For many, Labor Day often signifies the end of the summer. It means back to school, no more vacation, and bittersweet feelings of seeing summer’s end.
When summer is coming to a close in Tucson, there is also a bit of skip to everyone’s step. Folks that have lived in the Sonoran desert for a while know that once the UA students make their way back to campus, it signifies that summer is winding down and fall is right around the corner. It also means that there’s excitement in the air!
The best time to be in Tucson is HERE! If you are fairly new to Tucson, you may not see the subtle signs that occur when Sonoran fall is near. Tucsonans see how the light in the sky changes. It becomes softer. The angle of the sun has begun to shift and night falls a little sooner.
Newbies often say to us desert dwellers “But it can be 90 degrees in November! Summer doesn’t end in Tucson.”
Oh, but it does. The desert dwellers know the end of the long summer days is near! Anyone that has lived here over a few years knows the 110-degree days for weeks at a time are GONE, at least for nine or ten months. We made it through another summer.
Tucsonans gain a seasonal cheerfulness as we enter the fun season in the Sonoran desert. Cooler nights are here, and nightlife picks up all across the city. Music and theater, tailgating UA football games (Go, Wildcats!), and friends start having BBQ’s… Everything changes when summer wanes in Tucson! Everyone rush outside to begin the annual season of hiking, golfing, cycling, any outdoor activities, and bike riders hit the streets in droves training for the annual El Tour de Tucson event.
The town swells with UA students, snowbirds, and vacationing visitors exploring and taking in the magic of Tucson. There is a happy pulse in Tucson in September. The happy, fun vibe in the Old Pueblo is back. Summer is closing and the Sonoran fall is upon us. Cheers to 9 months of great weather to celebrating everyone’s favorite season in Tucson!
*This guest blog was written by Patricia, an associate and friend of mine
