Chinese/Hispanic history program tour coming up on Sat. September 15, via bus or by car/bike or by walking:

Check out the schedule for this tour. There will be presentations and performances and food (for sale) at each stop. People who knew the Chinese groceries of their neighborhood were interviewed, and their memories, photos, & artifacts of the past will be presented. From the press release:

Beyond Groceries is a project supported by a grant from the Tucson Pima Arts Council (PLACE III Initiative) that celebrates the neighborhood relationships of Chinese grocers. We have focused on 5 neighborhoods: Barrio Hollywood, Barrio Anita, Iron Horse Neighborhood, South Tucson, and Barrio Viejo. We have interviewed neighbors, collected artifacts, and done two food heritage videos, one of them on Chinese Chorizo (the other on zongzi). On September 15th we will bring all this back to the neighborhoods on a party bus (the Rolling History Party).

We are celebrating the diversity and civil society of the neighborhoods themselves: because the focus neighborhoods are historic Hispanic areas, we are celebrating Hispanic heritage as well as Chinese. At every stop we will have Lion Dance and some other entertainment. At the first three stops the other entertainment will be Chinese dancers and Chinese yoyo. At the last two stops (South Tucson and Barrio Viejo) we will have Ballet Folklorico Xochitl and Mariachi Nueva Melodia, in addition to the Lion Dancer.

10 a.m. Barrio Hollywood, Grande Tortilla Factory

11:15 a.m. Barrio Anita

12:45 p.m. Iron Horse Neighborhood, Empire Market

2:15 p.m. South Tucson, Primavera Market

3:45 p.m. Barrio Viejo, Lalo Guerrero Elderly Housing

Tour costs $15 on the bus (includes box lunch), so make your reservation by calling 520-292-6900 at the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center. Bus tour begins & ends at the Center, must pay & be there by 9:15 A.M. on September 15. Seating on the bus is limited, so reserve your space now.

See Website: www.tucsonchinese.org.

Come ride a tethered hot air balloon near 4th Avenue and University Blvd. on the afternoon of Sunday October 25.

Neighborfest flyer

West University Neighborhood Association and the Trinity Presbyterian Church, along with several other sponsors and neighborhood associations (including mine) are teaming up to host a community event for families and neighbors. I’ve been on the steering committee helping pull this event together for several months. Info: 520-623-2579.

The eight co-sponsoring neighborhood associations are: Barrio Anita, Blenman-Elm, Catalina Vista, Dunbar Springs, Feldman’s, Pie Allen, Sam Hughes, and West University.
These are neighborhoods from downtown to east of the U of A.

Calling itself Neighborfest 2009, this second annual festival will feature free trolley rides, community booths, food, free music, activities for children, a rock climbing wall and jumping castles, and the BIG draw, that aforementioned hot air balloon ride. It’ll be first come, first ride to get tickets for the balloon, so don’t delay, weather permitting of course for the balloon.

Information booths will be available on community resources and volunteer activities.

Music schedule:
1pm: Chronically Gone (smooth listening)
2 pm: Ice 9 (folk music)
2:30 pm: University of Arizona Pep Band
3 pm: In Accent (Guitars and vocal harmonies)

Neighborfest’s goal is “to build community among the residents within and among the neighborhoods around the University of Arizona, Pima (Downtown Campus), Fourth Avenue and Downtown.” It will be from 1 to 4:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Trinity Presbyterian Church on University Blvd., west of Time Market, east of 4th Avenue.

Come one, come all.