Here are some photos of last night’s 2nd Saturdays Downtown urban street fest, along and around E. Congress Street, compliments of Donovan Dean Durband (Ward 6 Council aide and former Executive Director of the Downtown Tucson Alliance), and Tucson Birthday’s photographer Jon Scanlon.

human statue, courtesy of Donovan Durband

A Son y Sol at Ronstadt Transit Center, courtesy of Donovan Durband

Roll Acosta on the Scott Avenue Stage, courtesy of Donovan Durband

A couple of art receptions were going on as well at Arts Marketplace (featuring artist Mel Dominguez), teen art at The Drawing Studio, and “The Art of Functional Fashion” mixed in with bike training (with drums!) at the newly opened 02 Modern Fitness center at 186 E. Broadway (corner of 5th Avenue). Over on Congress, Daniel Martin Diaz was showing his art in Sacred Machine (photo below). There was definitely diverse community art to choose from last night.

Daniel Martin Diaz's Sacred Machine gallery, courtesy of Donovan Durband

Also here are some photos by Jon Scanlon for Tucson’s Birthday at the Fox Tucson Theatre.

standing room only at the Fox Theater, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

We spent almost our entire time at the free Fox Tucson Theater concert, featuring first The Seven Pipers Scottish bagpipe troupe, then the Gospel Music Workshop of America, followed by former Tucson Citizen staffer Daniel Buckley‘s video of Cele Peterson, and a short talk by “Big Jim” Griffith (of Tucson Meet Yourself fame), then lots of great music.

Gabriel Ayala at the Fox, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Gabriel Ayala (Native American guitarist) was followed by STICKSnFINGERS Caribbean band with 5 calypso like dancers, Chinese Lion dancers of the Tucson Chinese School, then guitarist Salvador Duran (with Chili Willie on bongos), Los Gallegos (4 talented brothers), and finally Mariachi Sonido de Mexico with singer Olga Flores. Wow, it was a multi-cultural fest of terrific local music & dance, for over two hours.

Sticks & Fingers with dancers, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Chili Willie with Salvador Duran, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Los Gallegos at the Fox, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

Mariachi Sonido de Mexico, courtesy of Jon Scanlon

“Big Jim” on stage said it all “This is our community, and ain’t it great?” This event was a tribute to Tucson’s “First Lady of Fashion”, Cele Peterson, who passed away at age 101 in May of this year. For more photos of this Fox Birthday event, go to the Tucson Birthday website (Flickr) for Jon Scanlon’s photo file (click here).

If you haven’t been to a 2nd Saturdays Downtown event yet, mark your calendars for the next one on September 11. It’s a family-friendly event as well, as shown by this photo last night of these joyful little boys playing with bubbles:

boys playing with bubbles, courtesy of Donovan Durband

It’s that time of year again, for the huge, annual community event downtown of Tucson Meet Yourself, October 9, 10 and 11, 2009. Check it all out at www.tucsonmeetyourself.org, sponsored by the Cultural Exchange Council. Or if you prefer the print media, locate a copy of the October issue of Downtown Tucsonan, which has five pages devoted to this event downtown.

October 2009 issue of Downtown Tucsonan

This multi-cultural, mega-event runs Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at El Presidio Park and Jacome Library Plaza. This celebration of the “richness and diversity of the living traditional arts of southern Arizona’s folk and ethnic communities” is in its _________year.*

There’s even a Get Moving Tucson 10 miler/5K race and walk on Sunday October 11, at 8 a.m.– so it’s now a fitness event as well.

New this year – a Festival Marketplace (in front of the Main Library) will feature handmade folk art demonstrations and the artists will offer their crafts for sale. What fun.

I have gone in the past and sampled Japanese, Chinese, Thai, German, Austrian, Swedish, Hawaiian, Jamaican food and watched dances/performances from those ethnic communities as well. And there’s so much more to experience every year.

*Trivia question: does anyone know which annual year is this 2009 Tucson Meet Yourself? Reply below. I know the answer, but I just wanted to challenge you readers.