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Happy Tuesday, Oro Valley. In today’s edition: Safer air for mining towns, a holiday festival and tree lighting, cookies with Santa, and more.

Let’s get to it — Cait Baker

📰 In the news

New push for safer air: The University of Arizona has secured a $14.8 million grant to mitigate threats from mine tailings dust and fungal spores affecting mining towns and Native Nations along the Arizona-Sonora border — see the four projects.

Southern Arizona government roundup: Pima County supervisors weigh monthly study sessions and night meetings to streamline agendas, while Tucson councilmembers Kevin Dahl, Selina Barajas, and Miranda Schubert were sworn in — see what’s on local agendas.

Strategies shift across campuses: Arizona’s public universities are recalibrating as enrollments decline. UofA is choosing smaller, better-prepared classes, ASU’s online student base nears half, fueling growth, and NAU stabilizes by investing in graduate programs — read the full story.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Scams are rampant: My step-dad recently got a call from someone pretending to be his grandson, all beat up and asking for bail money. They knew his grandson’s name, how old he is, and what city he lives in. How? Data brokers. They sell your info to anyone willing to pay for it (yup… anyone). Incogni removes your info from all of those sites so scammers can’t use it against you. Cyber Monday discounts are available all week — check ’em out here.

Highlights this week

• Watch the 31st Downtown Parade of Lights
• Groove to reggae, hip-hop, and dub
• Celebrate peace and joy in song
• Celebrate one year with brunch sweet year
• Experience 4th Avenue’s 56th Winter Street Fair
• Need new windows? Check out RBA’s latest deals

Time to make your house feel like Christmas

In partnership with Nest in the Desert

You know that feeling when you walk into someone’s home during the holidays and it just feels right? Warm. Cozy. Like they didn’t stress about it for three weeks.

That’s what good seasonal decor does. And Nest in the Desert just stocked their shelves with exactly that kind of stuff. Garlands that look expensive (but aren’t). Ornaments with character. Touches that make your space feel pulled together without looking like you tried too hard.

The beauty of shopping here is simple: you get pieces nobody else has, and if you’re stuck, the team will help you figure it out. No judgment, no upselling. Just friendly people who genuinely geek out over this kind of thing.

Stop by the store in Oro Valley or shop online. Shipping is free. Your home is about to look amazing.

🫶 We got your back

Celebrate creativity and cheer: This weekend (Dec 6–7), the Oro Valley Festival of the Arts & Holiday Tree Lighting returns, drawing 30,000+ guests for local art, food, and family fun. Saturday features a Santa parade at 3 pm and a 35-foot tree lighting with snowfall at 6 pm, plus free Santa photos, kids crafts, and live performances. Sponsored by Art State Arizona. Get all the event details.

Seasonal community quest begins: The Oro Valley Chamber’s Holiday Ornament Hunt is now underway, nudging shoppers to visit 20 local retailers. Use the Explore Oro Valley app or grab a paper map, then snag free wooden ornaments crafted by Canyon del Oro High School students. Optional QR-code donations support IMPACT of Southern Arizona and Interfaith Community Services. Runs through the season while supplies last. See how to participate.

Wrap it up right: Craving a proper Sonoran burro? El Charro Café – Oro Valley rolls hefty tortillas stuffed with sun‑dried carne seca or green chile beef; go chimichanga‑style if you’re feeling crispy… an easy weeknight move that lands cozy and satisfying.

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.

Wellness on easy mode: Most probiotics don’t work because they dissolve too early. Seed’s double capsule design means all the right stuff gets delivered to all the right places… at the right time. After decades of gut issues, it’s one of the few things that’s actually helped. Their Daily Essentials Duo covers nutrient gaps and supports everyday health + it’s 40% off right now so it’s a great time to give it a try.

📆 Around town this week

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.

This week

🍕 MOD Pizza – Restaurant Fundraiser @ MOD Pizza | Wednesday (12/3) at 12:00pm – Want to support Mesa Verde Elementary without buying more cookie dough? Hit MOD Pizza, where a slice of your tab helps the PTO all day. Grab a late lunch with the kids, skip cooking dinner, and chalk it up as community spirit, carbs included.

🍪 Cookie Decorating Class @ Board & Brush Oro Valley | Wednesday (12/3) at 6:30pm – Tired of pretending store-bought cookies are “rustic”? Learn royal icing the right way in a hands-on class where you decorate six flood cookies, step by step, no experience required. You leave with edible art, bragging rights, and a new party trick, and spots are limited.

💃 Moulin Rouge @ Centennial Hall | Thursday (12/04) at 7:30pm – The sparkle, the drama, the scandal—this Tony-winning musical brings Baz Luhrmann’s iconic film to blazing life onstage. Expect high-voltage choreography, outrageous glamour, and enough hit songs to make your heart do a dramatic kickline. Prepare to be swept up in the Bohemian fever dream.

💌 Making Holiday Cards for Seniors @ Prolific Creation Studios | Friday (12/5) at 11:00am – Make Christmas cards for seniors at The Watermark, then hand deliver them after a short performance, all at Prolific Creation Studios. Finally, a holiday craft that actually leaves the house. Open to all ages, bring snacks, and your best penmanship.

🛍️ Hermitage Night Market @ Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter | Friday (12/5) at 4:00pm – Hermitage Night Market is bringing a cozy holiday spread of more than 15 local vendors, so you can shop small without wrestling a mall lot. Expect handmade goods, good vibes, and the chance to cross off your list, then reward yourself with another candle.

This weekend

✂️ Super Saturday Scrapbooking Crop @ Scrap with Skye | Saturday (12/6) at 9:00am – Shoebox photos or color-coded washi, join a guilt-free day of cropping with the crafty crowd. Snacks, drinks, a swag bag, a tool table, and free make-and-takes included, beginners welcome. Full day $20, half $12, bring a friend for a gift, register online.

🐴 Beyond Horse Massage Weekend Course with Vanessa Helvey @ Cielo Tierra Ranch | Saturday (12/06) at 9:00am – Level up your horsemanship with a hands-on weekend of Masterson Method® bodywork, where you’ll learn to spot your horse’s subtle cues and release deep-seated tension. It’s part science, part intuition, and totally transformative for performance and partnership. Bring your horse-savvy brain—and maybe a notebook—you’ll be soaking up a ton.

🌿 Healing Herb Walk @ Mission Garden–Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace | Saturday (12/06) at 9:00am – Take a calm, curiosity-fueled stroll through Tucson’s living history garden as you learn about the medicinal plants thriving in the desert. It’s a quick but enriching hour of herbal wisdom, cultural insight, and “oh wow, that grows here?” moments. Perfect for nature lovers, plant nerds, and anyone seeking a gentler start to the day.

🎄 Oro Valley Holiday Festival of the Arts & Tree Lighting Celebration @ Oro Valley Marketplace | Saturday (12/6) at 10:00am – Oro Valley Marketplace turns into a small-town holiday movie, minus the fake snow and predictable love interest. Browse real-deal artisan gifts, graze local eats, catch live music, then stick around for the tree lighting, Santa sightings, and peak neighborly cheer.

🍪 Cookies with Santa @ Ace Hardware | Sunday (12/07) at 10:00am – Frost a cookie, snag a Santa selfie, and score 20% off Christmas décor all in one festive swoop. It’s the ultimate multitasker’s holiday outing—sweet treats for the kids, sweet deals for the grown-ups. Bring your own camera and your best decorating game.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/2 Heist @ Temple of Music and Art – 7:30 pm
• 12/4 Golden Swarm Senior @ Northminster Presbyterian Church – 2 pm
• 12/4 Jacob Khalil @ The Century Room – 6:30 pm
• 12/4 A Year With Frog and Toad @ Live Theatre Workshop – 7 pm
• 12/5 Campfire Jam IX @ Paul Opocensky Project- 6:30 pm
• 12/5 Barnaby and the Butcher @ The Jackrabbit Lounge – 7:30 pm
• 12/12 Asphalt Astronaut @ Hoppy Vine – 6 pm
• 12/13 Dos Sueños @ Steam Pump Ranch – 10:30 am
• 12/14 Chris Baron @ OV Pizza & Pints – 6 pm

🏠️ This house is wild

Listed by: Mary M Aguilar (Long Realty)

Elegant Oro Valley 4-bed, 3.5-bath with 2,950 square feet and a 2-car garage. A front courtyard sets the mood, then 10-foot ceilings, recessed lighting, and tile lead to a formal dining room and great room pairing an LED fireplace with a 16-foot slider. Versatile NextGen suite doubles as guest quarters, office, or play zone.

Out back, a private desert oasis brings grass, paver patio, and color, plus panoramic mountain, open desert, and city lights views. The primary retreat adds a dual-head walk-in shower, quartz vanities, and a big closet. Dedicated laundry with washer, dryer, and utility sink plumbing.

Take a peek inside →