Ten cool things to do in Tucson this weekend (August 31-September 4)

Thursday, August 30-Sunday, September 3 — See an expanded HoCo Fest

Star reporter Cathalena E. Burch tells you what to expect at this year's HoCo, set to take place through the weekend at Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St.:

HoCo Fest, Tucson’s Labor Day music tradition for the past 11 years, is getting a makeover for year 12.

Instead of three days of mostly local and regional acts, the festival at Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St., expands to five days with artists — most of them newcomers to Tucson stages — coming from around the country and beyond.

And the music won’t be the festival’s only focal point: The weekend will feature a guest lecture, a vintage clothing fair, a vinyl record fair, free regional liquor tastings, yoga and some wildly experimental desert after-parties that will go on into the wee hours.

Then there’s the food: Hotel Congress’s Cup Cafe and its sister Maynard’s Market and Kitchen are drawing inspiration from Tucson’s designation as a UNESCO World City of Gastronomy to offer special festival eats. The Ricuras de Venezuela food truck will park at the hotel for late-night eats and a Sonoran hot dog happy hour is planned for Thursday, Aug. 31.

It’s all part of the festival’s rebranding, morphing from a hyper-local showcase of Tucson and regional bands to an event highlighting national artists that are “on that level where they are not quite a huge act but it’s all about the music and they are in it for the right reasons,” said Matt Baquet, whose New York-based entertainment and promotions company, Flip Your Wig Media, curated the lineup.

“We’re going to spend a lot more money. We’re going to try to get these great new artists, expose Tucson to a lot of new artists and make it more about Tucson to a lot of very interesting, very cutting edge acts of several different genres, and put it all under one roof,” said Hotel Congress Entertainment Manager David Slutes, who launched HoCo Fest in 2005 as a party to celebrate Club Congress’ 20th anniversary.

But Slutes and Baquet, who has worked for Hotel Congress for several years helping Slutes book talent into its Club Congress venue, realized that an event solely focused on local bands had a limited shelf life.

Last spring, Hotel Congress decided this year’s HoCo Fest needed to be bigger and bolder, so Slutes gave Baquet the go-ahead to rebrand it.

“I was pushing year after year to push it to the next level,” said Baquet, a Tucson native who moved to New York last spring.

Baquet started organizing the festival in April, reaching out to his music sources nationwide to see who was available this weekend. He admitted it was a bit daunting.

“It was definitely a crazy process. I was pulling my hair out at times,” he said from New York City, where he runs his company and plays drums in a band called Miserable.

Once artists started saying “yes,” Baquet started getting excited.

Real excited.

“It just took off. The festival was only going to be three days and it turned into five, with 40 to 50 acts coming from outside Tucson, bringing people to see our community and bringing different acts that our community is not used to to Tucson,” he said.

The majority of the artists on the lineup — from veteran R&B singer/songwriter Lee Fields & The Expressions coming from New Jersey, Los Angeles producer/singer Thundercat, Virginia-based experimental electronica artist Elysia Crampton and enigmatic electronica experimentalist Yves Tumor — are making their Tucson debuts. Many have thriving below-the-radar careers, meaning you won’t hear their music on Top 40 radio. But you may hear them on KXCI, which is christening its new Hotel Congress studios as part of this weekend’s festival.

KXCI early this month took up residence in a small street-front nook of Hotel Congress that had been a hair salon. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, and Sunday, Sept. 3, radio personalities and officials will host an open house to show off their new studio, where they plan to regularly broadcast at some point.

Slutes said the genere-shattering festival, which also features local acts including Tucson rapper Lando Chill, Sergio Mendoza’s Orkesta Mendoza, singer-songwriter Karima Walker and Brian Lopez’s and Gabriel Sullivan’s band XIXA, will have Latin, punk, metal, electronica, soul, R&B and “everything under the sun, but there is no compromises in any of it, which is the neat part of it.”

“It’s boutique; it’s a music nerd’s festival for sure,” he said.

Baquet said there also is a political element to the festival, starting with Crampton, who will lead a lecture at the University of Arizona on Saturday covering hot-button political issues, from queer justice and trans liberation, to disability justice and anti-colonial studies. Expect Camilo Lara to mention the red-hot U.S.-Mexico border issues when he brings his Mexico City-born Mexican Institute of Sound on Friday.

Slutes said Hotel Congress has a three- to five-year plan to fully develop the new HoCo Fest format.

“I’m really convinced that we’ve put together a terrific, very interesting lineup, but I think at the end of it, we just hope that enough people come and we hope the artists themselves feel like it was a valuable experience and ... leave going, ‘That was great, please have us back,” he said. “This is the direction we want to go in. ... If it’s successful, we’d love to grow it. We’ll see.”

Saturday, Sept. 2- Monday, Sept. 4 — Feel the heat at a green chile roast

Apple Annie's in Willcox is prepared to set mouths ablaze this weekend with the continuation of its green chile roast.

There will be green chile ice cream for purchase and free samples of green chiles to try. Chiles will also be sold in 40-pound bags, along with poblanos and jalapeños. 

Admission is free. The roast runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Monday.

Saturday, September 2 — Bear Down and TAAAAAILGAAAAAATE

With the UA Wildcats ready to play their first game this weekend, freelance contributor Shaq Davis explains what's what in the Tucson tailgating scene: 

As a new football season prepares to unfold, Wildcat fans from throughout the valley are gearing up for that most sacred of traditions that comes with home games — tailgating.

There will be lots to do before thousands of die-hard fans file into the 57,000-seat Arizona Stadium Saturday evening.

Tailgating on the UA Mall continues to be a sold-out event where passionate fans display their support and unleash fun.

“There is a sense of unbridled optimism throughout the tailgate areas, especially at the start of a new season,” said Ben Chulick UA’s assistant athletic director of marketing.

Fans arrive up to six-hours before the game to set up on the mall and get started on their upcoming entertainment.

“The tailgating experience continues to grow in popularity year after year,” Chulick said. “That area has been sold out for years. The tailgating lots off of Cherry and Speedway are also always full with enthusiastic Wildcats fans.”

Tailgate passes are priced based on the size of the vehicle and tailgaters will find an assortment of them in the area, according to Chulick. “Fans themselves have also gotten more creative over the years with the vehicles they bring to tailgate,” he said. “From double-decker buses, old fire trucks, RVs, tricked out grills, every year people are looking to add one more detail to these unique vehicles...”

The passes are available to Wildcat Club members and season-ticket holders and there is also a waiting list for non-season ticket holders.

If you do get the chance to set up your own area inside the tailgating sections, Chulick said, you’ll truly feel welcomed. “You walk up and down the rows of tailgates and you feel like you’re at a big neighborhood block party, football game days are holidays for fans who love to tailgate.”

Some fans, he said, even offer food and drinks to those who pass by. Also, advancements in technology have helped in enhancing the experiences of the tailgate event.

Those tailgating near North Cherry Avenue and East University Boulevard get the chance to greet the Wildcat football team as players make their way to the stadium.

On Fridays, the place to celebrate all things Wildcat is at Main Gate Square on East University Boulevard. Everyone is welcome to partake in the spirit-filled Wildcat experience on University Boulevard.

Bear Down Fridays start at 4 p.m. and last until 7 p.m., providing fans a place to join with the UA marching band, cheerleaders and mascots in getting pumped up for the Saturday game.

“When we started 12 years ago it was quite small to what it is today,” said Jane McCollum, general manager of the Marshall Foundation.

McCollum has been a vital part in helping create the successful event. She has managed the charitable foundation, which owns Main Gate Square, since 2003 and was named a 2015 Honorary Alumni Award recipient for more than 30 years of dedication to the university.

“I got this great job with the Marshall Foundation and had the opportunity to bring a great event that was supportive of the UA to our neighborhood,” she said.

More than 20 Main Gate restaurants and stores will offer food specials, happy hours, and discounts throughout the event. There’s also free parking with merchant validation at the Tyndall Garage.

For the kids, there will be different experiences and activities each week. The Junior Cats Zone in Geronimo Plaza on West University will include a Marching Band Instrument Petting Zoo, face painting, a balloon artist and more.

“I have observed a lot of great things while working behind-the-scenes. I have seen little kids light up when Wilbur and Wilma see them in the Junior Cats Zone and give them a big hug,” said Brian Goldstein, executive director for the ZonaZoo Crew said.

There will also be a game zone for all ages featuring Jenga, shuffleboard and a basketball game among more activities.

You’ll find the ZonaZoo Crew managing and working throughout the event to make sure all is decent and in order. The crew is made up of an eight member executive board and more than 40 crew members. “We work very closely with Jane McCollum, who is an enormous help when planning this event,” Goldstein said.

At 6 p.m. the official pep rally with the Pride of Arizona Marching Band, Wilbur and Wilma, UA Cheer and others gets underway on Tyndall Avenue.

“When the police shut down the street, and the Pride of Arizona starts marching down University, there really is an energy felt that is almost indescribable,” Goldstein said.

“Go Cats, Bear down!,” McCollum said. “I’m looking forward to this team, I think they may surprise us a little.”

Saturday, September 2 — Go to a gym to...craft a wizard wand?

That's what the new Nerd Gym downtown, at 15 E. Toole Ave., is pitching for this Saturday from noon to 1:30 p.m.

The Nerd Gym is a relatively new venture that blends working out with working out your inner Sheldon Cooper. 

The workshop is $10 and is an adult-only affair. Email mel@thenerdgym.com for details. 

Saturday, September 2 — Donate some music, help make KXCI even better

KXCI (91.3-FM) is asking the community to contribute to its new downtown studio by loading its library with new and gently-used albums and CDs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday. 

The studio will be open to visitors and lookie-loos. You can even get your photo taken with the new auxiliary studio, if the mood strikes. 

More information can be found here. 

Saturday, September 2 — Drink new beer, celebrate a peacock's life in Elgin

The Village of Elgin Winery, 471 Elgin Road, will celebrate the opening of its new brewhouse this Saturday. 

Its owners are also paying tribute to Trevor the peacock, the winery/brewhouse's unofficial mascot and pet, who was hit and killed by a car last week. 

The brewhouse will be serving free cake and gumbo yaya from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

There will be a $5 special beer, a tropical sangria and cocktails, according to the Facebook page. 

Owners are asking the community to bring in stories and pictures of Trevor, who was a bit of a local celebrity. He even had his own Facebook page. 

Sunday, September 3 — Hunt for antiques and vintage, help Houston

Tucson's biggest antique fair returns this weekend to a new location: The Medella Vina Ranch, formerly Pantano Stables, at 4450 S. Houghton Road.

Well over 160 dealers are expected to be on-site, selling everything from midcentury barware to antique mining lamps, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Sunday.

In addition to the cool old stuff, the ranch will be offering carriage rides and jeep tours of the property for donations, and $3 reusable totes will be sold, with funds raised from both efforts going toward Convoy of Hope, a faith-based humanitarian organization that has been helping the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. 

Sunday, September 3 — Get in on some tacos, tequila AND salsa

Talk about your hot competition:

More than 40 restaurants, breweries, and food purveyors will gather to compete in the 9th annual Salsa, Tequila, and Taco Challenge from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, September 3.

Here are the details, courtesy of Daily Star contributor Gloria Knott:

Admission to the event includes over 100 samplings of handcrafted salsas, creative tequila cocktails, and tempting tacos. Plus, there’s live music, Mexican beer, and samplings of other foods such as artisan popcorn and cotton candy (with a special habanero flavor this year).

The event is hosted by the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance and helps raise money for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and SAACA’s Creative Arts Therapy Programs.

“The event is a spectacular way for chefs to highlight the variety of foods,” SAACA’s Executive Director Kate Marquez says. “We wanted to show that arts, culture, and food all go hand-in-hand. It’s such a fun way for the community to come out and show their support and mark the end of summer.”

At the end of the event, judges and guests get to vote for their favorite creations. So, if blueberry-pineapple salsa and lamb tacos appeal, this is where you want to be.

HISTORY

The first Salsa, Tequila, and Taco Challenge cost $10 and offered 20 different salsa samplings — no tequila involved. The event now brings in over 1,500 people, offers more than 45 different salsas, and has sold out for the past five years.

“One of the partnerships we hold near and dear to our heart is La Encantada,” Marquez says. “We asked them how we could bring arts to their space, and we brainstormed.” Thus, the Salsa Challenge was born.

When the second year rolled around, SAACA decided to add tequila into the mix. A standard ticket included salsa, but an upgraded ticket included tequila samplings.

By year three, SAACA merged salsa and tequila into one ticket and the event became known as the Salsa and Tequila Challenge.

But this year, there’s a new addition to the name…

NEW THIS YEAR

The challenge has expanded from salsa and tequila to salsa, tequila, and tacos.

“The creativity aspect has been upped in the salsas and tequilas,” Marquez says. She says she expects to see the same of creativity with the tacos.

Many participants are return competitors, but the Lodge at Ventana Canyon is joining the competition for the first time this year.

“The Salsa and Tequila Challenge has truly grown to become one of the most significant culinary celebrations of the summer here in Tucson,” The Lodge’s Clubhouse Manager Clay Robideau says in an email. “It is one of the largest community gatherings that celebrates what I think is the most important part of our responsibility as a local restaurant — educating people on the heritage, tradition, and importance of the food in our lives.”

The Lodge will be offering two cocktails, including the Ventana Chocolate Milk and the Carlos Sangria. They’ll also be bringing one salsa and a dessert taco.

“The dessert taco was a team conceptual effort, attempting to push ourselves to think outside the box, and using the taco as a broad term,” he says. “We gave a different perspective to what attendees will be sampling.”

BACK FOR ANOTHER WIN

Last year, Crossroads Restaurant won first place for their salsa and won Best Traditional Salsa in 2015.

They’re back again for a third year and competing with a guacamole salsa, chipotle salsa, a Sonoran Sunrise cocktail, and deep-fried potato and carne seca tacos.

“The event is very exciting because there are a lot of chefs and big restaurants there,” Crossroads chef Aracely Gonzalez says. “Sometimes we feel like the little guys, but it’s exciting to be recognized.”

“SAACA does a really nice job putting all of these restaurants together,” she says. “It’s nice to share the night with friends and music, and I enjoy the food and seeing everyone’s different creations.”

Rigo’s Restaurant has also taken home the gold. Last year, their salsa won second place and their cocktail won first place. They won Best Mild Salsa in 2015.

“It is a pleasure for us to be back,” owner Rigoberto Lopez says. “It is a chance for us to interact with the community in a more direct way.”

This year, Rigo’s will be serving a “drunk” salsa, carne asada taco, Marimbas cocktail, and a mangoyada margarita.

“It feels great when we win,” Lopez says. “We don’t go in thinking about winning, but it’s just about being part of the event and giving back to the community.”

If you go:

What: Salsa, Tequila, & Taco Challenge.

When: 7-10 p.m., Sunday, September 3.

Where: La Encantada Shopping Center, 2905 E. Skyline Drive.

Cost: $55.

Information: saaca.org/events.

Sunday, September 3 — Explore Tucson's culinary heritage at tasty fest

The salsa challenge isn’t the only food fest this weekend. Over at Hacienda del Sol in the foothills, they’re putting on the Heritage Foods Festival, featuring a gourmet buffet-style dinner, live music, a mini farmers market and tours of the resort’s organic garden. A panel discussion will recount how Tucson obtained the UNESCO designation and what it means, on a global stage and locally.

The panel features Jonathan Mabry, the City of Tucson coordinator for the UNESCO City of Gastronomy; Felipe Garcia, executive vice president of Visit Tucson; and Gary Nabhan, University of Arizona Kellogg Endowed Chair in Food and Water Security and author and pioneer of the UNESCO initiative in Tucson.

• When: 6 -9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3.

• Where: Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, 5501 N. Hacienda Del Sol Road, off East Sunrise Drive.

• How much: $55 per person in advance, which includes alcohol tastings provided you’re of legal age. RSVP by calling at 299-1501.

• Who’s involved: E & R Pork, Red’s Roasters, Durazo’s Poco Loco Salsa, Hacienda Del Sol Organic Gardens, Hacienda Del Sol Organic Honey produced by Dos Manos Apiaries, Arbuckle Coffee Roasters, Larry’s Veggies, Southwinds Farms, Robbs Family Farm, Ten 55 Brewing, Iron John’s Brewery, Dos Cabezas Wineworks, Hamilton Distillers, Elgin Distillery, Callaghan Vineyards, Chateau Tumbleweed and Native Seeds/ SEARCH. The Rafael Moreno Quartet will perform during dinner, which is prepared by Hacienda del Sol Chef Bruce Yim and his award-winning culinary team.

• Details: haciendadelsol. com/events/heritage-foods-festival

Sunday, September 3 — Wish Saint Charles Tavern a happy birthday

Saint Charles Tavern, the local watering hole that could at 1632 S. Fourth Ave., hits the two-year mark this Sunday with a live chamber music performance, some of which will be used to accompany an original short film. 

We assume more will be in store, including grilled cheese sandwiches! The fun starts at 8 p.m., according to the Facebook event page.