10 things to do in Tucson this weekend (besides the gem show)

Thursday, January 25-Sunday, January 28 — Feel the beat at Gem & Jam

Now in its 12th year in Tucson, Gem & Jam has evolved into a destination for fans of jam and electronic music, with four days of acts scheduled to keep the party going, starting Thursday. 

The event corresponds with the annual Gem, Mineral and Fossil showcase, a series of shows happening throughout Tucson over the next two weeks, bringing in people from all over the world. 

Gem & Jam takes place at the Pima County Fairgrounds, 11300 S. Houghton Road. 

More info here. 

Friday, January 26-Saturday, January 27 — Watch master acrobats in action

Cirque D’Or, the popular Chinese acrobatics and aerial arts show touring the country, pulls into Fox Tucson Theatre for a pair of shows this weekend.

The show, described as an “electrifying and mesmerizing … thrill-a-minute spectacular,” is akin to the popular Cirque du Soleil — a circus full of extraordinary athletes capable of mind-boggling physical feats including wrapping themselves into a pretzel or stacking several performers one body on top of another, four, five high and each stretched out in a different direction to create a shape reminiscent of the star-shaped “jacks” you played with as a kid.

The Cirque D’Or troupe performs at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, and Saturday, Jan. 27, at Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. Tickets are $30 to $55 through foxtucsontheatre.ticketforce.com or at the box office.

— Cathalena E. Burch

Saturday, January 27 — Dip into the Guacamole Bowl

Tucson’s first-ever Guacamole Bowl will take place on Saturday, Jan. 27, at St. Philip's Plaza, 4280 N. Campbell Ave. 

As the name suggests, the Guacamole Bowl is a celebration of everyone’s favorite dip. With 12 chefs and 12 different guacamoles, attendees will be given a bag of tortilla chips to taste all of the avocado concoctions.

Among the restaurants slated to participate are El Cisne, Reforma Cocina y Cantina, Bear Track U, Sonora’s Famous Hot Dogs & Grill, Mama Louisa’s Italian Restaurant and Pima Community College Hospitality. 

The event was also organized in anticipation of the Super Bowl. Guests are encouraged to sport their team’s jersey. The Guacamole Bowl will also feature information from Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse and homicide survivors to help push awareness surrounding domestic-violence issues.

If guacamole isn’t enough, salsas, beer and live music will also play a part in the event. The event runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $12-$50. 

— Gloria Knott

Saturday, January 27 — Attend 1, 2, 3 different craft beer events

Three big beer events are slated to take place this Saturday:

• History on Tap — The Arizona History Museum will recreate Levin's Beer Garden (a beer garden in Tucson from the 1870s) on-site, 949 E. Second St., with beer from several local breweries, including Catalina Brewing Company, Crooked Tooth Brewing, Dillinger Brewing and Sentinel Peak. Food will be provided by Beer Geek Bakery, Sinbad Restaurant, Gentle Ben's and more. The hours are from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is $40. 

• Boots n' Brews — Tanque Verde Ranch, 14301 E. Speedway Blvd, will have local breweries pairing their beers with cowboy cookout food made on the property. The event begins at 4:30 p.m. and will have live music. Admission is $50 per person. 

• Brew Bowl — Bedroxx Bowling, 4385 W. Ina Road, will play host to Brew Bowl this Saturday, presented by Sierra Nevada and featuring "a wide variety of beers from leading craft brewers around Tucson, throughout Arizona and across the U.S." The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission is $25.

Saturday, January 27 — Dance to the Cajun sounds of BeauSoleil

BeauSoleil has long been considered the gold standard when it comes to touring traditional Cajun music bands. 

On Saturday, the Lafayette-based ensemble will perform at El Casino Ballroom, 437 E. 26th St., in a rollicking event put on by the Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association. 

Led by Cajun fiddling master Michael Doucet, BeauSoleil is known for its lively tunes, so bring along your dancing shoes. 

The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door and proceeds benefit the Tucson Folk Festival. 

Saturday, January 27-February 10 — See Tucson sculptures for free

The ninth annual Tucson Sculpture Festival launches this Saturday at the Sculpture Resource Center, 640 N. Stone Ave., with a gallery showroom full of pieces created by experts and beginners alike.

The festival is free and open to the public daily through February 10. 

An opening reception will take place on Saturday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

More info here.  

Saturday, January 27 — Hear Calexico unplugged, get your CD signed

Calexico, the Tucson-bred band led by guitarist Joey Burns and drummer John Convertino, will give an unplugged performance at Zia Records, 3370 E. Speedway, this Saturday to celebrate the release of its ninth studio album, "The Thread That Keeps Us," now out on Anti Records. 

Burns and Convertino shaped their latest album in a home-turned-studio called Panoramic House in Northern California, but turned to longtime associate and Tucson engineer Craig Schumacher to drive the album home. 

The band will perform at 2 p.m. Burns and Convertino will also be signing copies of the release. 

Saturday, January 27 — Celebrate a Tucson teen's published book

A Tucson teenager battling cancer is now a published author thanks to Make-A-Wish Arizona.

Austin Thacker, 19, a senior at Ironwood Ridge High School, will sign copies of his book “My Hand Mitten” at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Barnes & Noble, 7325 N. La Cholla Blvd., at the Foothills Mall.

Thacker was diagnosed in 2013 with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He went through a stem-cell transplant and a year of radiation and chemotherapy. An avid writer, Thacker started writing a novel when he was 15, using it as a coping method for dealing with the stress of fighting cancer, according to the nonprofit.

When Thacker said he wanted to have a book published, he worked with Make-A-Wish, which grants wishes to seriously ill children, and editors and publishers at Rare Bird Lit, a California-based publishing house.

Thacker will read and sign his book at the Barnes & Noble, where he also works. He will donate proceeds from the sale of his book to Make-A-Wish Arizona.

“My Hand Mitten,” about a “down-on-his-luck” police officer, is available for pre-order at Barnesandnoble.com.

Saturday, January 27 — Watch traditional Russian musicians at work

Russian-born, Washington, D.C.-based domra player Peter Omelchenko learned everything there was to learn about traditional Russian folk music while studying in his native Moscow.

He brings that wealth of knowledge to Tucson this weekend when he joins the Arizona Balalaika Orchestra for its winter concert.

Alexander Tentser will conduct the ensemble, which also will be joined by the Lajkonik Polish Dance Ensemble for its performance at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at Pima Community College’s Center for the Arts, 2202 W. Anklam Road.

Tickets are $16 for adults, $12 for students at the box office or in advance at the Folk Shop, 881-7147; or Antigone Books, 792-3715. Details: azbalalaika.org

Sunday, January 28 — Tour a historic downtown neighborhood

As a fundraiser for the Presidio Museum, local historian Ken Scoville will lead a tour of the Presidio District as well as the area beyond the northern portion of the original Presidio and along Main Avenue.

The walking tour takes about two hours, focusing on area history and geography, and past decisions that have influenced why Tucson is the city it is today.

On Main Avenue, Scoville will talk about the architecture and history of the homes located on the street originally known as “El Camino Real,” including the Fish-Stevens House, the Corbett House, and Snob Hollow.

The tour concludes with refreshments at La Cocina, located in the oldest continuously inhabited building in Tucson.

One of the preeminent scholars on Tucson history, Scoville is the director of Old Pueblo Tours and a self-appointed “historic preservation watchdog” for Tucson.

The tour will begin at the Presidio Museum on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 2 pm.  The cost is $25, $20 of which is tax deductible.  Reservations can be made at www.tucsonpresidio.com.