The Sonoran Pavilion will feature displays about our neighboring state’s natural and recreational assets, vernacular foods such as the famed carne seca, chiltepin chile, coyotas, and flour tortillas, in addition to distinctive arts and crafts associated with the state’s vaquero, agricultural, and sea shore lifestyles.

Traditions of Health and Wellness area will highlight healthy ethnic recipes, alternative healing techniques, traditional wellness practices, a TMY Moving Path throughout the entire festival footprint, a large communal dance

Sports and Games will include Tucson MOVE Your Body, martial arts, yoga, massage, plus many distinct forms of exercise demos rooted in cultural traditions (capoeria, zumba, martial arts) as well as games, workshops, exhibits, and lectures. At 2pm on Saturday, October 15, thousands of children and youth will lead festival participants in the Tucson MOVE Your Body Flash Workout, followed by the MOVING Parade through the festival grounds.

The Passport to the World will allow festival goers, especially children and parents, to personalize their experience by collecting cultural “visas” throughout the festival by visiting and interacting with artists, tradition bearers, presenters, vendors, and folklorists in new dynamic ways; unlike official passports elsewhere, the TMY version grants immediate access to worldwide ethnic and folk groups who are also Tucsonans.

To take advantage of the richness of cultural offerings at the festival, Tucson Unified School District will host its annual Festival of Schools at TMY, Saturday October 15th from 10am to 4pm in the TCC Plaza and TCC North Meeting Rooms. TUSD schools will showcase their programs and performance on the TMY stages all day.  TUSD students will lead Tucson MOVE Your Body FlashWorkout 2pm Saturday Oct. 15th celebrating the joy of exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle.

“Hats Off to Big Jim” will be a special tribute to the festival’s founder James “Big Jim” Griffith – 2011 NEA National Heritage Fellow. This special event is free and open to the public on Saturday, October 15th at 6pm in the Fox Theater Tucson. Big Jim Griffith has been honored as the 2011 Bess Lomax Hawes Fellow – the highest honor in the nation bestowed on an individual who has contributed significantly as an academic and public folklorist. Jim will receive his official honor in Washington DC September 23rd and we will pay our own tribute to Jim right here at the festival he founded – Tucson Meet Yourself. Congratulations Big Jim!