With all this election madness this week, I almost forgot about the monthly 2nd Saturday Downtown on Nov. 10th.

Cinema La Placita will be showing the cute 2007 “Bee Movie”, at 6 p.m. in their temporary parking lot on Jackson St. between Stone Ave. and Scott Ave.

The movie stars Jerry Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, Matthew Broderick and Chris Rock.

Barry B. Benson, a bee who has just graduated from college, is disillusioned at his lone career choice: making honey. On a special trip outside the hive, Barry’s life is saved by Vanessa, a florist in New York City. As their relationship blossoms, he discovers humans actually eat honey, and subsequently decides to sue us..

Born to “bee” wild…at 2nd Saturday Downtown.

More info on Cinema La Placita, www.cinemalaplacita.com.

And for the full event schedule for 2nd Saturday Downtown on Nov. 10, click here. I hear that the lively Afro-Brazilian group Batucaxe is playing for FREE at the Fox Tucson Theatre at 7 p.m., 17 W. Congress St. If you haven’t heard this group or been to a show at the incomparable Fox, this is your chance.

This is your chance to enjoy Brazilian & Caribbean music on April 14, 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. all over Tucson’s 2nd Saturday Downtown. First off from 5:30pm-6pm: Batucaxé & Friends Procession along downtown streets.

On the Scott Avenue Stage (E. Congress/Scott Avenue):

6pm-6:45pm: Capoeira Brasil
6:45pm-7:45pm: Batucaxé (Afro-Brazilian drum & dance)
7:45pm-8pm: Flam Chen, accompanied by Batucaxé
8pm-8:15pm: Poi-Zen Fire Troupe
8:15pm-9:15pm: Key Ingredients of African Soul (Afro-Beat/Reggae)
9:15pm-9:30pm: Poi-Zen Fire Troupe
9:30pm-10:30pm: Latin Funk Project (Latin/Rock)

Over at the Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress, for free:

7pm-9pm: UA Steel Band brings a Caribbean dance party with the sounds of soca & calypso music! Photo and info below from Fox website:

The University of Arizona Steel Band program is comprised of two steel bands, UASteel and Blue Steel. The steel band program was founded in 1987 by Professor Gary Cook and then doctoral student, Jeannine Remy. Born from a small group of personal steel drums, the band now has over 50 instruments and involves students from across the campus. Eric Hines is the current Director of the UA Steel Band program.

UA Steel Band

Over at Ronstadt Transit Center (E. Congress/6th Avenue):

7-8:30pm: A Son y Sol Latin-American Music with a twist
9pm-10:30pm: Sticks & Fingers percussion ensemble featuring recording artist Richard Noel from the Caribbean island of Trinidad & Tobago.

Carnaval is coming to downtown Tucson! There’s going to be dancing in the streets!

And not to worry about Congress Street being temporarily closed (between Stone Ave. & Toole) due to the modern streetcar construction. Here’s a press release from 2nd Saturdays Downtown about parking & traffic flow (click here).

Not Caribbean, but FREE screenings on Saturday night for the 21st Arizona International Film Festival:
The Screening Room 127 E. Congress St.
5pm: Family Shorts 1
6pm: Family Shorts 2
7pm: Alligators Always Avoid Anchovies
8pm: Stardust and the Bandit (“A nerdy for mob accountant named Guy Bacon enters the Witness Protection Program and is relocated to Old Tucson Studios, the famous movie-set-turned-theme-park in southern Arizona. Things start to get a little hairy for Bacon, however, when someone recognizes him”.)
9pm: Comedy Shorts

3 days of weekend fun coming up in celebration of Arizona’s 100th birthday on 2/14/12.

Info from 2ndsaturdaysdowntown.com website. I’ve listed a few of the events below, but go to that website for the full schedule.

Friday, Feb. 10:

4pm: GRAND OPENING, hosted by KOLD Channel 13 and Chuck George. Mayor Jonathan Rothschild will open the festivities to an antique airplane fly-by and the raising of the 1912 American Flag originally flown over the Arizona Capitol. This event will take place at the main stage on 6th Ave., just south of Pennington.

Plus lots of musical entertainment on two stages (6th Ave x Pennington, and Scott Avenue Stage x Broadway), 4:15 pm. to 9:30 p.m.

…and more events along Congress Street including Cinema La Placita’s 6 p.m. showing of 1963 movie “McLintock!” (starring John Wayne) filmed at Old Tucson Studios.

Saturday Feb. 11:

2nd Saturdays Downtown usual excitement & events, plus music starting at 12 noon at 6th Ave. x Pennington stage. Scott Avenue/Broadway stage starts up at 1 p.m. with puppet shows for the kids, plus more exciting groups like Brazilian Batucaxe at 4 p.m. and Japanese Odaiko Sonora (taiko drums) at 5:15 p.m.

AND don’t miss the events over at the Joel D Valdez Main Library , 101 N Stone (11 to 5 p.m.), or at UA Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. for an “AZ 100 & Counting” free event (3 to 5 p.m.)

Over at the Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street:

1:30pm-3:30pm: “A Special Chat with Noted Tucsonans of the Past,” presented by the Downtown Centennial Committee. This historic event will present reenacted interviews with a few of the famous men and women who helped create the State of Arizona and build The Old Pueblo, from 1912 to present. After the historic re-enactments the audience will enjoy films of Southern Arizona life in the early part of the twentieth century. This film is a composite of several travel logs gathered from 1920-30 by the “The Sunshine Climate Club,” an early Tucson tourist promotion group.

Cinema La Placita will be showing at 6 p.m. the classic 1940 movie “Arizona” (starring William Holden), also filmed at Old Tucson Studios.

Sunday Feb. 12:

Several events starting with an early 9 a.m. downtown bike ride, ending up with an 8 p.m. Dweezil Zappa (son of Frank) Concert at the Rialto Theatre (see below)

9 a.m.Celebrate the Centennial with a 1.5 hour bike ride, discovering Sonoran Desert street trees. Learn to identify different low water native trees in the Downtown streetscape, planted by volunteers, neighborhoods, the City of Tucson and the Downtown Tucson Partnership as part of the 1,000 Trees Please campaign. This easy bike ride through downtown and neighborhoods meets at the SE corner of Broadway Blvd. and Scott Ave

Scottish Rite Cathedral, 160 S. Scott Avenue:
2pm-4:30pm: ACLU presents “Arizona Civil Rights Memories”, a panel discussion moderated by former Tucson mayor, George Miller. Retired Arizona Supreme Court Justice Stanley Feldman, retired UA Law School Dean, Professor Emeritus Charles Ares will be on the panel, as well as ACLU of Arizona Founding Board Member Cornelius Steelink.

Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street:

8pm: Zappa Plays Zappa All Ages. After taking more than three years off to study the physical performance and technical compositional techniques of his father, Frank Zappa, Dweezil Zappa began his search to create a combo that could, according to Dweezil, “accurately execute Frank’s music in the most authentic way humanly possible.” Rather than creating what he called a “circus” of Frank’s former bandmates, Dweezil’s focus was on providing an avenue for the elder Zappa’s music to new generations of listeners. (Tickets: $26-$56)

Enjoy the many festivities downtown and around town, all birthday celebrations for Arizona.