You have to hand it to David Slutes and the folks at Hotel Congress: stretch out a three-day weekend by starting the weekend on Thursday instead of Friday.
Hence this holiday weekend β Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 4 β when Hotel Congress and its hipster night spot Club Congress host the annual four-day end-o-summer extravaganza that is Hoco Fest. Itβs a four-day feast of music and mayhem in the club and on the hotelβs outdoor patio.
Hoco Fest starts Thursday, Sept. 1, with the official βkickoff party.β Wow, talk about your event-planning genius! Hold a party to officially start the party.
So just what do you get with your extra day? Hereβs Hoco Fest 2016 at a glance:
- Hoco Fest Kickoff Party, Thursday, Sept. 1: Tucson-raised, LA-based singer, songwriter, DJ, multi-instrumentalist Zackey Force Funk takes the mic at the weekly Congress’ Optimist Club Alternative Club Night. And prepare to get wet; the annual water balloon fight is on out on the plaza. Count Bass D and Bank Notes also on tap. $3, free with Opti Card. It’s a 21-and-older show.
- Hoco Fest Day 2, Giant Sand and Buyepongo, Friday, Sept. 2: Giant Sand with Tucson’s alt-country/desert rock granddaddy Howe Gelb and one-time protégé Gabe Sullivan will light up Club Congress at 7 ($8 in advance at ticketfly.com, $10 at the door) while resident Congress DJ Logan DirtyVerbs kicks up a dance party on the patio featuring Qutiapena, Buyepongo and Vox Urbana. That 21-and-older show is free.
- Hoco Vinyl, Saturday, Sept. 3: The daylong vinyl record fair takes over the Hotel Congress lobby and club from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dig through crates of records for rare finds and lost memories while a DJ spins some of those very vinyl records. Admission is free and you can bring the kiddos.
- Hoco Fest, Day 3, Saturday, Sept. 3: A blast from the past and glimpse of the future are in store on two stages. Two very different showcases — Tucson’s seminal honky-tonk swing band Dusty Chaps reprises its music of the 1970s-early-’80s on the outdoor plaza stage beginning at 6 p.m. Inside the club, Chicago-born, Tucson transplanted underground hip-hop artist Lando Chill will curate an evening of indie rap plus some. Also on the lineup: John Coinman and Tucson rap supergroup Combine Vibes. Tickets are $15 through ticketfly.com
- Hoco Fest, Day 4, Finale, Sunday, Sept. 4: The club will be hopping with the Latin rhythms of Sergio Mendoza and Camilo Lara with support from Brian Lopez and Y La Bamba. Doors open at 6 and admission is $5. On the patio, Tucson tips its musical hat to the late Michael Ronstadt before a free concert featuring Jon
- Rauhouse, Marianne Dissard and The Pangs. Admission is free, and both shows are for 21 and older.
