Turquoise trail walking tour, four seasons paint and sip, afterschool mini donut workshop, and more. 
Happy Friday, Oro Valley. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Oro Valley Brief serve up everything you need to know for the weekend ahead.
📰 In the news
Local happenings: Tesoro’s Latin fusion dinner lands at Saffron Indian Bistro, families find affordable after school care, and intersection in Oro Valley gains all way stops — catch up here.
State-level stories: Toyota’s new 5.5 mile desert test track, a coast to coast train pulling into Flagstaff, and steep discounts on prescriptions for Arizonans — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: Federal judge orders fresh review of gray wolf safeguards, OPEC+ output increase pushes oil under seventy dollars, and a mislabeled pasta recall — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Navigate complex injury cases with experts
- Browse handmade goods and enjoy local flavor
- Discover Tucson’s oldest neighborhood on the walking tour
- Craft realistic mini donuts at Dusenberry Library
- Compare home equity loans for free
🫶 We got your back
Food: Craving a slice that won’t disappoint? Check out pizza spots around Oro Valley serving everything from wood-fired Neapolitan to deep-dish classics.
Wildlife: Arizona delivers a front-row seat to nature’s best at these wildlife viewing spots. If you’re looking for an escape from staring at a screen, it might be just what you need.
Organization: Ever spend a weekend lining up matching containers only to find chaos three weeks later? Find real-life hacks that work with your messy, beautiful life in our sustainable organization tips.
Florist: In need of a last-minute gift, a romantic gesture, or just some color in your life, Posh Petals arranges petal-powered masterpieces that speak volumes without saying a word.
Family: An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial fee just to be seen to x-rays, surgery, medicine, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could get up to 90% cash back on your vet bill with this pet insurance plan.
👀 Why just read it when you could be in it?
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📆 Around town this weekend
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
Today
🎶 Oro Valley Summer Concert Series 2025 @ Oro Valley | Friday (8/8) at 5:30pm – Music meets mission in this community-powered concert series designed to boost local culture and local business. Expect a relaxed evening of live tunes, family vibes, and maybe even a pizza slice or two. It’s part arts, part economic impact, and all good times.
🚢 “Ship” @ Live Theatre Workshop | Friday (8/8) at 7:00pm – If you needed proof that rehab and hometown glory pair as well as rum and sea spray, this play’s your ticket. Nell’s back in Mystic, chasing that high-profile whaling ship tour job, dragging her older sister and a record-breaking manicure fiasco into every ridiculous misadventure.
This weekend
👣 Turquoise Trail Walking Tour @ Presidio Museum | Saturday (8/9) at 7:00am – If you’ve ever strolled past Tucson’s ghost signs thinking, “I wonder about that guy’s story,” now’s your chance to find out. This docent-led 2.5-mile ramble from the Presidio Museum uncovers downtown lore, colorful anecdotes, dry humor included, but don’t forget to pre-register.
💃 Las Calakas @ Hotel Congress | Saturday (8/9) at 7:00pm – Swing by for a Chicano cumbia fusion thrill ride from Phoenix, where Las Calakas blend traditional rhythms with modern flair, and inject enough barrio pride to make your abuela text you for the playlist. Expect soulful beats and non-stop smiles.
🎻 Billy Shaw Jr @ The Maverick King of Clubs | Saturday (8/9) at 9:00pm – Dust off your cowboy boots and head over to The Maverick to catch Billy Shaw Jr’s band tearing through Country classics, Southern rock, and a few originals. The fiddle’s sizzling, and you’ll end up stomping, clapping, and grinning from start to finish.
👣 Barrio Viejo Walking Tour @ Barrio Viejo Walking Tour | Sunday (8/10) at 9:00am – Looking for a one-mile history lesson minus the textbook? This Barrio Viejo stroll trots you past century-old Sonoran row houses and the gossip of Tucson’s first settlers. Hang back for a bonus Margarita and cheese crisp at El Minuto Café. Pure local fuel.
🎹 Clay Whittington @ Gaslight Theatre | Sunday (8/10) at 3:00pm – Saddle up for a family-friendly musical spoof that barrels through every Old West cliché, starring Micky, Betsy, and a truly villainous Doctor Lovelace. Expect toe-tapping tunes, fake gunfights and enough dry wit to charm even the grumpiest local.
🎨 Four Seasons Paint and Sip @ Reforma Modern Mexican | Sunday (8/10) at 6:00pm – Grab your inner Picasso and a margarita at Reforma’s private dining room for a guided Four Seasons sip and paint night, no talent required, just a willingness to chat and spill a little paint. Free parking, full menu, artistic dignity optional.
Next week
🎭 Beautiful Spirit: Art in Motion @ Tucson Botanical Gardens | Monday (8/11) at 7:30am – Steel and mesquite wood are springing to life downtown, thanks to Joe Benedict’s giant kinetic sculptures. Just pump the levers, and watch a butterfly and dragonfly flap, buzz, and bob like they owe you rent. It’s art, it’s exercise, it’s local engineering with a wink.
🍩 Afterschool Mini Donut Workshop @ Dusenberry-River Library | Tuesday (8/12) at 4:00pm – This free, afterschool workshop at Dusenberry Library turns your 8-to-12-year-old into a pint-sized pastry chef, minus the sugar rush. They’ll learn miniatures magic, folding 1:12 scale donut boxes and filling them with tiny, rainbow-sprinkled treats. Twenty spots only, so don’t dawdle.
🎤 Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin @ Fox Tucson Theatre | Tuesday (8/12) at 7:00pm – Imagine sneaking away to our downtown theater for an evening of effortless cool, as Keb’ Mo’ and Shawn Colvin pretend they just stumbled onto a porch jam. These Grammy-gilded songsmiths meld blues, folk, and soul like it’s no big deal. You’ll grin all night.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/8 Jacob Acosta @ Club Congress – 7 pm
- 8/8 Asphalt Astronaut @ Hotel McCoy – 7 pm
- 8/8 Fever 333 @ The Rock – 7:30 pm
- 8/8 Adam Cayton-Holland @ 191 Toole – 8 pm
- 8/9 Peter Dalton Ronstadt @ Westward Look – 7 pm
- 8/9 ATM Danny and more @ Club Congress – 7 pm
- 8/9 Laser Radiohead @ Flandrau Science Center – 8 pm
- 8/10 “Ship” @ Live Theatre Workshop – 2 pm
- 8/10 Annie Lederman @ Rialto Theatre – 8 pm
- 8/12 Lip Critic and more @ Club Congress – 7 pm
🏠️ Price is right – Oro Valley edition
How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).
Listed by: Phillip Denton (CXT Realty)
This patio home serves up sweeping golf course, city, and mountain views right from the open great room. Smart lighting sets the mood while the fireplace and new wet bar keep things lively. The kitchen brings its A-game with quartz counters, upgraded cabinets, and shiny appliances that make takeout almost obsolete.
A newer HVAC unit keeps the vibe just right, and the country club perks include a pool, tennis, and easy access to hiking trails. Restaurants, shopping, and dining are just around the corner, so the good times never have to wait.
Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →
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