Giovanni Zoppe tried life outside of the family business. The charismatic circus entertainer briefly built trusses for homes. “I did that for three weeks and I decided I couldn’t do it anymore,” Zoppe said. “It was boring. It was so monotonous. I was doing the same thing every day. I needed something else.”

When it comes to nightlife, the inner city of Tucson offers plenty to do. The city’s size can leave some people feeling disconnected from the action, but when you look deeper than the surface, you will be able to find the fun in Tucson. 

As legend has it, French street performer and clown Napoline Zoppé wandered into a plaza in Hungary when he spotted equestrian ballerina Ermenegilda. Just like that, he was in love.

“The most important thing to know about our show is that it is an intimate family experience,” circus co-director Jeanette Prince-Zoppé told the Tucson Sentinel. “Of course it’s entertaining, but more than that, it’s a story. And it’s a piece of art and history and a legacy that is seven generations deep. And all of that is brought forth into our intimate home-like setting.”

The 35th annual All Souls Procession took place on Nov. 3. The event started at Speedway and Grande Avenue, where participants then walked south to MSA Annex for the ceremonial burning of the urn. The All Souls Procession is an event where anyone can come and grieve their passed loved ones, and celebrate life in a shared, inclusive community space.

November 1 kicks off Tucson’s All Souls Weekend, a warm up for the 35th annual All Souls Procession. The kickoff event is the first night of a dance party concert series, Dance of the Dead. Six performers, two based in Tucson, took the stage to celebrate with “music with emotional depth combined with raw dancefloor grit.”

Opened in 2018, the Mercado San Agustin Annex began with 13 local businesses operating out of the containers with shared common space, near Interstate 10 and Cushing Street.

Tucson celebrates its third annual Cultura & Chicano Vibez Festival on the weekend of Oct. 27 at the MSA Annex. Many activities like a fashion show, car shows, music, performers, art and local vendors. They are dedicated to bringing the community together with Chicano culture and hip-hop elements. The event lasts two days and is free to the public.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people flood Tucson streets, some with calaveras painted on their faces and twinkling lights hooked onto their attire.

Now is the best time to visit Tucson, Arizona, and it’s not just because of its mild temperatures in the fall and winter. This year, Arizona’s second-largest city offers new travel experiences for the curious and adventurous.