Arizona SCITECH Festival (Jan. 25 to March 14, 2012)

Over 150 free events put on by over 250 organizations state-wide for this upcoming science-themed celebration:

The Arizona SciTech Festival will take place February-March 2012 and will offer a series of hands-on activities and workshops, conversations and debates, exhibitions, concerts, guided walks and tours.

28 events in Pima County alone, too numerous to list. Pick up a brochure (I got mine at Bookman’s on Grant/Campbell), or go online at http://www.azscitechfest.org, find the Events Calendar, click on Pima County:

http://azscitechfest.org/events

Some of these science events with coincide with Tucson Gem & Mineral Show (Feb. 9), the Tucson Festival of Books (March 10 & 11), and the UA Living Beyond 100 series of six lectures, which I blogged about yesterday (click here), which runs from January 24 to February 28.

One of the highlight events in Tucson appears to be the one on Sat. Feb. 18 – Science in the City-

“Arizona Technology Council, Providence and Downtown Tucson Merchants: Experience science in downtown as never seen before with interactive science activities, demonstrations and exhibits. Features include downtown merchants demonstrating the science of their profession and interactive science exhibitions form local schools”.

Other science related activities such as Zero Gravity and Mathematics Road Show will be in the Interactive Park on Congress. Tucson schools and Pima JTED will showcase their projects at various venues including the Children’s Museum Tucson, Science Downtown, and the Pima County Joel D. Valdez Main library. Where: Congress St. Movie & Interactive Park, Scott Ave. and Stone Ave. When: 2 to 6 pm. Cost: Free.

Sounds like a great way to get your child/ren interested and passionate about science as a career. Or to renew your own interest in science and technology. So mark your calendars for any of these SCITECH Festival events.

And don’t forget to check out the Mars & Beyond exhibit in the Rialto Building at 300 E. Congress St., scheduled to be there till June. I visited it on January 7 and found several of the exhibits quite fascinating, esp. a 3 dimensional globe depicting each of the planets and moons, and a film about the Hubble Space Station with incredible images from outer space.

So much to do at 2nd Saturdays Downtown on 11/12/11

Every month on the 2nd Saturday of the month, our dilemma is what to do downtown on Congress Street. Should we go to a concert the Fox Tucson Theatre, or listen to music at the Scott Avenue Stage, or watch a Cinema La Placita movie at the big empty lot on Congress Street, or, or, or….

There’s so much to do that the choices are overwhelming. Sometimes it’s just fine to walk along and about Congress Street between the Hotel Congress and the Fox Theater, and just enjoy the Parasol Project mute performers, the street minstrels, the circus folks on stilts, the food wagons, classic cars, the children enjoying their world of fun. And don’t miss the monthly athletic acrobatics of Les Avenge (this month at the SW Corner of Congress St./Stone Ave. 6pm-10pm).

Since August, 2011 a group of independent film makers have been showing free films on 5th Avenue:

The Short Film Showcase is a major event in Tucson, Arizona and will be a revolving event that will take place on the second Saturday every month on 5th Ave between Broadway and Congress on the south end on the Rialto Building Patio. Several local talents from Tucson, Arizona will have their shorts screened at this event. It is free to the public and will take place on November 12th, 2011 outside and will start at 7pm and last till 9:00pm. Short Film Showcase Facebook contact –TucsonSFS@groups.facebook.com or Daniel Geffre, geffreap@live.com/520-271-1026 or Yuri Machado, authenticproductions@live.com/520-331-2451.

Right up the street from this Short film Showcase is a brand new urban coffee bar, Sparkroot (for more photos, click here).

Also new to downtown is the Mars & Beyond exhibit in the Rialto building (catercorner from Sparkroot), which opened on October 22. Here’s the description from the 2nd Saturdays Downtown website:

Mars & Beyond 300 E. Congress St. 622-8595. 9am-9pm. The wonders of Earth’s neighborhood, our solar system, in stunning color and clarity, with an emphasis on Mars, including some of the latest cutting edge scientific work by UA teams on NASA’s HiRISE Mars high-resolution orbiting camera, the Phoenix Mars Mission science lab lander, the upcoming OSIRIS-REx, and more.

For the entire event schedule for Nov. 12, click here. And as for food, most of the restaurants are open, plus there’s all types of inexpensive food at the wagons parked along the south side of Congress Street between Scott Avenue and Stone Avenue. There’s even a booth on Scott Avenue selling delicious-looking, decorated cupcakes.

Enjoy 2nd Saturdays Downtown in November!

Titanic in Tucson! (films at the Fox on Dec.5 and 10)

Titanic in Tucson!
Films in partnership with the Tucson Titanic Exhibition, Hotel Congress and Maynard’s Market (info from the Fox Tucson Theatre website). Both films to be shown at the Fox, 17 W. Congress St., phone 520-624-1515.

“A Night to Remember”

Sunday December 5, 2 p.m.

USA, 1958, 123 Min.
Black and White
Directed by Roy Ward Baker
Starring: Kenneth More, Ronald Allen and Robert Ayres

This is the film version of Walter Lords’ book on the sinking of the Titanic. Historical characters and first-hand accounts are used to tell the tragic tale of the maiden voyage of the British liner Titanic. The production team used ship blueprints to accurately create the sets. Almost every line of the dialogue is taken from the actual night that an iceberg created a 300 foot gash in the hull of the great, “unsinkable” ship and the Titanic sank quietly into the ocean leaving only a few survivors to tell the tale.

Q&A session before the film with Loree Collins (Titanic Artifact Specialists) and Shawndon Beavers (Titanic Education Outreach Coordinator), at 1:30 p.m.

Special combo package available: $14 ticket allows admission to film and Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the Rialto Building. Other tickets $6 to $8.

“Titanic”

Friday, December 10, 7:00 pm

35 mm print
USA, 1997, 194 Min.
Directed by James Cameron
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslett and Billy Zane

Based on one of the most studied disasters of all time, James Cameron captured the world’s imagination with this epic melodrama depicting the last days of the RMS Titanic. The film won eleven Academy Awards, a feat that put the movie in the exclusive company of “Ben Hur” and “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.” Titanic also broke box office records. It was the highest grossing film of all time until recently when Cameron broke his own record with the science fiction film “Avatar”. With a romantic back-story and award-winning special effects, Titanic is a film designated to be appreciated on the big screen.

Q&A session at 6:30 p.m. with Loree Collins (Titanic Artifact Specialists) and Shawndon Beavers (Titanic Education Outreach Coordinator).

Please submit questions to Kara-at-foxtucsontheatre.org before the screening dates.

And don’t forget the “Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition” over at the Rialto Building (click here), hours: Sunday – Thursday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Friday and Saturday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM, 300 E. Congress St.

And now though Jan 31st enjoy an authentic 3 course meal at The Cup Cafe in The Hotel Congress (311 E. Congress St.), as well as Maynard’s Market and Kitchen (400 N. Toole Ave). Discounts offered for visitors of the exhibit (Save your ticket stub).

See websites for more details. Receive 20% off of any ticket to the Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition with proof of purchase of a meal at Maynard’s Market and Kitchen or The Cup Cafe. Enjoy 20% off of breakfast/lunch or dinner at Cup Café or 10% off lunch and dinner at Maynards Market & Kitchen with receipt of your Titanic ticket, or Titanic Price Fix-meals at Maynards Market & Kitchen for dinner (from 5 p.m. to close from Mon-Sat. and 4 pm. to close Sun).

Titanic Prix Fixe Menu
3 courses $29.95

First Course (choice of)
Fresh West Coast Oysters on the half shell
~or~
Chilled asparagus vinaigrette

Second Course (choice of)
Poached Salmon with mousseline sauce, fresh cucumbers and Chateau potatoes
~or~
Sirloin of beef, hunter sauce, fresh cress, Chateau potatoes

Third Course
Chocolate and vanilla éclairs with peaches and Chartreuse jelly

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the Rialto Building

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is being shown at the Rialto Building downtown, 300 E. Congress (SE corner of 5th Avenue) through February 20, 2011.

Royal Mail Steamer (RMS) Titanic

“This compelling Exhibition showcases more than 120 artifacts recovered from the Titanic’s debris field, offering visitors a poignant look at the iconic ship and its passengers.” It is being advertised as “Real objects, real stories.”

And 127 real objects are truly in this exhibit, such as a sweet Valentine postcard (in color), a miniature porcelain teacup, floor tiles, a unique U.S. dollar bill, a White Star Line chamber pot, even sheet music. During a recent visit, artifact specialist Loree Collins shared her enthusiasm with me about this historic maiden voyage of the Titanic. She has visited Southampton, England where the Titanic had been launched and also Halifax, Nova Scotia where 130 passengers were buried in a cemetery. Loree and other knowledgeable artifact specialists are available at the exhibit to share information and answer questions.

Case of 1st Class China and Silver from the Titanic

On the walls are various photos of the Titanic, biographies of those who perished, even fabulous dinner menus with several courses. There are replicas of first and third class cabins to view, for you to imagine what accommodations were like on the Titanic. 1st class passengers paid $2500 ($43,500 in today’s prices) so this was a fabulous voyage. 3rd class paid $35 ($620 in today’s prices), which still couldn’t have been too cheap for 1912.

I felt moved by the sheer horror of this 882.5 foot luxury ship hitting a huge iceberg in the middle of the night, causing 20 lifeboats to be launched, saving only 705 passengers & crew, of the 2228 on board. 1523 passengers died, along with Captain Edward J. Smith who went down with his ship.

From their website www.TitanicTucson.com.

On April 15, 1912, Titanic, the world’s largest ship, sank after colliding with an iceberg, claiming more than 1,500 lives and shaking the world’s confidence in the infallibility of modern technology.

The story of the sinking is legendary, now experience the wonder and tragedy of this ill-fated Ship on a journey through Titanic history.

Travel back in time with compelling stories, historically accurate room recreations, and more than 120 authentic artifacts recovered on our 7 research expeditions since the Ship’s discovery in 1985.

Tickets on sale online or at the door (adults $22, children 4 – 12 $14), with discounts for students/military/seniors over 55 years, and groups of more than 15.
Phone is (520) 622-8595. Discount till December 25 of $4 (adult ticket) if you brng in 2 cans for the Community Food Bank. Audio tapes in English, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, and Spanish are available for $5 extra.

A well stocked gift shop ends your self-guided tour, with Titanic memorabilia such as cups, dishes, clothing, actual pieces of coal, postcards, soaps, blankets, books, etc.

I have often heard that the cry when the RMS Titanic was sinking was “Women & children first!”, which is still uttered today. Go to this exhibit to find out if that “real story” is true. Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM; Friday and Saturday: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM.

12/4/10 UPDATE: “Titanic in Tucson” films at the Fox on Dec. 5 and 10:
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2010/12/04/titanic-in-tucson-films-at-the-fox-on-dec-5-and-10/