If you’ve registered for our 2019 Threshold Choir Regional Gathering, we are so glad you’ll be joining us in Tucson for the weekend! You might have some questions simmering, so this post is intended to help provide some answers:
WHAT TO BRING: Tucson weather in mid-April tends to have highs in the upper 70’s or lower 80’s and lows about 50 degrees F. Temperatures in restaurants can vary widely too, so to stay comfortable throughout the day, plan to layer your clothing and bring a sweater, vest or shawl with you. Many folks who have registered are sensitive to fragrances, so please consider this as you pack. Bringing a small bottle of hand gel to use throughout the weekend would help immunosuppressed participants stay healthy too. Please bring a reusable water bottle, marked with your name.
If you feel moved to do so, we also invite you to bring something for our ‘Remembrance Table’. It could be a photo of a loved one, a quote, a small object, anything that would help you to feel grounded and present for the duration of the gathering. We invite you to place your item at the beginning of the gathering and to take it back at the end.
If you have an item that’s still wonderful and you’d be happy to release, not to return home with you, consider putting it on the ‘Treasure Table’ during the gathering, for somebody else to take with them and treasure. Items not retrieved by others will be donated to a local charity after the gathering. (Some of you may be familiar with this concept, involving small and easy to pack items like scarves, artwork, books, hats, jewelry or mementos.)
TRANSPORTATION: If you’ll be in town without a car and are staying at the Homewood Suites at St. Phillips Plaza, there will be a shuttle to get you to St. Francis in the Foothills for the gathering Friday and Sunday, but will be of limited to no value on Saturday. Since it is limited in availability and seats, we STRONGLY suggest carpooling to the gathering AND coordinating rides to Southside Presbyterian on Saturday night for the Community Sing, or taking Lyft or Uber, as the Homewood Suites shuttle won’t cover the distance to Southside. (Their shuttle will leave every on the half hour from 7:30-10:30AM and then operates again at 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 and 7:00PM. There is no service on the hotel shuttle during daytime hours after 10:30AM or after 7:00PM.) For those of you coming and going from the Phoenix airport, there are a couple of shuttle services to choose from online.
DINING: At St. Francis during the gathering, we’ll have tea, coffee and water always available, as well as various nibbles. The only meal provided will be Saturday lunch: buffet style, with options for vegetarians, vegans, dairy free, garlic-free and tofu-free food plans. A light a la carte brunch with nibbles will be offered Sunday morning. Those who prefer to bring their own food will be able to keep it in the church’s refrigerator, as long as your name is clearly marked on the items. There will not be food at the Community Sing Saturday evening, so in the email participants receive, there is an attachment about many dining options for Saturday dinner and other meals during your stay.
ENJOYING YOUR VISIT: At the information table we’ll have set up during the gathering, you’ll find a booklet with local restaurants, a bike and walking map of the downtown are highlighting many of the wonderful Tucson murals and a Tucson guidebook. They’ll be available for use while you’re here. We ask you to return any you don’t want to take home so we can return them for re-use to their source organizations.
If all of this leaves you wondering about something not listed, feel free to contact either Barbara Richardson or Kristine Bentz whose email addresses will be on the email you receive directing you to this post.
Thank you and see you soon!
Singing at Life's Thresholds 