Tucson Meet Yourself Folklife Festival:
Friday, October 12th, 11am – 10pm
Saturday, October 13th, 11am – 10pm
Sunday, October 14th, 11am – 6pm

Schedule for October 12, 13, and 14:
http://tucsonmeetyourself2012.sched.org/

The annual event has grown considerably. The festival is proud to debut the following special themes and new events:

Kidlore: The Culture of Kids – activity area and educational hands-on programs focused on the traditions of children between the ages of 6 and 15 such as games, riddles, jokes, pranks, superstitions, rhymes and games played in the school playground; concerned with those activities which are learned and passed on by children to other children.

25th Anniversary AIDS Walk — (Sunday morning October 14, 2012) within perimeter of Tucson Meet Yourself footprint in downtown Tucson, culminating in ritual unfolding of Quilt Panels (national and local) in partnership with Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF).

Symbols and Traditions of AIDS Activism – exhibit of artifacts and mementos of the folk community and folk practices that came together around the AIDS crisis starting in the early 1980s, one of the most complex epidemics in modern history (plus complimentary program of lectures, story circles, health prevention education booths, and select performances).

Quilts Making a Difference — mirroring the 2012 theme of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C. “Creativity and Crisis,” exhibit and activity area including hands-on quilting demonstrations, sewing circles, and storytelling about quilts made to raise awareness about a range of social issues.

Lowrider Car Club “Dukes” 50th Anniversary — commemorative exhibit, story circles, and special events about the world’s oldest lowrider car club in continuous existence, with over 30 chapter all over the USA (including Tucson) as well as Australia and Japan.

Lowrider Car Show and Contest (organized by the Dukes Club Tucson) — complimented by live auto-parts and modifications demonstrations, story circles, and special events commemorating America’s automobile industry’s unique and authentic folk traditions. Other highlights include a “Chop Shop” garage, interviews with car owners, and “oldies” DJ music in the tradition of lowrider gatherings.

Pow Wow 101 — the first installment of TMY’s new statewide folk arts scope “Arizona Traditional Arts” introduces the public to everything they always wanted to know about a pow wow but were afraid to ask: the rules of comportment in this intertribal Native gathering, different styles of Northern and Summer drumming and singing, drum maker demonstration, sales of Native crafts, fancy and traditional dancers, and community dance where everyone is welcomed to join.

Traditions of Caribbean Music and Ritual — (three days of fun, festivities and educational workshops) A local celebration of the many strands and cultural objects and sounds of one of the world’s most exuberant celebrations, the annual Carnival from Trinidad. Authentically led by Tucsonans who hail from the island. Expanded in 2012 to include dress-making demonstrations, calypso, soca, and limbo demonstrations as well as hands-on workshops. Also featuring presentations over three days of other related Afro-Caribbean sounds and rituals, including Puerto Rican “bomba y plena,” Cuban Orisha chanting and drumming, and Jamaican reggae.

“Who wouldn’t enjoy Tucson Meet Yourself? Essentially, you can travel the world right here in Tucson,” says Jim Griffith, Tucson Meet Yourself cofounder. “You can watch world-class performers, find unique folk art and meet people from all corners of the globe. Many folks wait all year long for the home-cooked foods. Here, we come together to celebrate all kinds of communities and the traditions they carry on. The food and entertainment are the hooks; our goal is fundamentally educational.”

Once again Tucsonans, for the 39th year, meet people, try different ethnic foods, & enjoy the many wonders of Tucson Meet Yourself.

photo courtesy of Tucson Meet Yourself, taken by Steven Meckler

2011 FESTIVAL DATES AND TIMES! (location downtown – see map above)

Friday, October 14, 2011 11am – 10pm
Saturday, October 15, 2011 10am – 10pm
Sunday, October 16, 2011 11am – 6pm

Please pay attention to the 2011 map as this folklife festival has grown and now extends from Old Town Artisans area in the north, down to the TCC Plaza area near Leo Rich Theater to the south. I met people last year who didn’t know about all the sites & entertainment stages as they hadn’t consulted the festival map.

New this year: Tucson MOVE your Body Workout on Saturday October 15, 2 p.m. when “a giant MOVING Parade will swirl through all areas of the Festival in a ‘join-the-parade’ celebration of parade traditions, costumes and color. MOVE your body in your own style, your own expression.”

All info at www.tucsonmeetyourself.org.

Greet, meet and eat at Tucson Meet Yourself.