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February 2017 Digital Magazine

February 2, 2017 |

Read the February 2017 Digital Edition of Zocalo Magazine

Zocalo Magazine February 2017 cover

¡Viva Casa Libre!

January 5, 2017 |
Selah Saterstrom reading at a recent Fair Weather Reading Series event. Photo courtesy Kristen Nelson

Selah Saterstrom reading at a recent Fair Weather Reading Series event.
Photo courtesy Kristen Nelson

“This is a place that has always catered to people’s passions,” explains Kristen Nelson, cofounder and current, but soon-to-be previous, executive director of literary arts nonprofit Casa Libre en la Solana.

“It’s a place where people with a passion, idea or concept could say, ‘Hey, I want to do this,’ and Casa Libre would say, ‘Yes, how can we help you?’”

Nelson makes it clear that the writing center she’s helmed for over 13 years is not closing its doors; it is going forward full steam ahead and actively searching for a new leader to carry the organization’s mission, spirit and “have the agency to create what they want with this place and incorporate what they are passionate about, what they care about.”

It’s a chilly Friday night in December, but Nelson and I stay warm under a propane heater. We’re sitting, bundled up, in the breezeway of her 1898 commercial adobe property on Fourth Avenue that shares the same name as the literary organization. Wine and snacks are being enjoyed in relaxed camaraderie because – full disclosure – Nelson and I have been professional colleagues and friends for many years. She reflects on Casa Libre’s history (inextricable from her own), what informed its creation, evolution and what the nonprofit is looking for in its new executive director when Nelson steps down on June 30, 2017.

Incorporated in July 2003, Casa Libre has operated as a connection point for the Tucson writing community for close to 14 years, offering an event space for readings, salons, book releases, workshops, fundraisers – and certainly some hell raisers – to serve groups traditionally not supported by mainstream writing outlets.

“We have tailored our vision and our mission specifically to writers of color, female writers, LGBTQIA writers, and emerging

An example of a kite made as part of "Made for Flight," a youth project started by T.C. Tolbert at Casa Libre to commemorate the lives of murdered transgender people with kite building and poetry writing. Photo courtesy Kristen Nelson

An example of a kite made as part of “Made for Flight,” a youth project started by T.C. Tolbert at Casa Libre to commemorate the lives of murdered transgender people with kite building and poetry writing.
Photo courtesy Kristen Nelson

writers and other underserved groups,” the 38-year-old elucidates. “In the last two years, the board of directors and I recognized how important it was to have that as a stated mission and say, ‘This is why we’re here, this is your place.’ And everyone is welcome to come and be a part of that and enjoy those voices, but we want to serve these voices.”

As a queer female, Nelson is one of those voices. She shares her experiences as a youth in a multiracial neighborhood in Mount Vernon, New York and how that taught her to embrace and celebrate different perspectives. Her racially diverse community, where Nelson was in the white minority, was comprised of socially conscious families engaged in activism and connected to the larger world.

“When I was growing up, my mom got involved in this program called CISV, Children’s International Summer Villages, and we had international students live in our home for months at a time. I learned about different cultures all over the world – Costa Rica, Guatemala, Portugal, France, Spain, Taiwan, Egypt, Greece. I grew up with this sense that the United States is not centric; we are part of a world community.

“And then I just started paying attention. I recognized that I was queer somewhere around 16-years-old. I grew up in a family that was incredibly loving and supportive of who I am, they always have been – regardless of sexual identity, regardless of career path – and really believed in the concept that you can do anything you want to do.”

As Nelson navigated college and met other queer individuals and people of different races, she recognized the privilege she had even as she was personally experiencing discrimination.

“I saw my own challenges in terms of publishing, in terms of sharing my work, getting my voice heard. From my own personal experience and paying attention to other voices that were trans voices, paying attention to people of color’s voices, international voices and how much harder so many underserved groups in the world have it. I recognized that I would never be imprisoned for writing a poem and what a privilege that was. Growing up in an activist, socially conscious, super, super liberal family helped. And that taught me to pay attention, and from there, that grew.”

While at the University of Tampa – as a junior with only three semesters left on her scholarship – Nelson knew she had to change her major from marine biology to English. “I feel like college taught me to pursue my passions, it was really then that I started to identify as a writer,” Nelson shares. She jumped right into the field with a summer internship at The Village Voice in 1999, worked as a journalist post-graduation at The Rivertowns Enterprise and then 9/11 happened.

Nelson describes New York City as being in chaos and how her sources were calling to describe the violence happening against Muslims and people who were presumed to be Muslim, articles she knew were important to write. But her publisher refused to print those stories, saying the charged topics were too political.

“I thought, ‘This isn’t why I am a journalist. I’m a journalist to tell the truth, I’m a journalist to report.’ I took that really seriously. When I left New York, I was jaded after that experience and decided I wanted to work in a different field. I wound up, because of my science background, getting a job (eight months after arriving in Tucson) at what is now UA’s Institute of the Environment.”

It was the idea of starting Casa Libre with her then-partner that brought the two of them to Tucson in April 2003. The couple had envisioned an organization that would serve as both a community center and a space to host writers’ residencies – which is exactly what they did.

She explains that they were “looking for a fresh start in a place that had a vibrant queer community, a vibrant arts community, and a sense of opportunity about it. The literary community here was already so rad. Kore Press had been around for 10 years already; the Poetry Center was thriving and raising money to build their new building at the time. Spork Press, Chax Press, POG, Tucson Poetry Festival, all of these organizations really embraced Casa Libre. When I started to meet the folks running those organizations, they were excited to collaborate and support something new. In particular at the time, the Poetry Center and Kore Press – Lisa Bowden was such a huge supporter of Casa Libre from the beginning – so it felt like there were these big sisters and brothers and siblings that were out there going, ‘Come on, you can do this here.’ I felt really engaged from the beginning. It turned from a concept, a dream and a website within a year to an organization.”

Weekend writing residency led by Rebecca Brown, left; also pictured are Frankie Rollins (center), T.C. Tolbert (background) and Lisa O'Neill (far right). Photo courtesy Kristen Nelson

Weekend writing residency led by Rebecca Brown, left; also pictured are Frankie Rollins (center), T.C. Tolbert (background) and Lisa O’Neill (far right).
Photo courtesy Kristen Nelson

Casa Libre’s writer residency program worked for several years, during a period when Nelson was able to secure scholarships through private donations for the winning grantees. When the Great Recession hit in late 2008, the private funding streams dried up and Nelson turned the short-term writers’ residencies into long-term artist live/work spaces over a period of two years.

Throughout Casa Libre’s existence, it has continually strived to adapt to the changing needs of Tucson’s community by hosting meetings to discuss the organization’s role in serving the writing populace. “If you want to know how to better serve your community,” says Nelson. “Ask your community. There’s no mystery there.”

Lisa Bowden, Kore Press’ publisher/cofounder and a longtime collaborator with Nelson, describes Casa Libre as being “a vital center in the community for the literary arts, for discussion and exchange of ideas. An incredible, glowing, magnificent force.” Bowden also shares that partnerships between Kore Press and Casa Libre have included various community projects, activism workshops for youth, along with holding other writing workshops in Casa’s library.

There’s been a bevy of programs Casa Libre has hosted over the years. Nelson easily rattles off a short list – The Writers Studio, The Edge: Emerging Writers, Stjukshon: An Indigenous Reading Series, Kore Press’ First Book winners.

Left to right: Logan Phillips, Kristen Nelson and Roger Bonair-Agard after Logan and Roger's reading at Casa Libre's Fair Weather Reading Series. Photo courtesy Kristen Nelson

Left to right: Logan Phillips, Kristen Nelson and Roger Bonair-Agard after Logan and Roger’s reading at Casa Libre’s Fair Weather Reading Series.
Photo courtesy Kristen Nelson

“This is also where, after Maggie Golston’s downtown book shop Biblio closed down, Maggie contacted us and said, ‘Hey, I need a place for WIP (Writers In Progress, a UA MFA curated reading series) to be,’ and we housed WIP for eight to nine years.

“There was a need for Casa Libre because we were able to be a central kind of organizing unit for a bunch of different projects. I always pictured us as an octopus, where we had this central head but there were all these tentacles and each of those tentacles were organized by a person or community group. Those are the niches we filled.”

There comes a time for any writer who has worked hard on community projects for years to get to the point where they need to get back to focusing on writing. That time has come for Kristen Nelson. During her almost 14-year tenure at the helm of Casa Libre, she has been a renovator, maintenance person and landlord for her property. She went and got an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College, worked as an adjunct professor at Pima Community College for four years and currently is the program coordinator at UA’s Institute for LGBT Studies.

“That’s my trajectory of professional history, but that whole time, running Casa Libre. And for nine of the 14 years that I’ve run this place, it was unpaid, and that’s not something I want to pass on to the new executive director. Which is why I am not taking a salary this year, we’re fundraising, and we’re getting money in the bank so no one will be in that position again.”

As we circle back to chat about Casa Libre’s upcoming events – the Fair Weather Reading Series, happening mostly monthly January through May – Nelson lights up and says, “T.C. Tolbert, we haven’t talked at all about T.C.!” She shares that Tolbert was the organization’s assistant director for seven years, who started and ran the Trickhouse events with Noah Saterstrom.

“I started the Fair Weather Reading Series about two years ago, so that was the time T.C. decided to step down as the assistant director to pursue other professional opportunities, with so much love. That was when I started envisioning leaving Casa Libre myself because my best friend and collaborator claimed that opportunity for himself and I thought, ‘Oh wait, wait, and now you’re writing more?’ But I knew that I couldn’t hand over this octopus unpaid to somebody.”

Nelson and her board are in full fundraising mode, she says they are about 40% to their goal and is confident they will reach it by July 1, 2017.

Casa Libre's outside courtyard. Photo courtesy Kristen Nelson

Casa Libre’s outside courtyard.
Photo courtesy Kristen Nelson

Board president Sara Wolfe Vaughan says she is “excited to see what the future holds both for Casa Libre and for Kristen. I’m truly elated that Kristen will have more time to devote to her own art. It’s something she so deserves and we need her work out in the world, maybe now more than ever. Tucson has no shortage of talented artists and I can’t wait to meet our candidates.”

Reflecting on what they are looking for in a new leader, Nelson shares that they’d “really like somebody who has some experience running events, particularly in the nonprofit world and also someone who has development experience. Someone who has the skills to continue it forward in a new way.”

To donate, visit CasaLibre.org/donate.html. The Fair Weather Reading Series is Jan. 17, 7 p.m. A $5 donation gains entrance at 228 N. 4th Ave. to hear from Garnette Cadogan, Jordan Flaherty and Yanara Friedland. Learn more at CasaLibre.org/events.html. Check out Nelson’s writings and sundries at KristenENelson.com.

Zocalo Magazine – January 2017

January 3, 2017 |

Jan. 2017 Digital Edition

Zocalo Magazine - January 2017 Cover

Zocalo Magazine – January 2017 Cover

December 2016 Issue

December 2, 2016 |

This month, “Gifts of Tucson” a gift guide to local makers, artists and authors… and our 2016 Year in Pictures. Read the digital edition of the December 2016.

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November 2016 Issue

November 1, 2016 |

Read the November 2016 Issue of Zócalo Magazine

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Zocalo Magazine September 2016

September 2, 2016 |

This month, performing arts season preview and special photo feature of reader submitted photos.

Read the September 2016 issue of Zocalo

Zocalo Magazine September 2016 cover

 

Zocalo Magazine July & August 2016

July 5, 2016 |

Read the July & August 2016 issue of Zocalo

Zocalo JulyAug 2016 cover

The Mesquite Harvest

June 2, 2016 |
Screwbean, velvet, and honey mesquites pods. Photo by Brad Landcaster

Screwbean, velvet, and honey mesquites pods. Photo by Brad Landcaster

It’s So Much More Than Just Milling Flour

It’s summer time again and, as many of you already know, that means it’s also mesquite harvesting and milling season in Tucson. And where including mesquite flour in your diet is a great way to add some diversity of flavor to your favorite culinary staples, Desert Harvesters Co-Founder Brad Lancaster would like you to know that the production and cultivation of native wild foods here in Tucson goes much, much further than simply whetting the appetites of local foodies. “We’re trying to get everyone to see the whole picture,” says Lancaster, “so the harvest is way more than just the pods.”

Our current agricultural system, says Lancaster, is based on “using imported plants, imported water, and imported fertilizer,” all of which, he points out, takes a major toll on our environment. But the plants that are native to the Tucson area—and that sustained life here for thousands of years before we were tapping the Colorado River as our primary water source—require no such interventions. The native wild food producing plants like the mesquite and ironwood trees, and the cholla and saguaro cacti, he says “are plants that can not only survive here, but thrive here with no imported water or fertilizer.” That’s why Lancaster says that Desert Harvesters is “looking at how we can use what we already have for free in a way that doesn’t deplete the ground water, doesn’t deplete the surface water…but reinfuses our ground water and reinfuses our rivers with water while reducing flooding.” And, Lancaster says, planting native wild food plants “where we live, work, and play,” while incorporating what he calls “water harvesting earthworks” helps to do all of these things while simultaneously improving our city’s landscape, as well as the habitat for local wildlife.

For this reason, though he says that local landscapes are currently dominated by non-native mesquite species that were largely selected for their tendency to grow quickly, Desert Harvesters focuses its efforts on the three types of mesquite tress native to the region—the screwbean, velvet, and honey mesquites. Not only are the local trees more consistent in taste and texture than imported varieties, but Lancaster says that they are also more beneficial to a number of native birds and insects. He says that a native mesquite will attract over sixty different native pollinators, whereas a non-native tree only attracts about a dozen. Thus, birds like the Wilson’s warbler have adjusted their migration patterns to coincide with the blooming cycles of native mesquites, and have therefore come to depend on those cycles in order to fatten up before the annual trip to their summer range about two-thousand miles north.

In support of their mission to increase the abundance of native wild food plants growing in and around Tucson, Lancaster says that Desert Harvesters is planning at least one seed-gathering expedition to look for native mesquites that taste great, ripen pre-monsoon (to avoid the growth of toxic, invisible molds that begin after the rains), and produce dense pod clusters for ease of harvesting. The group intends to harvest the seeds of these tress to sell at their events. That way, interested parties can be sure that they are planting native trees that not only provide summer shade and excellent wildlife viewing opportunities year-round, but will also provide them with a few pounds of naturally sweet, gluten-free flour every summer to utilize as they see fit. Lancaster says that some of his favorite uses for mesquite include making crackers, pie crust, and pizza dough, or using it to mix with or make coffee. He says it can also be cooked down and made into a syrupy sweetener that actually slows the body’s intake of sugar, making mesquite an ideal food for people who suffer from hypoglycemia or diabetes.

Lancaster says that mesquite beans produce a wide range of flavors, from “sweet, to nutty, to sweet-and-sour, to kind of lemony,” and that each and every tree is unique in its flavor profile. Thus, he says it’s important to sample from a number of trees when trying to find your prefect pod for harvest. He says that, when sampling from a mesquite, you should be sure to actually pick from the tree and not from the ground, and that “the pod should be dry enough that, when you bend it, it immediately snaps in two.” It should also be completely yellow, without any green left on it. You can gently work the bean with your teeth and tongue to extract the flavor when sampling, then spit it out. But be careful, as Lancaster says that the seeds are hard enough to crack a tooth. The hammer mills they use to turn the pods into flour, however, are strong enough to grind those seeds right along with the rest of the pod. When sampling mesquite beans, Lancaster says that you will not only want to taste for the presence of any one of the four “bad flavors,” which are “bitter, burning, chalky, or drying of the mouth or throat,” but that you should also look for beans that are particularly good-tasting to you. And it’s not enough to decide simply based on the initial flavor experience, says Lancaster, but that you should also wait for the aftertaste before making a final judgment. “It doesn’t matter how good of a cook you are,” he says, “you can’t take a bad flavor out of a bad-tasting pod.”

The mesquite-harvesting events this season kicked off with a fundraiser at La Cocina on May 31 which featured live music, along with food and drinks made from local wild ingredients, and they will continue throughout the month of June. For those looking to learn how to harvest native wild foods for themselves, Desert Harvesters will hold guided native food-harvesting walking and biking tours beginning at the Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market at Mercado San Augustin on June 16 (tickets are $10). A concurrent demonstration at the market will showcase ways to turn those harvested ingredients into a range of culinary delights. The following week at the same location, June 23 is the 14th Annual Mesquite Milling and Wild Foods Fiesta, to which you can bring your clean and sorted mesquite pods to be ground into flour on site for a small fee. For reference, Lancaster says that it takes about five minutes to grind five gallons of harvested pods into about one gallon of flour. Other events include a mesquite seed collecting workshop, a happy hour fundraiser at Tap & Bottle, and a saguaro fruit harvesting workshop. More details are available on the Desert Harvesters website, the address to which is provided below.

Though Lancaster doesn’t expect to turn all Tucsonans into expert harvesters of wild food overnight, he says that the work of Desert Harvesters serves the greater purpose of “trying to shift how people see agriculture, and to (encourage them to) practice it in a way that does not degrade our environment, but enhances it.” For this reason, the Desert Harvesters events are “meant to be a full hands-on, mouth-on experience; we want people to not just get the theory, but to actually experience it,” Lancaster says. This kind of immersion, he says, is the only way to fully grasp the connection that already exists between the people that live in Tucson and the historic, natural agriculture of the region they call home. “We’re trying to deepen people’s engagement and relationships with these plants,” says Lancaster. And once you begin to harvest from the abundance that occurs naturally around you, Lancaster says you’ll likely find that, not only is it better for you, and better for the environment, but it’s ultimately “easier than going to the store.” And cheaper, too. What could be better than that?

For more information on the Desert Harvesters-sponsored mesquite milling and wild food harvesting events taking place this month, visit them online at DesertHarvesters.org.

Brunch with Mom

May 3, 2016 |

tucson mothers day brunchThis Mother’s Day, spend some quality time with the most important person in your life, and do it over a meal at one of these fine Tucson brunch spots. Reservations are strongly recommended (seats fill up very fast. Call now!) and note that many prices do not include tax or gratuity.

THE GRILL AT HACIENDA DEL SOL 

Surrounded with desert beauty, this resort is offering a full brunch buffet with omelet and waffle bars, cheese blintzes, a seafood station with sushi, prime rib, an array of decadent desserts such as chocolate lavender cupcakes and raspberry champagne panna cotta and bottomless mimosas. Brunch is from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Price: $65 per adult, $32.50 per child age 7-14, free for ages 6 and under. 5601 N Hacienda Del Sol. 520-529-3500. HaciendaDelSol.com

MAYNARDS KITCHEN

Served family style, this three course brunch will feature strawberry and mascarpone crepes, leg of lamb, poached salmon and bing cherry and white chocolate devil’s food cake. Vegetarian options will be available upon request. Brunch is from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Price: $55 per adult, $15 per child age 10 & under. 400 N Toole Avenue. 520-545-0577. MaynardsTucson.com

AGUSTIN KITCHEN 

Set in the Mercado San Agustin, a four course menu will be offered with many local and sustainable sourced items such as, grilled spring vegetables, gazpacho, surf & turf, glazed game hen, and a mini desert trio. A separate menu will be available for kids. Brunch is from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Price: $50 per adult, $15 per child age 12 & under. 100 South Avenida del Convento. 520-398-5382. AgustinKitchen.com

HILTON TUCSON EL CONQUISTADOR 

Live music and a champagne toast make for a delightful brunch buffet in the Turquoise Ballroom, featuring farmers market salads, lemongrass poached shrimp, prime rib, Chef Ernesto’s famous pasole, pistachio crusted chicken tenderloin, huevos rancheros, blueberry and apple bread pudding, and a desert extravaganza. Brunch is from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm.  Price: $59.95 per adult, $19 per child age 6-12, children under 5 are free. 10000 North Oracle Road. 520-544-1244. HiltonElConquistador.com

mothers day flowersRITZ-CARLTON DOVE MOUNTAIN 

For a relaxing, spa inspired brunch, join this award winning culinary team in a celebration with a brunch buffet at the CORE Kitchen and Wine Bar. Brunch is from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Price: $80 per adult, $35 per child. 15000 North Secret Springs Drive. 520-572-3401. RitzCarlton.com/DoveMountain.

TOHONO CHUL 

Soak in the springtime atmosphere at the Garden Bistro with a brunch buffet featuring breakfast favorites such as an omelet station, freshly baked cinnamon rolls, quiche bar, carving station, jalapeño scalloped potatoes, portobello risotto, seared ahi tuna lettuce cups, and an assortment of desserts such as brûlées, streusel and cakes. Brunch is from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm. Price: $44.95 per adult, $13.95 per child age 10 & under, children under 5 are free. 7366 North Paseo del Norte. 520-742-6455. TohonoChulPark.org.

DAKOTA BAR & GRILL 

Featuring a brunch buffet with delicious fare such as, herb crusted prime rib, tavern style ham, oysters, silver dollar pancakes, chilled strawberry champagne soup, eggs benedict, and a selection of desserts. Each mother will receive a complimentary mimosa. Brunch is from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Price: $38 per adult. Telephone for kids pricing. 6541 E Tanque Verde Road (located in Trail Dust Town). 520-298-7188. DakotaTucson.com.

WESTWARD LOOK 

Held in the Sonoran Ballroom, this brunch buffet features delectable options such as, artisan cheeses, conch ceviche, chicken stuffed with leeks and brie, pecan crusted trout, roasted pork loin, and a variety of pies, cakes and mini desserts. Brunch is from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Price: $59 per adult, $25 per child ages 5-11, children under 4 are free. 245 East Ina Road. 520-917-2970. WestwardLook.com.

 

THE CARRIAGE HOUSE 

Inspired by Hong Kong tea houses, this newly opened venue offers a brunch menu with international dim sum fare mixed with traditional favorites such as roasted pork buns and dumplings, French toast, quiche and eggs benedict. Brunch is from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.Prices vary. 125 South Arizona Avenue. 520-615-6100. CarriageHouseTucson.com

CAFÉ A LA C’ART 

Located in the Tucson Museum of Art courtyard, this local’s favorite will feature a traditional brunch with classic fare such as apple wood smoked bacon, shrimp cocktail, blintzes with fruit compote, vegetable frittata, braised short ribs, miniature desserts, and a build your own omelet station. Brunch is from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.Price: $29.95 per adult, $10.95 children under age 12.  150 North Main Avenue (inside the Tucson Museum of Art courtyard). 520-628-8533. CafeaLaCartTucson.com

ARIZONA INN 

Offering a three course champagne brunch with traditional favorites such as, wedge salad, smoked salmon benedict, filet mignon, grilled lamb chops and an assortment of desserts. Brunch is from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm. Price: $65 per adult (includes a glass of champagne or sparkling cider), $35 children under age 12. 150 North Main Avenue (inside the Tucson Museum of Art courtyard). 520-628-8533.

PENCA

Serving a $29 3-course menu in addition to a $12 kids menu. The kids stay happy with ensalada de fruta or gelatina de fresa, and quesadilla or corn cakes, while Mom enjoys gelatina de pina colada, ensalada de fruta con chamoy de jamaica or trucha a la plancha (seared trout over a spinach salad with grilled vegetables, jalapeno, lime and cilantro chimichurri.) Other options are sopa de elote y flor de calabaza and tamales con acihote. Everyone finishes off with paletas (ice pops in the flavors of jamaica, pina, fresa, chamoy, papaya con chile and lime.) Brunch is from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. And don’t forget Dia de las Madres on May 10th. 50 East Broadway. 520-203-7681. PencaRestaurante.com

CUP CAFÉ 

Featuring four specials to mark the occasion in addition to their regular brunch menu, smoked salmon frittata, sleeping frog farms frittata, chicken & brioche French toast and a duck confit paella. Brunch is from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Prices vary. 311 East Congress Street. 520-798-1618. HotelCongress.com/Food

THE WESTIN LA PALOMA RESORT & SPA

Celebrate the occasion in this stunning foothills desert landscape, with enticing options such as, lemon fennel poached chicken, crab claws, slow roasted pork loin with a blackberry chipotle glaze, pan roasted sea bass, lemon ricotta pancakes, custom omelets, and an assortment of deserts such as chocolate Kahlua flourless cake, baked meringue pops, and southwest inspired deserts such as prickly pear rhubarb cobbler. Brunch is from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Price: Mother’s Day Brunch: $59.99 per adult, $21.99 per child. 3800 East Sunrise Drive. 520-742-6000. WestinLaPaloma.com.

The Westin La Paloma offers one of the more spectacular spots in Tucson to brunch with Mom.

The Westin La Paloma offers one of the more spectacular spots in Tucson to brunch with Mom.

Barrio Stories

March 2, 2016 |

barrio storiesEVENT:
Barrio Stories Project
Thursday & Friday – March 3 & 4 @10am
Saturday & Sunday – March 5 & 6 @ 11am
by award winning playwrights Elaine Romero, Virginia Grise, and Martin Zimmerman.
Directed by Marc David Pinate.
Produced by Borderlands Theatre

Staged outdoors on the grounds of the Tucson Convention Center, this theatrical spectacle brings to life oral histories of Tucson’s original Mexican American neighborhood demolished with the building of the convention center in the 1960s. Precious memories come to life as audience members take a theatrical tour of what used to be the bustling epicenter of commerce and public celebrations for Tucson’s Mexican-American community (some seating is available.) Four vignettes and performance installations encountered throughout the plaza culminate in an interactive post show pachanga – featuring folklorico and mariachi youth ensembles with interactive art and audio booth for all ages. Barrio Stories takes place March 3-6, 2016, as part of Borderlands’ 30th anniversary season. Complete information at BarrioStories.org