The Transamerica Building looms over the historical reconstruction of the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson. Listen:
Tucson’s birthday will have all the trappings of a festive celebration– music, cake and plenty of seats – with a few added bonuses.
“Tucson’s birthday celebration commemorates that it was 240 years ago that Hugo O’Conór came this way from Tubac and told the king of Spain that he had found a location for the presidio in Tucson,” said Marty McCune, a member of the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission.
She’s also part of the Tucson’s birthday subcommittee.
The modern-day celebration will include a mariachi performance and a procession of the city’s historical flags.
“First it was Spanish, then it was part of Mexico then it was part of the U.S., then it was part of the Confederacy briefly, and then it was a part of Arizona,” McCune said. “So it’s been over the years, under many flags.”
The flags of the Tohono O’odham Nation and Pascua Yaqui Tribe will also be displayed. McCune said while the birthday marks 240 years, there is evidence people inhabited the Tucson area 4,000 years ago.
What about the cake?
There will be vanilla and chocolate– not exactly historical, but it comes from another long-standing Tucson institution– Le Cave’s Bakery.
The free event starts at 5:45 p.m. at the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Courtyard
Watch this Arizona Illustrated story for a deeper look at Tucson's history
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