Tucson, Arizona – On Friday, February 19th, Club Congress located at 311 E Congress, will become “Pub” Congress for the evening as guests participate in the Great Guinness Toast.

Hosted by the Patrick’s Day Parade and the Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games organizations, the Great Guinness Toast sets the perfect mood in preparation for upcoming St Patrick’s Day celebrations in March, while raising funds to support the parade, festival, and games.

Sponsored by Guinness, Harp, Bailey’s, and the Tucson Weekly, The Great Guinness Toast kicks off at 7 pm in both the Pub Congress and on the Plaza at Hotel Congress with live entertainment on both stages. On the outdoor stage, headliners will include the Killdares from Dallas, TX, one of the country’s premier Irish bands and local group Round the House, six-time winners of the TAMMIE for best traditional/ethnic band in Tucson.

On stage in Pub Congress, the Dusty Buskers, three time TAMMIE winners, will play old time Celtic Revival and non-traditional traditional music will be featured along with a Bushmill Whiskey tasting.

The official Great Guinness Toast will take place on the plaza at 10pm, where entertainment will continue on until 11pm.

An after party will take place in Pub Congress from 10pm to 2am featuring the Irish Folk Music band the Zsa Zsas nicknamed the Mc Zsa Zsas specially for the occasion.

Admission is $10 per person and include entertainment, tastings, and Irish food prepared by Chef Travis Peters at the Cup Cafe. Tickets can be purchased in advance on line at www.hotelcongress.com, the front desk of Hotel Congress, or at the door on the night of show.

Located at the east end of Congress Street, The Hotel Congress is in the heart of Downtown Tucson. Anchored by the historic Hotel Congress, including The Cup Cafe offering outstanding eclectic fare for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night; Club Congress featuring world class entertainment and the Copper Hall for special events.

Maynards Market and Kitchen, located in the Historic Train Depot across the street from the Hotel offers local produce, grocery staples, freshly made grab-and-go items, and a world class wine shop in the Market. The Kitchen offers superb modern comfort food in a contemporary, upbeat atmosphere. These businesses are a guiding force in the revitalization of downtown Tucson in addition to reducing their footprint by subscribing to sustainable and green practices.

For more information, please visit www.hotelcongress.com or www.maynardsmarkettucson.com

In January 1934, the Tucson Police Department, with help from the Tucson Fire Department, were able to do what countless law enforcement agencies around the country had been unable to do—capture the notorious Public Enemy #1 and his gang, and they did so without firing a shot!

Dillinger Days, one of Tucson’s most entertaining annual celebrations, provides a fun way to honor this unique bit of Tucson history, celebrate a nostalgic era, and honor the brave men and women who protect our city on a daily basis.

On Saturday, January 23rd, Congress Street, Toole Avenue, and Hotel Congress will be transformed into 1934. Three lively, historically accurate re-enactments will relive the Dillinger gang’s last bank robbery in Chicago prior to its arrival in Tucson, the series of events leading to the gang’s capture in and around Downtown, and the fire that destroyed the third floor of Hotel Congress.

The free festival, which begins at 11am, also includes live period music with an outdoor dance floor, a classic car “fashion show,” historic walking and trolley tours featuring sites relating to the gang’s capture, a special exhibit at the Arizona Historical Society Downtown History Museum at 140 N. Stone Ave., as well as interactive games and contests, old-time photography shoots, 1930s-themed carnival activities, book-signings in the Hotel Congress lobby and vendor booths at Maynards and the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum located at the historic train depot.

Participants are encouraged to dress in 30’s garb and be “extras” in the re-enactments and to participate in a period costume contest.

Received as a tip by email.