A day before the 10th anniversary of 9/11/11 is this month’s 2nd Saturday Downtown, Tucson’s large urban street fest downtown on E. Congress Street. September is Hispanic Heritage Month so 2nd Saturdays will be featuring Teodoro “Ted” Ramirez, A Son y Sol, and then Suerte on the Scott Avenue Stage, starting at 6:30 p.m. And Latin jazz Descarga performs (for free!) over at the Fox Tucson Theatre at 7 p.m.

A Son y Sol, courtesy of Chris Zukowski and 2nd Saturdays Downtown

This urban event started off on May 8, 2010 and has been continuing every 2nd Saturday since then (despite some inclement weather and despite the tragic shooting on January 8, 2011). And lots of us have been regularly attending, enjoying the street vendors or restaurant food, the lively music at the Rialto, Fox, or Scott Avenue Stage, the wandering minstrels, the arts & crafts, car shows, free movies by Cinema La Placita, etc. etc. The movie this Saturday is the 2006 animated “Cars”, featuring voices of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman and Bonnie Hunt.

movie poster

Each month I encourage our readers to check it out downtown…and enjoy this family friendly monthly fest.

For the event schedule, log onto www.2ndsaturdaysdowntown.com.

13 year old Toby Chivers (rock guitarist) will be the opening performer at the historic Fox Tucson Theatre, before Latin jazz musical group “Descarga”, on Saturday October 9 for the monthly 2nd Saturdays Downtown urban street fest. Concert is free, from 7 to 9 p.m., 17 W. Congress Street. Chivers plays with a teen band called “Deceptively Innocent.”

Toby Chivers

Event schedule to date from website, www.2ndsaturdaysdowntown.org.

Scott Avenue Stage (between Congress St. and Broadway Blvd.):

6:00pm-7:00pm: A Son y Sol (Latin American music with a twist)
7:15pm-8:30pm: Banana Gun (upbeat acoustic)
8:45pm-10:00pm: Jumper (power-pop)

Along Congress Street:

Art Car Exhibit: 10+ vehicles presented by Automorphosis
Odyssey Storytelling: Look for the StoryArts Cart on the topic – “Masks: Hidden Identities”
5:30 pm-6:15pm: 7 Pipers Band – bagpipers
7pm-9pm: Critical Stilts – Stilt walking & dancing
6pm-10pm: Living Statues, presented by Parasol Project (see photo below courtesy of Donovan Durband)

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Ronstadt Transit Center @ 6th Ave & Congress Street:
5:30pm-7pm: Les Avenge – beat boy acrobatics
7:00pm-8:00pm: Desert Melodies
8:00pm-9:00pm: The Technophobes – candy folk music
9:00pm-10:00pm: Honey Pistol – folk rock/indie/acoustic
7pm-9pm: Magician John Coppin
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Indian Village Lot – Kid’s Corner! Between Stone & Scott on Congress:
West wall: Cinema La Placita screens “Alice in Wonderland” & an encore presentation of a compilation of music videos from the Tucson Film & Music Festival.
East Wall: Ultimate Electronics hosts Rock Band video competitions.

Plus art activities for the kids, an anti-gravity jumping device and more!
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Old Pueblo Garage, 27 E. Congress Street:
6pm-8pm: Blanco Cliff & John White – blues

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NW Corner – Congress St./Stone Ave:
6pm-8pm: The Missing Parts – Folk music from an undiscovered country

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SW Corner – Congress St./Stone Ave:
7:30pm-10pm: Les Avenge – Beat boy acrobatics
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Chicago Store, 130 E. Congress Street:
6pm-10pm: One Phat DJ
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June’s Corner Store, 10 E. Broadway Blvd.
6:30pm-8pm: TBA
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Flanagan’s Celtic Corner, 222 E. Congress Street:
Annual Celtic Pumpkin and Gourd Carving Contest. Gift Certificates to Flanagan’s Celtic Corner will be awarded.

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And over at El Presidio Park and the Jacome Library Plaza of the Joel D. Valdez Main library is Tucson Meet Yourself, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., also on Saturday! Read my blog on that annual event (click here).

Upcoming 2nd Saturdays Downtown: Saturday, November 13, 2010 and Saturday, December 11, 2010.