Tubac

HISTORY

 Many believe Tubac was the first European community in Arizona and the second oldest one west of the Mississippi River. Located 40 miles south of Tucson, this quaint artist's village is said to be the place "Where Art and History Meet." The first inhabitants were the Hohokam who lived here between 300 and 1400 A.D. In the 1500's, the O'odham or Pima/Papago came to the area and the O'odham tribe continues to live near here on their own land. The Spaniards arrived in 1691, when the Jesuit missionary Father Francisco Eusebio Kino traveled through the Santa Cruz Valley building missions and farms. The Butterfield Stage went through Tubac, and the first Arizona newspaper was started in Tubac in 1859. By 1860, Tubac was known as one of the largest towns in Arizona. It declined after the Civil War broke out when many residents left to fight the war. Today, the small, picturesque community is one of Arizona's important art centers and historic site.

BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

With more than 100 shops, studios, galleries and historic sites, Tubac's primary economy is derived from art, tourism and retirees living in neighboring areas. A five-day annual festival of the arts boosts the economy by drawing thousands of people to the town.

STATISTICS

• Population: 986
• Incorporated: No
• County: Santa Cruz
• Elevation: 3,200 feet
• Total Area: 8.2 square miles
• Average July High: 96
• Average January Low: 31
• Average Yearly Precipitation: 15.88 inches
• Median Household Income: $39,444
• Median Age: 58
• City Sales Tax: 0%
• Cable Internet Service: No
• Fiber Optics: Yes
• (information current as of 6/2004)

ACTIVITIES AND ATTRACTIONS

Tubac's fabulous five-day annual festival of the arts in February draws artists and art lovers from around the country. The Tubac Center of the Arts, along with many working studios and galleries in town, showcases outstanding paintings, sculpture, weavings, pottery and jewelry. The Tubac Golf Resort was featured in Kevin Costner's film, "Tin Cup." The town's historic roots have been preserved at the Tubac Presidio State Park, where award-winning volunteers, "Los Tubaqueños," demonstrate what life was like in 18th-century Arizona. South of Tubac is the village of Tumacacori and the Tumacacori Mission National Historic Park where the remains of three Spanish Colonial missions are located.

The Annual Anza Days Celebration, in honor of Juan Bautista de Anza and the heritage of Tubac, features a re-enactment of Spanish Colonial soldiers riding horseback from Tumacacori Mission to the Tubac Presidio along the Anza Trail. La Fiesta de Tumacacori is an all-day celebration with entertainment, arts, crafts, food booths, hands-on interpretive programs and a Mariachi mass to honor the different cultures that have inhabited the area. In December, Tubac's streets glow with the soft lights from luminarias lit at the annual Fiesta Navidad de Luminarias. Other events are the Art Walk in March, and the Los Tubaque os Living History event in May.