The tradition of celebrating Tucsonβs Old Fort Lowell neighborhood will continue on as it has for the last 40 years, minus the live cavalry drills and other in-person events.
The 41st anniversary, like most things these days, has been adapted for COVID-19 times.
Fort Lowell Day, a celebration of the history of the neighborhood bounded by Swan and Craycroft roads, Glenn Street and the Rillito River, will be held Saturday, Feb. 13, via a series of YouTube videos.
The neighborhood is home to the Fort Lowell U.S. Army post, which was decommissioned in 1891 and is now a city park, located at 2998 N. Craycroft Road.
In recognition of its importance, the area has been designated a historic district by Pima County. Portions of the area are also listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
βWe are excited about the opportunity to bring these vignettes in a format that you can enjoy in the safety of your own home, at your leisure,β said Mike Grassinger, president of the Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood Association.
Virtual visitors will find video links to a narrated walking tour of the San Pedro Chapel, El CallejΓ³n and other areas of diverse cultural and environmental history of the neighborhood; a presentation of mariachi music and its Tucson history; a presentation on the descendants of El Fuerte; the B Troop cavalry reenacting battle drills; a cultural history of the neighborhood; and a day in the life of a cavalry trooper as regulated by bugle calls.
The event is being put on by the Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood Association and the Old Fort Lowell Historic District Advisory Board.
Find links to the video series on Feb. 13 at oldfortlowellneighborhood.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/fortlowellday.
