Spring is in the Air at Dove Mountain
We have so many wonderful ways to experience our desert surroundings — whether dining al fresco in your own backyard, exploring the Tortolita Mountains on horseback, learning about the Sonoran Desert’s colorful feathered friends, listening to outdoor concerts at the nearby Tucson Premium Outlets, or sampling wines of the world at The Ritz-Carlton’s CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar.
There’s so much more to do, including visiting local fine art galleries, farmers markets, brew pubs, and desert preserves. And let’s not forget Cinco de Mayo festivities, including Tucson’s popular Agave Festival.
We hope you are enjoying the desert trees, shrubs, wildflowers, agave and cactus as they paint the desert in breathtaking hues. What a great time to be in Marana!
Discover Marana Gastronomy Tours
Dates:
Friday, May 4, 2018, 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Location:
Tours depart from and return to the Tucson Premium Outlets at I-10 and Twin Peaks Road.
Cost:
$109 per person. Tours are limited to 15 persons.
Marana Gastronomy Tours are an exciting offshoot of Tucson’s designation as an official UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2015.
The tour will take you to ancient archaeological sites and offer exclusive tastings of ancient Sonoran wild foods creatively reimagined in an unforgettable afternoon. You will learn about the cultures that farmed and foraged in this area for thousands of years and built the oldest agricultural irrigation canal system found in North America.
Tours include tastings of gourmet wild foods as well as Catalina Brewing Company’s craft beer, made with local materials such as mesquite agave and prickly pear fruit. The tours conclude with a multi-course small plate tasting of Sonoran haute cuisine perfected by classically French-trained chefs at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain.
In this same culinary spirit, the chefs at The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain partner with local farmers and purveyors – such as Black Mesa Ranch, farmer Richard Starkey, and Maggie’s Farm Aquaponics – to deliver authentic, sustainable, and innovative cuisine using Marana grown and harvested foods. Menu items at Cayton’s, CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar, and Ignite include Whiskey Del Bac, a local favorite using malt dried over a mesquite fire, as well as local craft beer made with heritage grain white Sonoran wheat grown by BKW Farms. CORE Kitchen & Wine Bar also has its own 42-tree citrus orchard from which guests can seasonally pick their own fruit for morning libations. Explore dining options at the Ritz-Carlton.
Wear comfortable closed-toe walking shoes and plan to walk on flat desert for about one hour total, and make sure to bring a hat or parasol. Water will be provided on the tour van.
Find out more about the Marana Gastronomy Tours. For questions about reservations, please call Gray Line Tours at 520-622-8811/800-276-1528 or email info@graylinearizona.com.
Audubon Birding Field Trips
Tucson Audubon Society is your one-stop shop for all things birding in southeast Arizona. From multiple field trips throughout the region to the “Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona” guide book and Rare Bird Alerts, they’ve got you covered. Discover some great places to go bird watching in and around Marana and Tucson. You’ll find all the resources you need, including their new Birding Southeast Arizona app for Apple and Android.
Most Tucson Audubon Society field trips are free. For general questions or help registering, contact the Field Trip Coordinator Luke Safford at 520-209-1811. More information is also available at tucsonaudubon.org/go-birding/birding-field-trips/
Upcoming field trips:
Sunday, May 6, 2018, 6 a.m., Northeast Tucson
Tuesday, May 8, 2018, 9 a.m., Tucson Botanical Gardens
Saturday, May 12, 2018, 6 a.m., Sabino Canyon
Monday, May 14, 2018, 6:30 a.m., Boyce Thompson Arboretum
Saturday, May 19, 2018, 8 a.m., Mason Center/Arthur Pack Park
Saturday, May 26, 2018, 6 a.m., Empire Cienega & Grasslands
Saturday, June 2, 2018, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Birdland Ranch Wildlife Conservation Area
Tuesday, June 12, 2018, 8 a.m., Tucson Botanical Gardens
Friday, June 15, 2018, 6:30 a.m., Boyce Thompson Arboretum and Pinal Mountain
Saturday, June 23, 2018, 6 a.m., Carr Canyon, Huachuca Mountains
Topgolf of Marana/Tucson
Location:
4050 W. Costco Place
Tucson, AZ 85741
520-284-5047
Hours of operation:
Monday through Thursday: 9 a.m. to midnight
Friday through Saturday: 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Sunday: 9 a.m. to midnight
Topgolf, the area’s premier golf entertainment complex, brings its state-of-the-art driving range and 53,000-square-foot entertainment venue to Marana. The facility offers easy access from I-10. The company has made socializing a sport, literally. Its huge three-level location includes a driving range, 1,500 square feet of private event space, and 72 climate-controlled hitting bays for year-round comfort that can host up to six players at a time.
Through the premium experience of play, food and music, Topgolf is inspiring people of all ages and skill levels to come together for playful competition. Guests can enjoy point-scoring golf games using microchipped balls that score themselves, showing players the accuracy and distance of their shots instantly on a TV screen in their hitting bay.
The venue will also feature an outstanding chef-driven menu, top-shelf drinks, big screen TVs, and music. Year-round programming includes events for kids and families, social leagues, golf tournaments, golf instruction, and more.
To learn more, follow @TopGolfTucson on Facebook, @Topgolf on Twitter and Instagram, or visit their website at topgolf.com.
Tucson Premium Outlet Mall Concert Series
Location:
Tucson Premium Outlets
6401 W. Marana Center Blvd.
Tucson, AZ
Time:
Saturdays, 5 to 8 p.m.
Adminssion:
Free
The Tucson Premium Outlets and Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance combine to offer free live local music every week of the year. The open-air concert series provides country, rock, jazz, and classical musicians with the opportunity to perform in the community’s largest outlet shopping center. The partnership reflects an important relationship between businesses and the arts, granting exposure to local musicians.
Attendees are invited to bring their own chairs. Limited seating is available. Concerts include three 45-minute sets.
Saturday, May 5, 2018: Heart & Soul (Pop/Soul)
Saturday, May 12, 2018: People Who Could Fly (Indie Pop/Rock)
Saturday, May 5, 2018: Heart & Soul (Pop/Soul)
Saturday, May 12, 2018: People Who Could Fly (Indie Pop/Rock)
Bloom Farm & Art Market
Location:
Bloom-Twilight Market at Continental Ranch
8881 N. Coachline Blvd.
Marana, AZ
Time:
4 to 8 p.m. every Thursday
The Bloom Farm & Art Market is northwest Tucson’s only year-round farm and art market featuring organic produce, farm fresh eggs, honey, salsa, We B’ Jammin’ jams, jellies, pickles, sauces and syrups, smoked cheeses, food trucks, and arts and crafts.
National Trails Day Headlight Hike
Date:
Saturday, June 2, 2018
Time:
6:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (time is approximate depending on individual hiking speeds)
Join the Town of Marana Parks and Recreation Department for our nighttime headlight hike. Come enjoy a free 4.5-mile hike on the Wild Burro and Upper Javelina Trails in the Tortolita Mountains as we celebrate National Trails Day. This will be a steep and rocky trail, and hiking can be challenging. You should be aware of your physical abilities.
Don’t forget to bring your headlamp or flashlight. Wear suitable hiking boots (no open-toe shoes). Bring snacks and carry a minimum of two quarts of water per person.
Bring a walking stick if you desire. Pets are not permitted and hikers under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Willcox Wine Country Spring Festival
Date:
Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, 2018, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location:
Railroad Avenue Park
Willcox, AZ 85643
Rated by Fodor’s Travel as one of the top 10 wine festivals in North America, the Willcox Wine Country Festival is a weekend-long celebration featuring regional Arizona wines.
The festival is held in Railroad Park in historic downtown Willcox, an hour’s drive east of Tucson on I-10. The 7th annual Willcox Wine Country Spring Festival features 15 Arizona Farm Wineries from Willcox Wine Country or with ties to the region, top music acts from Phoenix and Tucson, a Street Bistro featuring Dante’s Fire from Tucson, over 45 local artists, crafts, and locally grown pistachios and pecans, and a Benefit Wine Dinner with Willcox Wineries and Chef Ken Foy.
For more information, visit willcoxwinecountry.org.