Tucson's Annual Diversity Festival Pivots Due To Coronavirus

TUCSON, AZ — For nearly 50 years, Tucson Meet Yourself has brought the city together to celebrate its diversity. But celebrations look a little different now than in years past, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, and this event is no different.

With some portions of the event moving online and others making changes to adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, the 2020 version of Tucson Meet Yourself will be unlike any other.

“We will miss the social chemistry born out of density in the civic center of Tucson, the social metabolism that happens when cultures bump into each other and ‘meet,’” Festival Program Director Maribel Alvarez, said in a statement. “But it is still an affirmation of sense of place for dozens of ethnic heritage artists and enclaves that make up Tucson.”

Tucson Meet Yourself will now run throughout October instead of over one three-day weekend. A socially distant low-rider cruise took place Saturday, and art installations can be found throughout the Old Pueblo. The event's famed Tucson Eat Yourself food festival starts Sunday and will offer to-go food from the city's diverse eateries.

The pop-up food stands will run over three weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The stands will be located at Mercado San Agustin on Oct. 10 and 11, at Cafe Santa Rosa on Oct. 17 and 18 and at Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church on Oct. 24 and 25.

Masks will be required, and there will be no dining tables for sit-down meals; but pre-taped music and dance performances will be shown on LED screens while visitors wait for their food. Pick from cuisines like Polish, Japanese and dishes from the Tohono O'odham community, and more.

A full list of food vendors, and other Tucson Meet Yourself events, can be found online.