Say goodbye to Christopher Columbus Park and hello to Danny Lopez Park. The Tucson City Council voted on the change Wednesday. The park is located on N. Silverbell road just north of the Pima Animal Care Center on the Westside. Former University of Arizona student Azul Navarrete-Valera spearheaded the renaming effort of Christopher Columbus Park be...

On a late rainy Wednesday afternoon in the University of Arizona’s Integrated Learning Center, a group of 35 students savors some loaves of home-baked olive and tomato focaccia at the sound of soft music and frolicsome chatter. There are also cups of Italian-style cioccolata calda.       With food being Italy’s main wealth and best-known symbol abr...

Zoppé: An Italian Family Circus is returning to Tucson for a 14th year with "old-world" acts to grace their big top in the MSA Annex from Friday, Jan. 10 to Sunday, Jan. 26. "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'...

Officials in Tucson are asking members of the public to weigh in on a proposal to rename the city’s Christopher Columbus Park. Tucsonans head to Christopher Columbus Park to bird watch and fish in Silverbell Lake. It was called Silverbell Park up until the 1990s, when it was renamed by the local Knights of Columbus chapter. Now locals want to renam...

I had the opportunity to meet two Tucson, AZ chefs, Matthew Cable and Devon Sanner of restaurant Zio Peppe, during their recent visit to Parma. The two Americans were touring the city of Parma for a very specific reason: Tucson and Parma, over a decade ago, were awarded the international distinction of UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, making the...

If you had dined at Caruso’s when the restaurant first opened, you could’ve ordered a full meal for just $1.35. That’s how long the Italian restaurant has been operating here in Tucson — we’re talkin’ about the late 1930s! Caruso’s first opened in 1938 on Fourth Avenue about a block away from where it is now. A monsoon storm thought the restaurant...

Paolo Soleri was an Italian architect and designer and a piece of his work lives in Midtown. But talks of moving has concerned some neighbors. Soleri created a chapel within the University of Arizona Cancer Center in honor of his wife who passed away of the disease. It was completed in 1986 and was used as a public chapel. The chapel consists of 10...

Next week, the nonprofit Tucson City of Gastronomy (TCOG) is bringing two renowned chefs from Parma, Italy (a sister UNESCO City of Gastronomy) to town. Chef Nicole Zerbini and Chef Mario Marini will be in Tucson from Thursday, January 18 to Monday, January 22 — these chefs are stars and leaders in the Parma culinary scene and economic sector. Duri...

For Giovanni Zoppé and his family, circus performance is about connecting with the audience. He and his fellow performers try to engage with the audience, from the time they enter to when they leave the tent. The Zoppé Family Circus will return to Tucson to the Mercado District from Friday, Jan. 5, to Sunday, Jan. 21.  The circus isn’t meant to be...

Stepping into BATA, you are immediately met with the definition of refinement. The same goes for Barbata. These are destinations for special occasions or well-needed treat-yourself moments. If you want that same culinary culture chef Tyler Fenton is known and applauded for, then your next option is obviously Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink — a bit more...