Considered to be the best show in Tucson, Carnival of Illusion is something you don’t want to blink your eyes at. Only here until the end of April 2011, this is Tucson, Arizona’s only up close and personal illusion show. The “Parlour” for Carnival of Illusion shows is at the Double Tree Hotel, which is a speedy 15 minute drive from America’s Best Value Inn Tucson.

Carnival of Illusion isn’t your usual magic show. This intimate Vaudeville-inspired show will have you laughing and gasping at all the amazing tricks and illusions. Carnival is hosted and performed by national award-winning entertainers, Roland Sarlot and Susan Eyed. With an intimate audience of only 35, you’ll be treated to a style of performance that only the rich and famous used to experience when they entertained in the parlors of their home. Carnival gives you all the excitement of a national touring show in an amazing old-world setting.

Find out what tickets are still available by visiting the show’s official website. Be sure to also book a room at our Tucson, Arizona hotel and let us know how we can make your stay with us even more magical.

The Pima County Fair is an old-fashioned fair with exhibits, live entertainment, carnival rides, stage concerts, delicious fair food and more. The fair is put one each year by the Southwestern Fair Commission and this year’s theme revolves around, of course, the fair’s Centennial Celebration! A great family-friendly activity in Tucson, Arizona, the Pima County Fairgounds is only a 20 minute drive from our beautiful America’s Best Value Inn.

One of the most exciting events in Tucson, this year’s county fair promises to be nothing short of amazing. Bring the kids for an unforgettable day (or two!) trying out different carnival rides or playing classic fair games for some great prizes. A day at the fair wouldn’t be the same without tasty treats like hot dogs, pretzels, cotton candy and snow cones. For the older kids and the young at heart, there will be a line-up of unbelievable acts including Neon Trees, Cheap Trick, Fog Hat and Michael Salgado.

The fair opens April 14^th and runs all the way until the 24^th. Visit the Pima County Fair web page for carnival hours and admission prices. Book your stay at our Tucson, Arizona hotel and you won’t miss any of the great concerts or fun!

Tucson, Arizona is a beautiful city that is fast becoming a cultural mecca- as you can tell by the huge Annual Tucson Festival of Books that recently happened. Now come April 1-20, 2011, film buffs and movie lovers will be descending upon Southern Arizona for the 20th Annual Arizona International Film Festival.

This exciting festival showcases independent film and filmmakers from over all over the world. In the 20 years since its inception, the festival has exhibited over 2000 films from 75 different countries to over 125,000 patrons. You’ll be able to watch the best independent movies of the year from genres such as drama, comedy, documentary, experimental and animated short.

Taking a romantic trip to Tucson, Arizona? Treat your sweetheart to a unique date experience by combining a great indie film with one of the many exciting special events and live music shows surrounding the festival. There’ll also be plenty of opportunities to meet the film makers at various venues throughout Tucson. Be sure to book a room at our hotel early as this event will surely bring out everyone’s inner film critic!

Be one with nature on your next trip to Arizona by visiting the Tucson Botanical Gardens. Beautiful flowers, plants and gardens will amaze you when you visit this must-see family-friendly attraction in Tucson. Located only 20 minutes away from America’s Best Value Inn Tucson, you’ll be dazzled even more by the Gardens’ event of the spring- “Butterfly Magic at the Gardens”!

Open from now until April 30^th, you’ll be transported into a spectacular butterfly adventure right in the heart of Tucson, Arizona. See some of the most beautiful, exotic and rare butterflies in the world. Your kids will love running around the Gardens’ tropical greenhouse, where hundreds of live tropical butterflies will soar all around them. Combining education with natural beauty, this is an intimate, unique exhibit you won’t want to miss.

The exhibit is open daily from 9:30am to 3pm. Special event prices for this exhibit are $12 for adults and $7.50 for kids (includes Garden admission). Give our friendly hotel staff a call and we’ll be happy to tell you about other great attractions nearby!

Calling all bibliophiles! The 3^rd Annual Tucson Festival of Books is coming to Arizona on March 12-13, 2011. This event is one of the largest celebrations of reading and literacy in Arizona with 400 authors and 200 exhibitors featured over two days. Our hotel is just a 13 minute drive to the festival venue- the beautiful University of Arizona campus.

There’s no end to the literary and non-literary activities at this year’s festival. Meet your favorite author and get your books signed. Visit different exhibitors and pick up a new book or four. Watch lively entertainment acts such as the Lindley Lopez Literary Circus, Deceptively Innocent and ZUZI Dance. Don’t forget to sample the huge variety of food courtesy of great local restaurants- from Greek food to mini doughnuts, there’s something for everyone!

You can also attend the Author’s Dinner Table, where Frank Deford, who is one of the nation’s top sports writers and commentators, will be the keynote speaker. Festival authors will be seated at every table, so this is your chance to wine and dine with the very best! All proceeds go to various literary programs in Southern Arizona. This event is on March 11, 2011 with cocktails beginning at 5:30pm in the University of Arizona Bookstore.

Visit the festival website for more information. Our ABVI Tucson staff would also be happy to help you arrange your accommodations if you’re visiting Tucson for the festival.

Travelling to Tucson, Arizona in February? A not to be missed event is the 86^th Annual La Fiesta de los Vaqueros! This celebration of cowboys and cowgirls is happening February 19-27, 2011. The festival takes place at the Tucson Rodeo Grounds, which is only a short 5 minute drive from our America’s Best Value Inn Tucson.

Also known as the Tucson Rodeo, this festival features the world’s longest non-motorized parade and over 650 contestants competing for over $420,000 in prize money. This is your chance to see real-life cowboys doing what they do best in an exciting outdoor arena! You can watch the contestants duke it out in bull riding, bareback and saddle bronc riding, team roping, steer wrestling, tie-down roping and women’s barrel racing.

There are also great events for the mini cowboys. Four to six year olds can test their sheep racing skills in the Dodge Mutton Bustin’ competition or the older kids can show off their moves in the Justin Junior Rodeo (7-12 years olds).

Rated as one of the best family-friendly events in Tucson, Arizona, this is definitely an experience not to be missed. Be sure to get your tickets now and book your stay with us today!

There are lots of family friendly Southern Arizona attractions close to America’s Best Value Inn Tucson. We think you and your kids will have a blast at the Pima Air and Space Museum, which is considered to be one of the largest aviation museums in the world!

Get lost in a world of wonder as you explore over 300 aircraft and spacecraft collections from around the world, including one-of-a-kind and extremely rare items and more than 125,000 artifacts. Not to be missed highlights include President John F. Kennedy’s Air Force One (yup- THE Air Force One!) and the tour of the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), which is also known as the “Boneyard.” The Dorothy Finley Space Gallery also features exhibits that let you look inside a training version of the Apollo Space Capsule, see a moon rock and learn about the history of the Space Race.

Only 11 minutes away from ABVI Tucson, the museum is open every day from 9am to 5pm. Pets are welcome to visit as well! Admission fees for winter are currently in effect.

Photo Credit: Pima Air and Space Museum

Golf enthusiasts: get your passports ready- the Accenture Match Play Championships 2011 is coming to Southern Arizona! Our America Best Value Inn and The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Marana, AZ, which is just north of our hotel in Tucson, will be playing host to this exciting tournament.

Watch 64 of the world’s top golfers vie for the title of champion and an $8 million grand prize! The five day tournament will be held on February 21-27, 2011, and promises to be an exciting week of competitive matches. Spectators are asked to get their tickets early to avoid disappointment.

Presented by Accenture, proceeds from the Championships will go towards the Tucson Conquistadores Charities, which benefits The First Tee of Tucson Youth Golf and Life Skills Program, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Arizona, YMCA and Pima County Special Olympics.

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club is only a 45 minute drive from ABVI Tucson. Staying at our hotel means you can be close enough to the action, but still enjoy all the convenience of being only minutes away from downtown Tucson, Arizona. Let us know how we can make your vacation a hole-in-one trip!

Photo Credit: www4.pictures.gi.zimbio.com

Located in the exciting Casino del Sol is the Paradiso Bar and Lounge. Visit this popular venue every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights for the best live entertainment in Tucson. Have a great time as you rock the night away to free upbeat music and tributes to Abba, The Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, Rush and more!

This Thursday catch the ultimate tribute to Rush at 8pm. Freewill be keeping the energy high with their grooves all night long.

And spend your New Year’s Eve dancing to the Latin/Rock beats of Los Nawdy Dogs on Friday, December 31^st at 9pm.

Visit http://www.solcasinos.com for more information.

While in Tucson for the holidays, be sure to catch a hilarious performance at the Gaslight Theatre. Running daily until January 1^st (except Christmas Day) is “The Secret Santa” a holiday musical comedy set in the swinging 60’s. In the town of Merryville, it’s Christmas and old Mr. Cogsworth is out to squash everyone’s Christmas spirit. That is, until a mysterious toymaker and his jolly assistant, Holly, appear on the scene to bring the holiday cheer back to Merryville. This is one Christmas musical that’ll make sure “Yule be swingin!” this season.

If you’ve ever wanted to experience dinner theatre at its best then, head over to the Gaslight Theatre at 7010 E. Broadway. Call (520) 886-9428 to book your tickets for Secret Santa.