Friday August 31^st through September 3^rd

What? HoCo Fest 2012.
Party like it’s 1979! HoCo Fest started in 2004 and is Arizona’s longest running solar-powered music festival. Beginning on Friday, August 31 and continuing through Monday, September 3, HoCo Fest 2012 will take over Hotel Congress featuring local and national music acts playing on indoor and outdoor stages, with all ages welcome.
Where? Hotel Congress – Club Congress
When? Doors open at 7 p.m.
How Much? $15
More Info: http://www.hotelcongress.com/club/

Saturday September 1^st

What? Concert for Kids
Children from all over Tucson, and as young as 2 years old, can explore a “magical” opportunity to interact and learn from a widely-recognized and talented educator, conductor and performer.

Exploring music since his roots in Europe and now working with children through local arts organizations, László Veres of the Tucson Pops Orchestra will engage with kids and teach the musical workings of instruments and sound during Musical Magic for Kids.
Where? Town of Oro Valley’s Council Chambers, 11000 N. La Canada Dr.
When? Concerts begin at 10 a.m. -”Peter and the Wolf” on Saturday, Sept. 1 and “The Nutcracker” on Saturday, Oct. 6
How Much? Free
More Info: www.saaca.org

What? Free Lecture: Wyatt Earp, Capitalist
Historian/author Garner Palenske presents this intriguing story of Wyatt Earp’s involvement in horse racing, gambling, and mining at Tombstone City Archives. Palenske is the author of the much acclaimed book, Wyatt Earp in San Diego, Life After Tombstone.
Free book given away and opportunity to meet the author immediately following at Tombstone Old West Books, 4th and Allen Streets.
Where? Tombstone City Archives 6th And Fremont Streets
When? 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Saturday-Sunday-Monday September 1^st – 3^rd

What? Rendezvous of the Gunfighters
Gunfighter groups from throughout the U.S. gather in Tombstone to perform. Activities include a Most-Authentic 1880′s Costume Contest. Sponsored by the Tombstone Wild Bunch.
Where? Tombstone / Allen Street / OK Corral
When? The 1880’s costume parade will begin Sunday, September 2^nd at 12 noon.
More Info: www.tombstonewildbunch.com/

Sunday September 2nd

What? Members’-Only Pancake Breakfast in Celebration of The Desert Museum’s 60^th B’day.
Where? Ironwood Terrace Restaurant in the Desert Museum
When? 8 AM – 11 AM
How Much? Members 8 and older: $12. Ages 4-7: $5. Three & under and anyone born in 1952: FREE.
What Else? If you’re not a member, you oughta be. Just sayin’.

What? Bisbee’s 47th Annual Brewery Gulch Daze.
Events will include a the Soiled Dove Race, Wacky Pet Parade, Kids Games, Recycled Art Auction, Silent Auction, Miz Ole’ Biz Contest & live music by Buzz & the Soul Senders.
Where? Brewery Gulch in Old Bisbee.
When? 8 AM – 5 PM.
How Much: Depends on how many beers you buy.

What? Jeff Kashiwa & Crystal Stark in Concert
Kashiwa is one of the most diverse, in demand sax players in all of contemporary jazz. A year after leaving The Rippingtons, Kashiwa was an immediate smash on the smooth jazz charts, scoring a #1 hit for over eight weeks on the Radio & Records chart.  His sound ranges from funky pop to more classic traditional jazz – this show will have it all.  Joining Kashiwa for several numbers will be Tucson favorite, singer Crystal Stark.
Where?  Loews Ventana Canyon, 7000 N. Resort Rd.When?  7:30 PM
How Much? $20 – $35
More Info:  http://tucsonjazz.org/

A Rare Arizona Crocodile On Display At Rattlesnake Crafts & Rocks

One of the stranger places we visited on our tour of Southeastern Arizona is John & Sandy’s Rattlesnake Crafts & Rocks.

John makes wallets, belts, and other useful items and souvenirs out of rattlesnake skins and sells them out of an old trailer. He also collects a lot of stuff others have discarded as junk.

Here you will find literally tons of Old West artifacts lovingly horded for decades and on display for your amusement. Old signs, bottles, tools, boots, lanterns, you-name-it.

Old West Artifacts, Rocks, & Gemstones at Rattlesnake Crafts

Here too is a fine rock and gemstone collection. But the only stuff that’s for sale here is what’s price-marked inside the old trailer.

Although we met Sandy, there’s no one here to wait on you. And payment is by the honor system. Just outside the trailer is as box with a sign over it that reads:

Rattlesnake Crafts
Self-Serve
Today
If you like anything
that’s priced, leave money
or check payable to:
“John Weber”
in box.
Thanks!

Rattlesnake Belts, Wallets, Boots, And Much More For Sale

I purchased a knife in a snake skin sheath to use both as a letter opener and a conversation piece. Inside the box on a note pad I wrote what I had taken and the price – $19 – and dutifully placed a crisp $20 bill in the clip.

You might think that I over-paid by a dollar. Not so. Just walking around this place looking at the extensive collection was well worth the extra buck.

You too can enjoy John & Sandy Weber’s Rattlesnake Crafts and bountiful collection. Take the road to the ghost town of Gleason 15 miles east of Tombstone. And yes, it was out in the middle of nowhere. But that was half the fun.

I’m new in the website business. But I must say that my Southern Arizona Guide is doing well after only 2 months. One of the most interesting facets is the analytics. For example, about half of my visitors are locals looking for (1) the best restaurants; (2) great weekend getaways; and / or (3) what to do with visiting friends and relatives.

The other half are from cold country mostly looking for a great winter vacation. And of these, especially those in Europe, most are really interested in the Old West in general and Tombstone in particular.

You locals, who have been to Tombstone and taken Dr. Jay’s enlightening and entertaining walking tour, know fact from fiction. But our European visitors have a difficult time distinguishing between actual historical events and legends.

To help, I am working on a series for my ‘Local History’ section. Here is the second one on Wyatt Earp.

***********************

After what became the most famous gunfight in history, Wyatt Earp went on what became known as the Earp Vendetta Ride to avenge the ambush that crippled his older brother, Virgil, and the assassination of his younger brother, Morgan, by a gang of outlaws known as “The Cowboys”.

However, by the 1920’s, Wyatt Earp was an almost forgotten lawman of the Old West who had been trying unsuccessfully to sell his story to Hollywood movie producers for more than a decade. Near poverty, Mr. Earp was living in a Los Angeles hotel with his wife of 40-plus years, Josie Marcus, also known as Sadie.

His lack of notoriety began to change when Stuart Lake’s Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshall was published in 1931, two years after Mr. Earp’s death.

Since then, there have been hundreds of books and thousands of magazine and Internet articles published about Mr. Earp and the gunfight that made Tombstone, AZ world famous.

In addition to the myriad books and magazine articles about Mr. Earp, movies and TV propelled his legend worldwide. Here is a list of some of the more noteworthy. Very few can hold a candle to High Noon starring Gary Cooper.

(List in chronological order and rated by IMDB)

• Frontier Marshall (1939) Rated 6.6 0ut of 10). Randolph Scott (Wyatt Earp; Cesar Romero (‘Doc’ Holliday). The usual morality play; good guys in white hats, etc.

• My Darling Clementine (1946) Rated: 7.8. Henry Fonda (Wyatt Earp); Victor Mature (‘Doc’ Holliday). Made tolerable by that wonderful character actor, Walter Brennan as Old Man Clanton.

• Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp (TV series 1955-61) Rated 8.6 (Best of All) Hugh O’Brian (Wyatt Earp). Very popular at the time. 99.99% Legend.

• Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957) Rated 7.2. Burt Landcaster (Wyatt Earp); Kirk Douglas (‘Doc’ Holliday). Big stars. Poor history. This telling of the gunfight is mostly fiction by writer Leon Uris (Topaz, Exodus). Popular with audiences, but panned by critics at the time.

• Hour of the Gun (1967) Rated 6.6. James Garner (Wyatt Earp); Jason Robards (‘Doc’ Holliday). Borders on silly.

• Sunset (1988) Rated 5.6. Bruce Willis (Tom Mix); James Garner (Wyatt Earp). Even sillier than Hour of the Gun.

• Tombstone (1993) Rated 7.8. Kurt Russell (Wyatt Earp); Val Kilmer (‘Doc’ Holliday); Sam Elliott (Virgil Earp). Of all the westerns that depict the actual gunfight, this one is the most historically accurate by far. It was made even better by the fine performance of Val Kilmer as ‘Doc’. I advise my guests to avoid the amateurish reenactment of the gunfight at the OK Corral, save the $10 admission and rent this Tombstone video.

• Wyatt Earp (1994) Rated 6.5. Kevin Costner (Wyatt Earp); Dennis Quaid (‘Doc’ Holliday); Gene Hackman (Nickolas Earp). This movie has a long prelude to the gunfight, starting with Mr. Earps young manhood, continuing through his two years at Tombstone, and ending with the now famous ‘Earp Vendetta Ride’ (read my related article).

Rumor has it that Val Kilmer will play Wyatt Earp in the upcoming (2012) Wyatt Earp’s Revenge. I’m trying to imagine Kilmer as Wyatt since he played such a convincing ‘Doc’ in Tombstone with Kurt Russell.