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Don’t miss Big Kahuna Tropical Bash today!

by on Aug. 21, 2010, under Arts, Life

Any excuse for a beach party in the desert is fine with me (a former body surfer coming from tropical Hawaii). So here it is:

The Big Kahuna Tropical Bash on Aug 21, 2010 (TODAY)
Time: 5-9 pm
Admission: FREE
Location: Tucson’s historic Entertainment District
Address: Downtown, Fourth Avenue and Main Gate Square
Contact Name: Cara Rene
Email: cararene@downtowntucson.org
Phone: 520-837-6504
websites: www.downtowntucson.com, www.Fourthavenue.org

Celebrate Tucson’s “all sand, no water” existence at this family-friendly tropical bash for Tucson’s 235th birthday. Tucson does have a lot of beach sand!

event flyer

“Enjoy music, look alike contests, dunking booths, kids activities, giveaways, water safety instruction, free Old Pueblo Trolley rides, and much more.”

“Think Tucson can’t throw a great beach party? You may be surprised to find an enormous sandcastle birthday cake, Gilligan lookalike contest, Tiki party, hot coconut toss, hula hoop revue, chalk art, dunking booths, giant water slide and live island music among the many offerings.”

Tucson Hawaiian music legend Ernie Menehune will play a special downtown show at 160 S. Scott Avenue. Definitely a lot of fun as former Kauai native “Uncle” Ernie will be performing at the Scottish Rite Temple (7 to 8 p.m. ). I know “Uncle” having been a member of the Tucson Polynesian Society (of which he is President), and he’s a great guy and colorful performer.

Merchants will be offering “235″ specials, presenting items/gifts/food for $2.35, $23.50, etc. in honor of Tucson’s birthday celebration. What a fun challenge to seek out those specials! “Uncle” Ernie’s Polynesian show listed above will be asking for only a donation of $2.35.

P.S. What is a kahuna? A Hawaiian priest. That term was made famous in those “Gidget” and “Beach Blanket Bingo” movies of the 1960s. But it is also a term of respect for a wise priest of prehistoric Hawaii (before the Christian missionaries arrived in 1820).

More detailed info on the Big Kahuna event, click here for an earlier Tucsoncitizen.com entry. Or here for a printable version of the schedule to take along with you and the kids, plus lots of friends.

Surf’s up?

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  • http://pointmantucson.yuku.com/ mike_brewer

    Geeezzz, and to think, I would have been conducting on the Trolley tonight.  Now I miss  you all.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Yes, Mike we miss you too and your erudite speech. We started off at the Fox Theater watching the premier of “Finding Tucson’s Origins” which is a 1/2 hour film, commissioned back in 2006 for the Tucson Origins Park.  Then we ate birthday cake at Maynard’s Kitchen and went to an art show at Delectables restaurant (artist Mary Theresa Dietz), followed by a visit to Main Gate where we heard some lively street musicians drumming.   Lots of aloha shirts tonight and it rained a lot too, cooling everything down by 30 degrees.

  • fraser007

    Carolyn–So tell us about the $820,000 1/2 hr movie. I welcome your comments!

    • Carolyn Classen

      This movie is a well photographed & filmed history of this region, starting off with the Tohono O’odham, followed by the Jesuit missionaries (including Father Kino), then the Mexicans, up to today including Anglos. It talked about the agriculture and water rights along the Santa Cruz River, and focused on the archaeological record of the Convento area, at the base of Sentinel Peak (“A” Mountain). It included many interviews of local people with musical interludes. It is a beautiful movie, but was probably over budgeted, since it allegedly cost $820,000 to produce. About 100 people were in the audience of the Fox Theater to see it last night. Mark Irvin of the Rio Nuevo board introduced the film and said it will be used as an “orientation” film for promotion and education.

  • Carolyn Classen

    Photos of this Big Kahuna event at Hotel Congress & at Main Gate online now at Tucson’s Birthday website: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tucsons_birthday/sets/72157624668245577/

  • fraser007

    The shelf life for a film like this is several months, maybe a year. It was suppossed to be 12 or so minutes and be part of an intro into a museum of the area for the Rio Nuevo Project. They must have expanded it to one half hour so we would not feel cheated!! LOL
    KUAT will show it once or twice, maybe someone else. If 100 people saw it then what is the per unit cost?  Over 8,000 dollars for every person there. Why dont they just give me the check and I can spend it on something important. Sorry Carolyn, you are a good person but you should be outraged about this. Yell!!!!

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