Tens of thousands of Southern Arizonans will be out and about this weekend, hitting some of the biggest events of the holiday season. Here's what to expect:
55th annual Winter Street Fair - Shop til you drop this weekend at the annual Winter Street Fair on North Fourth Avenue. More than 350 artists will be selling their paintings, pottery and other creations to an estimated hundreds of thousands of visitors from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday-Saturday, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday. The fair runs from East Eighth Street to East University Boulevard. Admission is free.
Winterhaven Festival of Lights - A veritable fever dream of bright, colorful lights, Tucson's Winterhaven neighborhood has been dazzling the city's residents for 75 years. They kick things off this year, starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, and runing through Dec. 28. Park nearby and walk through for free, or pay to take one of their many mobile options, including a party bike or a hayride.
Winterhaven sits at North Country Club to the east, North Tucson Boulevard to the west, East Fort Lowell Road to the south and East Prince Road to the north. For more info, visit the website.
Downtown Parade of Lights - Carlotta Flores, matriarch of the El Charro restaurant family, will serve as Grand Marshal of this year's Parade of Lights, set to take place downtown this Saturday, Dec. 14, starting at 6:30 p.m. The parade is taking a new route this year due to construction downtown. It starts at South Fourth and East 17th Street and makes its way to Armory Park, 220 S. Sixth Ave. The parade is free to attend.
Blues and Vines at Medella Vina Ranch - Medella Vina Ranch on Tucson's southeast side continues its Blues and Vines concert series this Sunday, Dec. 15, with Heather "Lil' Mama" Hardy offering up the tunes from noon until 5 p.m. The event will feature local wineries, makers and artists, and food trucks. Tickets are $6-$25 through the Medella Vina website. The ranch is located at 4450 S. Houghton Road.
Friends of the Pima County Library community sale - The friends return this Friday, offering thousands of book titles through its book barn at 2230 N. Country Club Road. Books are cheaper than most new or used bookstores and cover just about every genre. On Friday, they are full price; on Saturday, 25% off; on Sunday, 50% off and on Monday it is fill a bag for $10. The sale runs from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. each day.
Christmas Winter and Vintage Swap Meet - The folks at Harker's Western Museum and Movie Set on Tucson's south side will be holding a swap meet this Saturday, Dec. 14, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., selling everything from antiques and Western clothing to horse tack and cowboy hats. There will be live music from the Dave Owens band and the set, at 6031 S. Fontana Ave., will be collecting donations for Toys for Tots, and non-perishable food items for the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. More details here.
