At this point we all know to expect the crowds, skip a few meals beforehand and not get too carried away by that first plate of food that snags our eye. Pacing is everything.
Still, even if you consider yourself a Tucson “Eat” Yourself pro, change is in the air (along with more than a few tantalizing aromas).
Here are 10 reasons to meet yourself anew.
1.) The Southwest Folklife Alliance.
Meet Tucson Meet Yourself’s new, parent organization. In the last year, Tucson Meet Yourself organizers have kept the spirit alive through micro festivals and cultural performances. Swapping “Tucson” for “Southwest” in the name means more research and engagement year-round in Tucson and with neighboring cities and states.
Don’t worry — the three-day festival itself will keep its name and traditions, says Maribel Alvarez, festival program director, executive program director for the Alliance, and a professor with the University of Arizona’s Southwest Center.
“We have been wanting to work beyond Tucson for a while,” Alvarez says. “The festival is a gem here that people love, and it is pretty well established… If we didn’t feel that mission had relevance to a community of people we serve, I don’t think any of us would want to take on more work.”
2.) Wildcat partners
Now it’s official. The University of Arizona has long worked with Tucson Meet Yourself — like Alvarez, festival program directors are often UA professors, and students and faculty volunteer. But the partnership with the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences will create more opportunities for campus involvement and brings in two staff to work full-time at the university and the Alliance. Funding comes from the university, a two-year grant of $75,000 from the Surdna Foundation, a $20,000 grant from a donor-designated fund through the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts, according to Alvarez.
3.) Oro Valley Meet Yourself
That’s right, a smaller version of the mega-festival will move north on Feb. 28 to March 1. This festival will be one of 15 programs the Southwest Folklife Alliance wants to develop or continue. Like its sprawling predecessor, Oro Valley Meet Yourself will feature folk artists, food and sounds, such as bluegrass, Tohono O’odham and African-American gospel music. Alvarez envisions the festival showcasing the traditions already thriving in Oro Valley.
Other programs in the works include:
A grant program for traditional artisans and apprentices.
A food wagon with a rotation of cooks that focus on traditional foods.
An institute for heritage artists with instruction on topics such as web design, copyrights and contracts.
4.) Cabezudos
What’s not to love? These big heads made in Tucson traditionally hail from Spain. They’ll be walking (or wobbling) around the festival collecting donations. You might even catch a familiar face.
5Less is more. For the second year, the festival slims down. This year it fills Jácome Plaza, El Presidio Park and Pennington Street. Alameda and Pennington streets border the festival on the north and south with Stone Avenue and Tucson City Hall on the east and west.
6.) Fresh flavors
Corn tortillas, crusty bread and salsa made almost entirely from chiles characterize food from Guadalajara, Mexico. Lila Sideras and husband Evaristo Ramirez Barajas will make their Tucson Meet Yourself debut thanks to the festival’s new Global Foodways Fellowship. The couple will sell their food for the first time, offering dishes such as carne en su jugo (beef and beans in broth) and torta ahogada (a sandwich on crusty bread with refried beans, carnitas, tomato sauce and chile salsa). Joining about 50 other food vendors, new food booths include the tastes of Haiti and Afghanistan.
7.) Bicycle valet
The festival is partnering with Living Streets Alliance to offer a free valet service to all cyclists who ride to Tucson Meet Yourself.
8.) American Sign Language
For the first time, several Culture Kitchen demonstrations will offer ASL interpretations. On Saturday at 9 p.m. on the Global Rhythms stage, the festival will also host the PBS documentary “Deaf Jam,” a film about a deaf teen’s participation in spoken word slams.
9.) Streetcar
We know, we know. Everyone knows about the streetcar. But just think, park away from the downtown insanity and cruise in via Sun Link. A few options for Tucson Meet Yourself: hop off at Church or Stone avenues at Congress Street for westbound or at Broadway for eastbound.
10.) Healthy(ish) options
Gluten-free or vegan? That is no excuse to skip these annual eats. Demos of gluten-free cookies and brownies and vegan carrot cupcakes are in the Culture Kitchen lineup. An informal call out to food vendors brought in a few more choices for following dietary restrictions. Dishes such as vegetarian spring rolls and pad Thai are out there. Just ask. Here are a few other picks:
Papa chorreada (vegetarian, gluten-free) by Club Colombia: Potatoes in a tomato-onion sauce with low-fat mozzarella cheese.
Pierogi (vegetarian, vegan) by the Lajkonik Polish Dance Group: Pierogi with sauerkraut and mushrooms.
Ratatouille (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free) by Alliance Francaise of Tucson: eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and onion cooked in extra virgin olive oil.
