Well, the time has come. It’s that wonderful time of year when thousands meet up, eat, and treat themselves. The 50th annual Tucson Meet Yourself is taking over parts of downtown for a weekend of fun from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. on Friday, October 13 – Saturday, October 14, and then 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 15.
In 1974, the late folklorist James “Big Jim” Griffith and his wife Loma observed that Tucson’s many cultural expressions were happening largely inside homes, backyards, churches, and temples. To change that, they inaugurated Tucson Meet Yourself in Presidio Park in a downtown center that was in the midst of an economic downturn. Ever since then, Tucson Meet Yourself has brought culture previously hidden into the light and reclaimed civic space in downtown Tucson.
Now organized by the Southwest Folklife Alliance, an independent nonprofit affiliated with the University of Arizona, and presented by title sponsor Rio Nuevo, this year’s festival will be held on Jácome Plaza and surrounding blocks on October 13-15. In addition to staging the most diverse celebration of local cultures in Southern Arizona, the festival is also an economic engine for dozens of small ethnic artists and businesses, who collectively raise over $1M over the three days.
As was seen in previous years, Tucson Meet Yourself is designated to a certain area, and this year it’s going to be absorbing three city blocks by the Jacomé Plaza, which is in front of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library at 101 N. Stone Ave.
Tucson Meet Yourself Performances
Three main stages showcase music and dance from over 80 performing acts from diverse cultural traditions. The stage on Jacome Plaza’s lawn with sideline bleachers offers intimate, close-to-the-ground, and participatory performances.
Memory Tent: The Way We Were in 1974
This year’s Memory Tent, an annual feature that began in 2021 to honor memories of losses during the pandemic, celebrates 1974 in honor of the first Tucson Meet Yourself. Listen to groovy albums, try your hand at the Rubik’s Cube, and hear stories from folks who remember the festival’s early years and its impact in downtown Tucson.
Heritage Beer Garden
The first annual Heritage Beer Garden honors the age-old tradition of beer brewing and celebrates women as the first beer brewers in partnership with Borderlands Brewing Co. Brewing demonstrations and samples of “heritage brews,” including a commemorative beer Tucson Wheat Yourself to celebrate the festival’s 50th edition.
Plenty to eat, too!
You can expect to find more than 60 food vendors that’ll be representing nearly 30 cultural regions. Be sure to invite your appetite along for the walk while getting whiffs of multiple aromas from the following food vendors. Below is the list of this year’s grumbly-tummy fixers.
Participating Vendors
- Acai Paradise & Antojitos De Mi Tierra (see menu)
- Boriken Modern Puerto Rican Cuisine (see menu)
- Cafe Francais (see menu)
- Café Santa Rosa (see menu)
- Che Cafe (see menu)
- Chinese Student Association (see menu)
- Churros El Rey (see menu)
- Churros Inzunza (see menu)
- Club Colombia de Tucson (see menu)
- Cocina Oaxaqueña (see menu)
- Coyote Kitchen – O’odham Frybread (see menu)
- CP’s Wings (see menu)
- Eatgypt (see menu)
- El Caiman (see menu)
- El Taco Rustico (see menu)
- El Trompón Mexican Taqueria (see menu)
- Empanadas El Dominicano (see menu)
- Food 2 Door Catering (see menu)
- Friesy (see menu)
- H.B.C.U. College Tour Group (see menu)
- Hawaiian Shave Ice (see menu)
- Herculean Chicken (see menu)
- Inca’s Peruvian Cuisine (see menu)
- J’s Kettle Corn (see menu)
- Just Churros (see menu)
- Kingdom of Kongo Women’s Association (see menu)
- Kingston Kitchen (see menu)
- Lajkonik Polish Folk Ensemble (see menu)
- Laos Academic Organization (see menu)
- Los Chiquilines Aguas Frescas (see menu)
- MAD Filipino Cooking (see menu)
- Malta Joe’s Baked Goods (see menu)
- Mangos Locos (see menu)
- Maya Gracie’s Kitchen (see menu)
- Natalka Ukrainian Bakery (see menu)
- O’odham Ladies (see menu)
- Off the Hook Seafood (see menu)
- Order of Ahepa Greek Food (see menu)
- Pam’s Kitchen (see menu)
- Pupuseria Rosita’s (see menu)
- Ricuras de Venezuela (see menu)
- Sabor de Mexico (see menu)
- Saffron Indian Bistro (see menu)
- San Xavier Cooperative Farm (see menu)
- Santa Cruz Catholic Church/Little Mexico Restaurant (see menu)
- Sema Foundation-Turkish (see menu)
- Solid Grindz Hawaiian Food (see menu)
- Sonoran Delights (see menu)
- Special Eats (see menu)
- The Sweet Coqui (see menu)
- Takoyaki Balls (see menu)
- Thriaratana Tucson Buddhist Temple (see menu)
- Tucson Afghan Community (see menu)
- UA Filipino Student Association (see menu)
- Ukies Modern Ukrainian Cuisine (see menu)
- Vietnamese Student Association (see menu)
- Wat Buddhametta (see menu)
Honoring Corridos and Dr. Celestino Fernandez
The festival celebrates Celestino Fernandez, a corrido scholar and emcee of the festival’s famous corrido contest (founded in 1982). Interviewed by UA ethnomusicologist Estevan Azcona, in lieu of the contest, this year local corridistas perform corridos by Fernandez, a composer of over 50 corridos.
Festival Co-Director Bryan Falcón says this year’s Tucson Meet Yourself is a good reminder of the powerful role that cultural community gatherings can play in fostering mutual respect, inclusion, and prosperity.
“For five continuous decades, Tucson Meet Yourself has served as the symbolic, signature welcome event from neighbor to neighbor in our city,” he said. “From ancestral residents of the desert lands to new arrivals, the event offers everyone a place to stand up and say, ‘I am here; see me as I am; get to know me.’ Much more than food and entertainment, TMY has become a town square of authentic inclusion for Tucsonans.”
Tucson Meet Yourself will be located at Jacomé Plaza, in front of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library at 101 N. Stone Ave. For more information, visit tucsonmeetyourself.org.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
