf course in Metropolitan Tucson-The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain-a Golf Caddie Concierge assists golfers from practice session to the conclusion of the round. The Golf Caddie Concierge performs traditional caddie duties and anticipates and responds to the golfer’s needs, which might include suggesting a club for a shot, providing a cold towel soaked in tequila and lime juice, or making a call to change a dinner reservation. The Golf Caddie Concierge program allows for a professional, knowledgeable, and helpful attendant to accompany each group playing the course, and provides the same caliber of attentive service delivered at the world’s finest private golf clubs. For more details, visit www.ritzcarlton.com/dovemountain.

Cruise a Motor Sport Circuit for Karters. On a racetrack in Tucson teens can practice defensive driving, adults can develop skills, and spectators can have a blast watching the action. The racetrack, Musselman Honda Circuit, is an outdoors motor-sport circuit designed for both recreational and serious kart drivers. The facility is a replica of the famous Suzuka Kart Circuit in Japan, known by professional kart drivers one of the best in the world due to its unique and challenging layout. Musselman Honda Circuit is operated year-round by the Southern Arizona Kart Club, which organizes and coordinates racing, corporate and group events, kart rentals, racing school programs, and a retail shop at the track. For information, call (520) 245-5278.

See Hotel Where Tucson Police Nabbed Public Enemies. Downtown Tucson’s historic Hotel Congress will host a Dillinger-themed festival on July 1 to mark the release of Universal Pictures’ Public Enemies, which details the incredible true story of famed Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger. The Dillinger gang’s crime spree ended at Hotel Congress in 1934 after a fire broke out at the hotel. Firefighters recognized the gang and tipped off the Tucson Police, which captured Dillinger without firing a shot. Public Enemies-starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Marion Cotillard-opens in theaters July 1. The movie-release festival will include a fixed-price meal at Cup Café, lectures, and tours by a Dillinger impersonator, Tap Room patio music, a Best Costume contest, and Model A Club cars on display. Hotel Congress is located in downtown Tucson, at the hub of the city’s history and nightlife. For more details, visit http://www.hotelcongress.com/.

Savor New Menu at Tohono Chul Park Tea Room. Chef Albert Hall will be working his magic at Tohono Chul Park Tea Room, beginning July 1. One of the finest chefs in the Southwest, Chef Hall most recently was behind the award-winning restaurant, Acacia at St. Philip’s Plaza. At the Tea Room, his menu will feature many of his signature dishes and some traditional Tea Room favorites. The Tea Room’s plant-filled patio is a favorite breakfast and lunch spot for locals and visitors, and its menu celebrates the bounty of native plants and ingredients. A specialty is the prickly pear lemonade, a treat on a warm day. The 49-acre Tohono Chul Park is listed by National Geographic Traveler as one of the “Top 22 Secret Gardens” in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit http://www.tohonochulpark.org/.

Taste Old Tucson at Newest El Charro Café. Travelers hungry for the taste of “Old Tucson” will find classic Sonoran dishes at El Charro Café. This Tucson restaurant chain, which has been operating since 1922, recently opened its fifth location. The newest El Charro is in Oracle Crossing Shopping Center in Oro Valley, six miles north of Tucson’s city limits. On the menu is the café’s signature chimichanga, the deep-fried burrito included in the café’s ranking as one of “the top 50 plates in America” by USA Today. This dish and the café’s longevity helped earn El Charro Café a listing in Gourmet magazine’s 2008 list of “21 Legendary American Restaurants.” For a complete menu, visit http://www.elcharrocafe.com/.

Share a Classic Children’s Cartoon. A super-duper schedule of classic children’s movies is planned for the Tucson International Children’s Film Festival, July 25-August 2 at The Loft Cinema. A few highlights include Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins sing-alongs; the fun-filled Race for Your Life Charlie Brown; the new animated French fable, Azur and Asmar; and a screening of the vintage, animated classic Gulliver’s Travels preceded by 1930s cartoon featuring Popeye, Superman, and Betty Boop. At a screening of James and the Giant Peach, Pima County Public Library will give away free copies of the book and lead a discussion on turning books into film. Show times are daily at 10 a.m. and admission is free. The full schedule is at http://www.loftcinema.com/.

Submitted on behalf of Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau
Plan your trips around Tucson with interactive maps or find the answers to frequently asked questions about Tucson – visit www.visitTucson.org for more information.

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