Festivals & Experiences

Acclaimed Black Country Artist Rissi Palmer Headlines Free Tucson Concert Celebrating Smithsonian’s “Of the People” Initiative and Kicking Off Tucson Meet Yourself

Woman wearing blue jeans and a white blouse smiles from sitting at a window.

 July 28, 2026  Performance launches a new chapter for Tucson Meet Yourself as the festival reimagines the visitor experience through its partnership with the Smithsonian and the Fox Tucson Theatre. TUCSON, AZ–Acclaimed singer-songwriter Rissi Palmer, whose groundbreaking career has helped broaden the conversation about Black artists’ contributions to country music, will perform a free public … Read more

The Smithsonian Institution augments Tucson Meet Yourself to commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary

Tucson, Arizona—Tucson Meet Yourself (TMY), the beloved festival showcasing the expressive cultures of Southern Arizona every year in downtown Tucson, has been selected as one of approximately 40 festivals nationwide to collaborate with the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage as part of Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals.  TMY will … Read more

NEA Funds Tucson Meet Yourself 2022

We are thrilled to share that we’ve been awarded a $35,000 Grant for Arts Projects from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of our annual folklife festival, Tucson Meet Yourself.  To be included in the NEA’s first round of awards for 2022 is an honor, and these funds monies will help us produce … Read more

Tucson Meet Yourself Folklife Festival Returns to Downtown Tucson Oct. 8-10

This year’s festival is an in-person scaled-back event … because Culture and Community Are Resilient TUCSON, AZ –The 48th Annual Tucson Meet Yourself (TMY) Folklife Festival returns to downtown Tucson, allowing the public to reconnect with its diverse and distinct cultures. As always, innovation and adaptation are emblematic of shifting traditions, and this year festival … Read more