Tucson Arizona receives UNESCO award for city of Creative City of Gastronomy

IFEA Award Kudos to Tucson, AZ

Tucson Accolades

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September 14, 2017

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IFEA Award Kudos to Tucson, AZ!

IFEA Award Luncheon in Tucson, AZ Photo: Dawn Vandaveer www.Prototypes-v3.com

Congratulations are in order, once again, for Tucson, Arizona! Winning the IFEA Award (International Festivals & Events Association) for 2017.

Recently, FEATSAZ (Festival & Events Association of Tucson & Southern Arizona) submitted the video (above) to the IFEA for review.

After reviewing the video, beautiful Tucson, Arizona has met the IFEA’s most highest standards. And in doing so, on Thursday, September 14th, at 1:30 PM the IFEA officially designated Tucson as a World Festival & Event City!

This event took place at the 62nd Annual IFEA Convention, Expo & Retreat at the prestigious J.W. Marriott Starr Pass. This is the third year in a row Tucson has been host to the IFEA Convention and most likely the last in the region for some time to come.

Nevertheless, on top of Tucson becoming the first city in the United States to be recognized as a UNESCO World City of Gastronomy, winning the IFEA Award, for 2017, is a great honor and another huge success for our city! We love you, Tucson!

More about the IFEA:

The main focus of the IFEA is to identify and provide services for those organizations that put on festivals. More specifically, organizations that create and run quality festivals and events that support their communities in a positive way.

In Tucson, that organization is FEATSAZ (Festival & Events Association of Tucson & Southern Arizona). FEATSAZ deserves a big kudos for their ongoing work for our community. They should get an even bigger high five for their video and pdf submission to the IFEA that helped Tucson win the renowned award.

Great job to everyone at FEATSAZ and thank you.

Have a great day,
Tony Ray

P.S. Shout out to my ghost-writer “Gonzo” for writing up this piece.
Also, Please check out these other great Tucson Accolades.

Download the PDF of the 2017 IFEA Award Winners

Tubac Nominated a Top-10 Small Town for Art by USA Today

Tucson Accolades

Tony Ray Baker

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April 22, 2021

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Tubac Nominated a Top-10 Small Town for Art by USA Today

I have always been very fond of the adorable historic village of Tubac. Finally, the rest of the world seems to be catching up! In fact, Tubac has been nominated by the esteemed editors at USA Today as a favorite small town for art. The art colony joins other luminaries like Carmel-by-the-Sea in California or Marfa in Texas. Keep reading to learn why Tubac is a favorite for art lovers and how you can vote for this prestigious award!

Tubac is for Art Lovers

Historically, the town is the site of the original Spanish colonial garrison in Arizona. The land originally belonged to the Tohono O’odham tribe and the name is a derivation of he original native name, Cuwak. The town changed hands numerous times until Union troops, upon advancing towards Tucson, caused the Confederate troops stationed there to retreat.

The town of today came about between the 1930’s and the 1960’s. Painter Dale Nichols opened the first art school (in 1948) and began restoring the dilapidated buildings. The school enlisted numerous high-profile artists. In 1964, the students and other residents founded the Tubac Festival of the Arts, thus charting the future for the small desert village.

Vote Today for Tubac to be a Top-10 Small Town for Art

USA Today 10Best is well-regarded for their wonderfully insightful lists. If you are planning your educational trip, check out their list of the 10 Best Free Museums. Additionally, if you are looking for a bite to eat check out their 10 Best Meal Delivery Services. There is something for everyone at 10Best. The greatest part of the lists is the user-interaction. This allows you to weigh in on any of their popular lists and affect the placement of your favorites.

If you have read this far, I encourage you to take a trip to Tubac today. Experience the sights, sounds, and culture offered by the wonderful art colony. Once you have been struck by the magic, please visit 10Best Vote for Tubac. As the title says, vote for Tubac to be one of the 10 Best Small Town Art Scenes in the country. We can help bring even more visitors and share this artistic treasure found just outside Tucson.

Download the Top 10 Best Small Towns for Art

Buzzfeed ❤️ Tucson, And You Will Too!

Tucson Accolades

Tony Ray Baker

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December 23, 2021

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Not that we’re surprised but Tucson makes the news again! This time Buzzfeed author Anna Maria Glavan gives a glowing review of what makes Tucson the best city in Arizona. I mean, we know it, but it’s always nice to receive recognition from others.

The Reasoning

Joe Pagac's Latest Mural in Hamel Park — Joe Pagac’s Latest Mural in Hamel Park

Glavan lists 21 things that she believes makes Tucson the best city here in AZ. We’re going to look at a few to see if we agree! Actually, we’re just going to compare her list to ours and see how we do. Out of 21 reasons she lists, we’ve already covered these.

Murals, near the top of her list was the mural hunt. It’s true, no matter where you go in Tucson you are bound to stumble across some amazing public art.
San Xavier Del Bac, truly a landmark here in the Old Pueblo. Known as the “White Dove of the Desert” it’s a must see for locals and visitors alike.
La Estrella Baker, not surprising. Recently acknowledged by the Washington post for their amazing Pan de Muerto.
Saguaro National Park, this is a go to for hikers and photographers.
Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, yup we have that one too. It’s a great place to see a lot of native flora and fauna in one place.
The Mexican Cuisine, Glavan even taunts that “I bet Phoenix can’t call itself a city of gastronomy.”
Historic 4th Avenue, a great place to find an eclectic slice of Tucson.
Shopping, there is no shortage of great places to shop, seriously take your pick.
Tucson Museum of Art, this museum is bigger on the inside. It has a surprising collection of both regional and contemporary art with some classics thrown in for good measure.
The Mercado, including the MSA Annex. Sprawling open markets to find coffee, food, and of course more shopping.
Raspados! Of course our favorite place to get them is Sonoran Delights.

Our Conclusion

Maria Glavan has got everything we have and more. It’s time for us to go out and round out our own list. We hope this list is tempting you to make a visit, and if you’re already a local go check out something new!

Check out the original article on Buzzfeed!

https://seetucsonhomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/21-Things-That-Prove-Tucson-Is-The-Best-City-In-Arizona.pdf

Congress Street Award

Tucson Accolades

Tony Ray Baker

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October 13, 2017

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Congress Street Award

A view of Tucson's beautiful sunset down Congress Street to Church Avenue. Photo courtesy Steven Meckler. — A view of Tucson’s beautiful sunset down Congress Street to Church Avenue. Photo courtesy Steven Meckler.

Again, another accolade for Tucson, Arizona. Recently, Congress Street was awarded Great Street by the American Planning Association. Congress Street was a happening place back in the day. However, due to a skyrocketing population and increased car traffic, it ever so gradually became less friendly to the pedestrians walking on the street. This was a huge problem. The city planners wanted to address the situation head-on which ended up labeled from the American Planning Association as a 2017 Great Street Award.

In early 2000s, city planners, Tucson officials, and engineers planned out a series of inventive plans to breathe new life into the local economy and restore its commercial opalescence. Since then, Congress Street, has had several makeovers to try bringing mode-sharing back to the street.

Congress Street Award: Renovations Since Early 2000s

Reduced the street from three lanes to two
Sidewalks widened to encourage more pedestrian activity
Trees planted to help with the relentless Arizona heat
Bike parking added for cyclists
SunLink, a modern streetcar added
Restoration of the Rialto Theatre and the Fox Tucson Theatre

Congress Street Award: By The Numbers

Congress Street is a major cultural hub for Tucson and hosts an array of events, including the annual Tucson Jazz Fest every January. Photo courtesy Steven Meckler.

67 new businesses have opened along the street since 2008
25 restaurants are currently operating along Congress Street, 16 of which are in historic buildings and 22 of which are locally owned or Arizona based
40 years is how long the Fox Tucson Theatre sat empty before it was revived as a significant community resource
12 historic buildings have had facades restored with private investment matching public funding at a ratio of 6:1
4 of SunLink’s 23 stops are along the street

Congress Street Award: The Designated Area

The designated area for Congress Street extends 1.63 miles from Toole Avenue on the east, which serves as a gateway to downtown, to Silverbell Road on the west, home of the historic Menlo Park Neighborhood and the Mercado District. The street’s commercial corridor runs about four-tenths of a mile between North Church Street and East Toole Avenue.

In conclusion, I truly hope that you get a chance to take a trip downtown and checkout the newly planned and reconstructed Congress Street. There are so many things to do and plenty of fun businesses to take your money. lol 😉

Have a great day! 🙂

Tony Ray Baker & Darren Jones

Download the PDF of Planning Excellence - Congress Street