Over 30 events to check out August 28-30!

Tucson residents looking for something to do August 28 through 30 have a full weekend of choices across the city, from downtown music and comedy to neighborhood markets, museum programs, outdoor walks and family activities. The schedule includes more than 30 events and recurring programs, many of them free or low cost. Visitors can shop from local makers, hear live music, explore Tucson’s cultural institutions after dark, or spend an evening with performances, games and creative workshops.

The MSA Annex will host its Summer Night Market on Friday, August 28, continuing a monthly tradition that runs through September. More than 80 local makers are expected, with booths offering goods from independent artists and small businesses. Admission is free, although shoppers should bring money for purchases. The Annex, at 267 South Avenida del Convento, also hosts Sunset Yoga every Tuesday, offering another way to spend time at the popular west side marketplace. At the Tucson Museum of Art, the summer Momentos series combines gallery activities, conversations and a cash bar. The museum is at 140 North Main Avenue, and visitors should check the event listing for the program’s schedule and details.

Downtown also offers several options for people who want entertainment in a theater or performance setting. The Soapbox, Tucson’s premier improv comedy program, will present four short, personal stories from special guests, using them as inspiration for an unscripted performance. The show is scheduled for 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, August 28, at Tucson Improv Movement, 414 East Ninth Street. Live Theatre Workshop will stage One Rehearsal Shorts, Overboard, Under Rehearsed, featuring maritime melodies, seafaring songs and aquatic comedy over two evenings at 3322 East Fort Lowell Road. The Fox Tucson Theatre will offer an evening of 1980s nostalgia with A Flock of Seagulls and Bow Wow Wow featuring Annabella Lwin. Another event listing points to a program at the Rialto Theatre, 318 East Congress Street, though the provided details do not identify the performers or schedule.

Families can find history and hands on demonstrations at the Presidio Museum during the Downtown Experience Summer Event Series: Fire and Ice. The event will include blacksmithing demonstrations and tortilla making at 196 North Court Avenue. Admission is listed as $9 for adults and $6 for children ages 6 to 13. The museum also leads walking tours of downtown neighborhoods and cultural sites, including the Turquoise Trail, Armory Park, Barrio Viejo, Death After Dark, and Public Art and Murals. Tour dates vary, prices begin at $30, and advance registration may be required. At the Children’s Museum Tucson, Discovery Nights provide a free evening of science and art, with story times and pop up science experiments at 200 South Sixth Avenue.

Several markets give shoppers opportunities to support Tucson artists, makers and food vendors. The So! Silly! market, organized by Girthy Gochu and Tucson Love Letter, will celebrate art that is absurd, whimsical, unserious and occasionally explicit. Seventeen vendors are expected, selling stickers, jewelry, baked goods, keychains, prints and clothing at the 4th Avenue Coalition Space, 311 East Seventh Street. Cal’s Bakeshop will host a community market with local vendors, flash tattoos, piercings and treats. Another market at Foothills Mall, 7325 North La Cholla Boulevard, will feature yard art, home decor, jewelry and baked goods. St. Philip’s Plaza, 4280 North Campbell Avenue, hosts its maker market from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays and Sundays, with live music and nearby restaurants for food.

Tucson’s museums and gardens are also extending their hours and offering special programming. The Tucson Botanical Gardens, at 2150 North Alvernon Way, has $5 admission every Friday through September 25. The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum’s nighttime program runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturdays through August 29. Visitors are encouraged to bring flashlights for evening walks and may see nocturnal animals, touch a stingray and take part in themed activities. Admission is $29.95 for adults and $24.95 for children ages 3 to 12. Tohono Chul’s Chillin’ at the Chul summer series runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through August 28, with music, spirits and food. On Saturdays, the garden partners with Children’s Museum Oro Valley for family friendly nature play.

Outdoor options extend into the foothills and the Santa Catalina Mountains. The Sabino Canyon Crawler offers a Saturday night tour through October 25, giving visitors a way to experience the recreation area after sunset. Catalina State Park hosts Catalina Nights on the first and third Fridays of the month, with a one mile guided hike on the Nature Trail. Participants may encounter desert wildlife, including scorpions visible under black light. The Tucson run club meets Thursdays for a four mile route at a slower pace, passing murals and the Rattlesnake Bridge before ending at a bar for drinks. The group meets near Sixth Avenue and Seventh Street, and runners should consult its Instagram page for current information.

The weekend also includes lower key ways to connect with other Tucsonans. The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures will host an all levels yoga class from 4:14 to 5:15 p.m. Saturday, August 29, in the quiet setting of its miniature galleries. The class costs $5 for members and $10 for the general public, with time afterward to explore the museum. At Sky Bar, Cirque Collective Fire Troupe will perform a fire flow show on the patio, with free admission and drinks available for purchase. Third Friday Game Nights with Queer Hearth Tucson invite guests to bring games or use the provided collection while meeting members of the community at the Coalition Space. Snakes & Lattes, 988 East University Boulevard, will offer hosted games, prizes, immersive music and craft cocktails, with no admission charge but food and drinks available for purchase.

People interested in making something themselves can attend Open Studio with the Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild, where artists of all experience levels are invited to bring supplies and work in a relaxed gallery setting. Catalyst Creative Collective, at 4500 North Oracle Road, Suite 110, offers opportunities to listen to music while learning painting techniques from professional artists. Poppin’ Off Pop Culture Gifts & More, 4570 East Broadway, has a rotating schedule of creative workshops, trivia nights and other activities for different ages and interests. Di Luna Candles, 2700 North Campbell Avenue, is also hosting workshops throughout the month, including creative writing and book bedazzling. With schedules and admission policies varying across the calendar, attendees should confirm details with each venue before heading out.