The High Season

If you are in Tucson during February, March or April you're in luck. With cold weather and snow lying in the north and yet you'll be baking in the sun and loafing the links from one, then having early dinners so you can attend the many evening activities. Our biggest drawing card at the beginning of the season is our rodeo. Feb. 26th at 9:30 a.m. La Fiesta de los Vaqueros begins the parade. All floats have clowns, not a mechanized unit in the whole affair bands, color guards, local and visiting squa drons units, covered wagons, Indian dancers and the contestants themselves riders and ropers from all over the West. In the afternoon the fast spice-tingling performance starts off a four day competition between man and animal that will certainly divert your attention. If you miss our big one you can see a rodeo at Chandler, Douglas, Phoenix, San Carlos Indian Reservation or Willcox during the season. Just ask the Chamber of Commerce for the dates. For evening entertainment there are the University of Ari zona Artist Series and the Sunday Evening Forum events in the University Auditorium: Chicago Opera Ballet (Feb. 18-19), John Goddard's "Adventures in the Per Reef" (Feb. 21), "My Fair Lady" (Mar. 10-15), "Trekking the Tiburon Border" with Earl Paselk (Mar. 14), Krasnavitch Chorus (Mar. 15 16), Robert Devil's "Belgian" (Mar. 21), "Six Gateways to the Caribbean" with Dale Ford (Mar. 28) and Dick Reddy's show on Russia (Apr. 4). For the music minded there will be Varel & Bailly "Paris Sounds" (Feb. 20), Peter Nero, pianist (Mar. 4), Gilbert and Sullivan plays (Mar. 22-27) and Louizide Almovia, guitarist (Mar. 29) at the Tucson Music Center and the Tucson Sym phony Jennie Tourel, soprano (Mar. 29), the Folkloricos Concert (Mar. 26-27), Orchestra Concert (Apr. 1-3), Annual Kranz Chorologue (Apr. 17) and the Tucson Symphony Charles Tougar, violinist (Apr. 20) at the University Audi torium. For those baseball fans the Cleveland Indians begin spring training in February with exhibition games early in March. March 24-all is the Pima County Fair and Southern Arizona Livestock Show. Out here we take our fairs seriously. Last year one drew over 100,000 spectators! For art devotees there are many galleries and all will be scheduling special shows. There is just so much going on it is hard to list it all. During Holy Week one of the oldest and most primitive celebrations takes place at Pascua Village, home of the Yequi Indians. It is a combination 17th century Spanish and ancient primitive Yaqui rites that enact the Easter Pageant ending with the battle of the forces good against evil. In addition to Easter services at all denominational churches a special service at the Salvation Army Temple, celebrating the 100th anniversary of that organization will be conducted by Commissioner Glen Ryan, Territorial Commander of the 13 western states. But I do beg of you be here for the winding up of this very festive time, April 23-27 Festival Week. April 23 is the San Xavier Fiesta commemorating Father Kino's founding of San Xavier Mission. April 24-25 is La Fiesta de la Placita in this historical city. Here is downtown modern Tucson, or the "Old Pueblo" you step back in history as you watch the Pasada de los Ninos, with the blessing of the "pilgrim," bury dolores at the pantheon and have a real south-of-the-border memory to take home. And be sure to take in the St. John's Indian School Dormitory evening of April 25 at the University Auditorium and the Pioneer Jubilee re-enactment of historical events at Ft. Lowell April 26 Then you will have seen the Old Pueblo at its very best. Rooney H. Wimer