Oro Valley Meet Yourself Festival

The Southwest Folklife Alliance and the Town of Oro Valley are proud to announce the first Oro Valley Meet Yourself Festival March 21-22. This free family-friendly event, modeled after the highly successful Tucson Meet Yourself Festival, celebrates the cultures and traditions of families living and working in Oro Valley, SaddleBrooke, Rancho Vistoso and surrounding communities. The Oro Valley Marketplace, 12155 N. Oracle Road, will host this year’s festival, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

“Oro Valley has often been viewed as being one dimensional without a lot of culture,” said Satish Hiremath, Mayor of Oro Valley. “While this may have been the case at one point, I can assure you that this is no longer true."

Maribel Alvarez, Executive Program Director of the Southwest Folklife Alliance, added: “This festival, in the common practice of the Smithsonian folklife concept, began with a study of the community done by a cultural anthropologist. One of the most surprising findings was that some pretty well known masters of traditional arts make Oro Valley their home. This means that Oro Valley residents may live next door to a Tradition Bearer and not know how special that person is in the transmission of culture. One such person is Julie Gallego, who will demonstrate and discuss Folklorico dance.”

The OVM Festival will feature: •Music and dance performances •Ethnic food sales •Folklife demonstrations •Dukes Car Club showcase •Heritage Food mobile exhibit •The Lore of Firefighters •Regional authentic manual arts and crafts •Community Matters Nonprofit information fair •Cultural diversity passport for kids