Three main stages showcase music and dance from over 80 performing acts from diverse cultural traditions. The Lawn Stage “in the round” (actually, it’s a square) offers more intimate, close-to-the-ground performances to take in from sideline bleachers, making it easy to engage with performers and join in.
See The Schedule
We know it’s what gets you to Tucson Meet Yourself and with close to 65 food booths, representing nearly 30 regions, we understand why. This year, many tried-and-true favorites are back, from the Order of Ahepa’s Greek food to Takoyaki Balls to plenty of churros (including a new vegan churro option). New booths this year include Nepalese from Maya Gracie’s, Salvadoran from Pupuseria Rosita’s, Puerto Rican from The Sweet Coqui, and more!
Immerse yourself in a rich diversity of artistic traditions shared by over 85 artists from 19 different cultures. To celebrate the festivals 50th edition, help Mercedes Panteleon create a piñata to break at the end of the festival. Decorate your own hat in the tradition of African American fancy hats. Dye a silk scarf using the Turkish Ebru (water marbeling) technique. Watch the tanning of sheep hide in the Navajo cultural tradition. Tohono O’odham potters and basketweavers and Yaqui tradition bearers and so much more.
For the first-time ever, a heritage beer garden comes to a designated area of the festival. In partnership with Borderlands Brewery, the garden honors the age-old tradition of beer brewing and celebrates women as the first beer brewers. Enjoy demonstrations by master brewer Ayla Kapahia and sample a variety of “heritage brews,” including a commemorative beer brewed in honor of the festival’s 50th edition.
Grab a brew
Memory Tent: The Way We Were in 1974 Celebrate the flower power of the year Tucson Meet Yourself was born. Listen to far-out albums, try your hand at the Rubik’s Cube, and hear stories from folks who remember the festival’s early years. Amidst the fun, we’ll also be reflecting on some of the harmful urban changes happening in Tucson in 1974 and how the festival worked to address them.
Honoring Corridos and Dr. Celestino Fernandez: “Running tales” inspired by real events, corridos amplify voices often muffled by dominant culture. This year local corridistas perform corridos by Celestino Fernandez, a corrido scholar and emcee of the festival’s famous corrido contest (founded in 1982). A composer of over 50 corridos, Fernandez recently released Corridos de Celestino, a double album featuring corridos on immigration, the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, and the massacre of 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, among other events.
This year, again we’ve done away with the sale of any single-use plastic water bottles. We offer FREE WATER at refillable water stations. Recycle all aluminum cans in the bins we provide! We’ve shifted from individual composting to working with vendors on compost education and large-scale composting efforts. Eat what you order or take home extras for breakfast or for your doggos.
you can help!
Expanded Lowrider Car Celebration Over 25 years at TMY, the Dukes Car Club’s annual Low y Shine Car Show returns this year, featuring approximately 60 modified cars, from classic 1940s Chevrolets to hydraulics outfitted, low to the ground, Impalas, DeSotos, and Cadillacs. Come peruse the cars and learn about the folk art practices that make these cars bounce and shine.
We’re thrilled to ramp up our commitment to Disability Justice, continuing the great work from last year, including wheelchair loans / giveaways and ramps over electrical wire coverings. For 2023, we hired an accessibility coordinator, increased access to our online and print materials, made the festival grounds easier to navigate, created dedicated accessible seating, and added sound amplification equipment and live-stream captioning at every stage.
At AIDSWALK, you will have the opportunity to learn more about HIV, to remember those we have lost to AIDS, and celebrate many around us that are thriving each day living with HIV. There will be plenty of entertainment and activities to bring us all together in support of this great cause. This year, AIDSWALK Tucson will be celebrating 35 years of walks in Tucson. We will be reminiscing and celebrating the strides we’ve made towards lowering infection rates.
TMY supports artists all year round. SFA’s Master-Apprentice Artist Award provides direct support to traditional artists in Arizona, many of them TMY artists. This year, TMY presents fellowships in two cultural communities to support artists carrying out year-round performances and programming throughout downtown Tucson. Flamenco artist Angelina Ramirez will bring flamenco to Tucson’s Century Room, and Kevin and Tanisha Hamilton will produce several “Tucson Meet Your Soul” events throughout 2023-24. Look for these artists at this year’s TMY.
