The Fall Southern AZ Home Show returns to the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave., Oct. 16-18 with two culinary headliners on its Culinary Showcase Stage. Award-winning pitmaster Sloan Rinaldi, known from Bravo's Top Chef, Netflix's Barbecue Showdown, and Food Network's Chopped Grill Masters, demos brisket on Friday, Oct. 16, and Saturday, Oct. 17 at 2:30 p.m. each day. Three-time Iron Chef Tucson champion Anthony Dromgoole of OBON Sushi Bar Ramen follows on Saturday, Oct. 17 at noon. Both Rinaldi and Dromgoole hold meet-and-greets with audience members after their respective demos.
The Fall Southern AZ Home Show, formerly the SAHBA Home Show, is the region's largest home and outdoor living show, drawing more than 200 vendors across home improvement, design, landscaping, and outdoor living. Show hours run 9 a.m.-5 p.m. all three days. Adult tickets are $8 at the door. A 50% discount coupon for $4 admission is available here. Children 12 and under enter free.
Sloan Rinaldi: all things brisket
Rinaldi is a fourth-generation barbecue pitmaster and outdoor cooking expert with television credits spanning three major networks. Her Culinary Showcase Stage presentation, "All Things Brisket," runs at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 17, followed each day by a meet-and-greet with audience members. Rinaldi's background covers competition barbecue, outdoor kitchen design, and live-fire cooking technique, making her demo equally useful for backyard grillers and serious pitmasters.
Anthony Dromgoole: three-time Iron Chef Tucson champion
Tucson's own Anthony Dromgoole brings his title back to a hometown stage. Dromgoole won his third consecutive Iron Chef Tucson championship at Desert Diamond Casino on July 18, using Wholesum Family Farms tomatoes as the secret ingredient to build four courses, including a dessert of goat cheese ice cream and balsamic glaze over a fried tomato that judges praised. He now joins Ryan Clark as the only chefs to win Iron Chef Tucson three years in a row. Dromgoole cooks on the Culinary Showcase Stage at noon on Saturday, Oct. 17.
More food on the show floor
Local food trucks set up outside the exhibition hall all three days, serving fresh food with seating available throughout the day. The Artisans Aisle on the 1700 aisle includes gourmet foods alongside handmade home goods, art, and decor. Chef John Hohn of Gap Ministries also cooks on the Culinary Showcase Stage at noon on Friday, Oct. 16.
What else is at the show
Beyond the culinary programming, the show features several family-friendly and pet-friendly attractions:
ADU Experience: A full-size accessory dwelling unit on the show floor, open for walk-through exploration.
Desert Treasures: Tucson Cactus & Succulent Society hosts an educational display and cactus and succulent pop-up sale.
Strut Your Mutt: A doggy fashion show hosted by Pathways for Paws on the Fresh Ideas Stage at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, featuring adoptable dogs.
Petopia and Paws & Play: Product and service areas for pets, plus adoptable animals from Rescue a Golden of AZ, Southern Arizona Cat Rescue, Pathways for Paws, and Rescue Me Tucson.
Kids Market: Young Tucson entrepreneurs sell handmade crafts and services in the Ballroom from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Eucalyptus Escape: Guests create their own eucalyptus bundle to take home.
Sonoran Supper: A Sonoran Desert-inspired dining area with interior design ideas to take home.
Fresh Ideas Stage: Presentations by HGTV's Matt Blashaw on outdoor living at 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16 and Saturday, Oct. 17, plus local expert sessions throughout the show.
Tickets, discounts, and parking
Adult tickets are $8 at the Tucson Convention Center box office. A 50% discount coupon for $4 admission is available here. Children 12 and under enter free. Tickets are valid for one day of admission.
Special admission discounts by day:
Friday, Oct. 16: Free admission for seniors 65+; half-price for active military, veterans, police, firefighters, first responders, and teachers with valid ID.
Saturday, Oct. 17: Half-price for seniors 65+; half-price for active military, veterans, police, firefighters, first responders, and teachers with valid ID.
Sunday, Oct. 18: Half-price for seniors 65+; free admission for active military, veterans, police, firefighters, first responders, and teachers with valid ID (Heroes Day).
All three days: $2 admission for everyone during the last two hours, 3-5 p.m.
Free parking is available in Convention Center Lot B, next to the Exhibition Hall entrance. A free shuttle runs between the Ramada by Wyndham parking lot and the Convention Center during show hours. The show is at Tucson Convention Center Exhibition Halls and Ballroom, enter from Granada between Congress and Cushing streets, 260 S. Church Ave.
