2nd annual Cyclovia Tucson 2011:

The Cyclovia Tucson Planning Committee is organizing Tucson’s second Cyclovia event on March 27, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cyclovia will give Tucson folks the chance to enjoy our great weather, see neighbors, friends and people from throughout the Tucson Metro Region, and get a little exercise – all on city streets that will be closed to car traffic and open to walkers, joggers, cyclists, skaters and all other forms of natural movement.

Motor vehicles will be detoured from the route allowing everyone the freedom to enjoy the outdoors safely and comfortably. Cyclovia isn’t a race, parade or competition. Instead, it’s a chance to enjoy Tucson from a new perspective (outside of the car). Walk your dog, roller skate, blow bubbles. Have fun because during Cyclovia, the world stops for you.

I believe the entire route is a 5 mile loop, from downtown’s Armory Park at S. 6th Avenue and E. 13th Street, into South Tucson.

To coincide this year with Solar Rock (www.solarrock.com) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Armory Park, see map of the Cyclovia Tucson route/events below. Lots more info at www.cycloviatucson.org. Also, Tucson Synergistic Water Festival from 10 to 4 p.m. simultaneously at Armory Park. Three environmentally-friendly events in one!

“Cyc˙lo˙via (siI kle‘ via) n.
A Spanish word meaning the temporary closure of a network of streets to cars, and open the streets to the people who bike, walk, skate and participate in fun, free activities. One of the first and largest cyclovias in the world was held in Bogotá, Colombia” (and held weekly since 1976).

My husband and I participated on our bikes last year, and enjoyed the activities and especially seeing hundreds of people biking, walking, skating, rollerblading, jogging, etc. in Tucson, without their vehicles. Read my blog from 2010, click here.

The March 12th 2nd Saturday Downtown event coincides with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival (click here for my previous blog). The one hour parade will begin at 5:30PM on 14th & Stone Avenue, wind through Downtown – E. Congress, Broadway and 6th Avenue – ending at Armory Park, where the festival will be. (The St. Patrick’s Day festival starts there at 3 p.m., prior to the parade, and will go on throughout the evening.)

This is the eleventh 2nd Sat. DT urban fest since the inaugural event on May 8, 2010. Website: www.2ndsaturdaysdowntown.com. It’s been almost one year of these fun- filled urban street fests, and I’ve been to almost every one. It’s wonderful to see Downtown come alive again!

For the usual event schedule, click here for the music entertainment at The Rialto Theatre, the Fox Tucson Theatre, the Scott Avenue stage, and the numerous other locales on and around E. Congress Street. Most of the events are FREE. There are lots of booths too selling delicious food (from all nations), and crafts as well. And lots of clowns, street musicians, people on stilts, human statues, etc. etc.

Food note: delicious, creative crepes will be made & sold in the Planet of the Crepes wagon on Saturday night (photo below courtesy of Jessica Kraus, owner).
She serves freshly made fruit crepes but also ones with chicken, vegetables, and other unique combinations.

Planet of the Crepes wagon

Had a mango/strawberry w/ coconut flakes crepe this past Sunday at the new European Farmers’ Market on the NE corner of Campbell/Speedway, and it was “some ono” – Hawaiian Pidgin English for yummy. (Her cute crepe wagon reminded me of the ubiquitous lunch wagons back home in Hawaii).

Photo below taken by Jeff Smith of the Zsa Zsas (McZsa Zsas?) group slated to perform at The Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress, for free (along with a real leprechaun):

Enjoy another 2nd Saturday Downtown! And don’t forget to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day again (for real) on March 17.

Dr. Peter Rhee (Arizona Republic file photo)

The 2011 parade and Festival theme, “Everyday Heroes,” will center on local, national and world personalities that have made a positive difference in the lives of those they touch.

The parade will feature marchers including floats, military units, local dignitaries, media and entertainment personalities and civic, cultural and social groups. The Tucson parade has a 24-year history and provides a good time for the entire family.

This year’s Grand Marshal is Dr. Peter Rhee, UMC trauma surgeon.

We will also have representatives from TPD, TFD, several local hospitals, EMT’s, first responders, social workers, care workers, as well as scores of Tucson teachers represented. Come out and help the Irish community show support and recognize our wonderful hard working men and women of Tucson!

The Honorary Grand Marshal for this year’s parade is Father Eusebio Francisco Kino. This year marks the 300th anniversary of his passing. Father Kino was well known for his ability to create relationships between indigenous peoples and the religious institutions he represented. He fought hard for the rights of the various Sonoran tribes and their individual members. He opposed the slavery and compulsory hard labor in the silver mines. Kino also practiced other crafts and was an expert astronomer, mathematician and cartographer, who drew the first accurate maps of Pemeria Alta, the Gulf of California and Baja California. Truly an Everday Hero!

More info on Father Kino at www.padrekino.com. (Kino Heritage Society)

The Festival begins in Armory Park (220 South 5th Avenue) at 3:00 p.m. with live Irish music, dancers, entertainment, a children’s game area, and food and merchandise vendors. Irish organization, ethnic and cultural tables will be set up in the park as well. Festival Schedule TBA.

Portion of Festival Proceeds to benefit the Tucson Police Officers Association, Kids & Cops Christmas Program.

In memory of the more than one million Irish who died in the Potato Famine 150 years ago, marchers and spectators are asked to remember the hungry of Tucson. The Community Food Bank will accept canned food donations at the parade line-up
area, along the parade route and at Armory Park during the Festival.

The one hour Parade will begin at 5:30PM on 14th & Stone Avenue, wind through Downtown – Congress, Broadway and 6th Street- ending at Armory Park.

This years Parade and Festival coincides with Downtown Tucson’s 2nd Saturday Event. More info can be found at www.tucsonstpatricksday.com or www.2ndsaturdaysdowntown.com.

The Korean American community in Tucson is very proud of Dr. Rhee, who treated Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the other shooting victims who were brought to University Medical Center on January 8. Click here for his bio on the UMC website. He is a Professor at the University of Arizona Medical School, and did his residency at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center (General Surgery).

Wear green for this parade & festival, and again on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day.