Tucson author Melani Martinez shares the story of her family's 70-year-old tamal and tortilla factory through her memoir The Molino, revealing how food anchors community and preserves cultural identity in the desert borderlands. Set in Tucson's historic Barrio Presidio, this moving exploration follows three generations of a family business and examines the heartbreaking effects of gentrification on longstanding community institutions. A compelling story of belonging, transformation, and the sacred work of nourishing others in Southern Arizona's changing landscape. 

Melani “Mele” Martinez is a writer and educator from Tucson, Arizona whose work explores the intersections of memory and cultural identity. Her debut memoir, The Molino (UA Press 2024), is a 2025 Int'l Latino Book Award Honorable Mention. The Molino blends family history with the shifting cultural landscape of Tucson’s barrios, honoring her family’s beloved tamal/tortilla factory and lunch counter, El Rapido, that served Tucson customers for nearly 70 years. Melani holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction and teaches in the Writing Program at the University of Arizona, where she designs courses that engage borderlands history, folkart, poetics, and storytelling.

• 25 curated artisan booths with fine art, jewelry, ceramics, sculpture, textiles, and more
• Floating art installations displayed across the lake
• Street painting demonstrations & interactive art zones
• The community-favorite Chalk Art Competition
• Cultural performances, including mariachi, folklórico dance, Chinese lion dance, and live music
• New this year! Experience art in motion as painters compete live in the Plein Air Painting Competition for cash prizes.
• A variety of Southern Arizona food vendors

Join public historian Alex La Pierre for an illuminating presentation that uncovers the deep cultural currents flowing from North Africa and the Islamic world into Spanish colonial experience in the Americas.

This fascinating talk traces how Moorish architectural, linguistic, and artistic traditions shaped the landscapes and legacies of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, revealing a rich tapestry of interconnected histories that continue to influence the region today.

You're invited to the Green Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce's Third Thursday Breakfast & Business Workshop! 

Thursday, January 15, 2025
7:30 am - 9:00 am

Continental Shopping Plaza - upstairs conference room
210 W. Continental Road, Green Valley, AZ 85622

Presentation by the Pima Association of Governments / Regional Transportation Authority
After seeking extensive public and technical input, the Regional Transportation Authority Board of Directors approved a final draft of the RTA Next regional transportation plan for voter consideration. The $2.67 billion plan will fund transportation improvements in the greater Tucson region for the next 20 years, if approved by voters. The election for the plan and a half-cent sales tax to fund it will be held on March 10, 2026. 

Seating is limited to 50 so sign up today!
Please provide email and cell phone contact information for each attendee. 

Jack's back! Join us as we welcome Jack Lasseter, well known local orator and historian. The history of the West is not just the story of men. It is the story of men and women. This is Jack's first talk on the fascinating story of some of the women on the Arizona frontier, and a tough and hardy bunch they were. But they would bring civilization to this land. He focuses on three, an Apache woman, a Spanish woman and a New England woman. They have three different stories but all poignant to the development of Arizona. Others include Chinese, African-American, Jewish, Mormon, and ranch women. Also there are governors, judges, a bridesmaid of Eleanor Roosevelt, the Captain of the "Arizona Navy", the first territorial historian, a famous painter and architect, and the last stagecoach robber.

Your ticket includes admission to the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park and Museum, light refreshments and lecture. Although, this isn’t your typical "lecture"- free from Powerpoint, sit back relax and enjoy a story that takes you back in time.