Tour gives insider look at one of Tucson’s historic neighborhoods
After a four-year break, the Sam Hughes Home and Neighborhood Tour is back.
The historic neighborhood — bounded by Campbell Avenue on the west, Country Club Road on the east, Speedway on the north and Broadway on the south — will feature residences, gardens, studios and the newest eateries on a self-guided tour on Sunday, March 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Proceeds from the tour are donated to local charities and support neighborhood projects, like a whimsical mural that can be seen in Himmel Park, designed and painted by local and nationally-renowned artist Joe Pagac.
In age, residences span 94 years and in size from 800 square feet to over 3,000. Attendees will find décor themes ranging from absolutely on-trend to “I like it just the way it is,” as evidenced by pink bathrooms from the 1950s and even an existing, original landline. Likely to catch the attention of Wildcat fans is an entire house that is an homage to University of Arizona sports.
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In featured gardens are urban vegetable patches, water-conserving ideas, and such curiosities as a “blessing tree,” a certified wildlife habitat, vintage Shasta and Airstream trailers, Little Free Libraries, a milkman’s delivery door, and more. Fences are imaginative and created from repurposed material. Walls serve as backdrops for plants and artwork, such as trucks riding a monorail. In addition to roof-topped solar, green features include a washing machine irrigating a lemon tree and swales and mounds directing rainwater.
Anchoring the neighborhood is Himmel Park, where new amenities include benches made from discarded plastic bags and soda bottles, a new ramada, and pickleball and bocce courts. At both courts, there will be a demonstration and an opportunity for tour attendees to try out the games.
There will be music, art and Q&A’s with Pagac, who happens to be a former resident of Sam Hughes, and Emmy award-winning Sam Hughes resident David Yetman, whose show “In the America’s” airs on PBS.
In addition, three of the neighborhood’s newest eateries will offer free samplings.
The popular tour is typically held every other year. Tickets, which cost $30, sell out quickly.
The last tour was held in 2019 and was slated to return in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic stopped that.
For more information and tickets, go to samhughes.org. For questions about the tour, email [email protected].
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