Join the WUNA team on May 30th as we show West University Neighborhood a little love.
UPDATED LOCATION:
CORNER OF 4th AVE SOUTH OF 2nd STREET (meet by Tugo station).
Old News
JOIN OUR SPRING PLANTING!
West University Porchfest 2026!
SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026, 6-10pm
In the poster below, scan the QR code to get a link to a Google map where you can see all of this year’s Porchfest locations about our neighborhood. When you click on any of these sky blue markers, the time and address for the given Porchfest location will display.
Food trucks will be sprinkled around the neighborhood as well.
Come join us for this warm and musical, community-bonding evening!
Annual Meeting and Neighborhood Gathering 2026!
JAN 11, 2026, NOON
CATALINA PARK
Come join us for potluck and BBQ, and mingle with your WUNA neighbors at our annual WUNA meeting! Bring a dish to share. Non-vegan burgers/hot dogs will be provided.
Get caught up on the latest news and updates, vote for officers and suggest projects!
See you there!
Potluck Brunch!
Let’s Fill the Roll-off!
MAY 24-26, 2025
Catalina Park at 2nd St.
WUNA has arranged for a roll-off dumpster for residents of West University Neighborhood. Let’s fill it up and empty our alleys and yards of large unsightly items!
Volunteers needed Saturday morning May 24th. Come with your gloves and, if you have one, your pickup. We’ll do a quick run of the alleys before the roll-off gets full. Coffee and donuts at 6am!
Keep our neighborhood beautiful!
Early morning volunteers on Saturday standing inside half filled roll-off.
West University PorchFest 2025
May 10: Last Planting of the Season!
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 6am – 10am
Meet at southeast corner of 1st Street and 5th Avenue
Cost: FREE (plus your planting help!)
Come help us plant six large new street-side, water-harvesting, eddy basins — installations in the public commons, planted and stewarded by the participating public.
We start at the northwest corner of Catalina Park (5th Avenue and 1st Street) then head to 3rd Ave and 2nd Street, and finally 3rd Ave and 1st Street.
This planting of rain, trees, understory and wildflowers is occurring in the West University neighborhood, but the planting event is open to anyone from any neighborhood, and is a great opportunity to see how such an event, or other Neighborhood Forester endeavors, could be organized elsewhere.
The stormwater eddy basins (each having over 5,000-gallon annual capacity) are being wrapped up now – so now we can plant. Got to plant the rain before we plant the plants! This way we create a neighborhood rain-irrigated native food forest that rehydrates our community and hydrology, rather than one that dehydrates it by pumping and extracting from our dwindling groundwater.
We begin at 6:00 am to beat the heat with a planting demonstration led by Brad Lancaster and community planting, then we’ll keep going to the next basin. The demonstration will show you how to plant the rain to maximize its potential, how to plant food-bearing native trees and understory plants by seed and/or with nursery stock to maximize passive summer shading/cooling, and how to recycle/plant prunings and leaves as fertility-building, carbon-sequestering, pollutant-filtering, water-harvesting mulch.
End time of ten is approximate (with a good showing of folks we’ll likely finish up early).
Community planting of new street-side, water-harvesting basins in the public rights-of-ways of Dunbar/Spring & West University neighborhoods – Tucson, AZ
Easter Egg Hunt and Potluck!
A few neighbors have stepped up to help host an Easter Egg Hunt and Potluck.
SATURDAY APRIL 19, 2025 — 10am.
Bring a brunch treat to share. Ice, water and drinks available.
The weather may cool down enough for a relaxing morning to tell seasonal tales. Who knows, we may see the Easter Bunny’s tail as well.
2025 WUNA Annual Meeting BBQ Potluck
Sunday, Jan 19, 2025, Noon
South side of Catalina Park (2nd St and Herbert)
Come to our annual potluck picnic!
On January 19th we will hold our annual picnic. We will elect our 2025 board, share delicious food, catch up with neighbors, & discuss some important WU happenings. In addition to area representatives & officers we also elect board members at large. Efficiency of volunteer energy is the goal for 2025. We encourage residents to nominate themselves. We can help find a good spot for your talents! It’s really that easy.
Email us with any questions, or just show up on 1/19! We need YOU!
Thank You for a Great Picnic 2024!!
WUNA’s Fun and Busy Spring 2023
Annual Meeting and Neighborhood Gathering 2024
Saturday, Jan 20, 2024, Noon
Catalina Park
Come to our annual potluck picnic!
On January 20th we will hold our annual picnic. This fun event provides WUNA with the time and space to hold board elections. In addition to area representatives & officers we also elect board members at large. In 2024 WUNA will only meet as a board FOUR times. Efficiency of volunteer energy is the goal for 2024. We encourage residents to nominate themselves. We can help find a good spot for your talents! It’s really that easy. Email us with any questions, or just show up on 1/20! We need YOU!
Annual Meeting and Neighborhood Gathering 2023
SUN, JAN 15, 2023, 1pm
Catalina Park
Come to WUNA’s Annual Meeting Picnic!
Enjoy BBQ and cake. Bring a dish to share, if you can. Chat with your neighbors and your neighborhood’s leaders. Learn more about how you can participate in neighborhood projects that interest you. In addition to great food and conversation, we also hold our elections for board members at the Annual Meeting. »2023 Board Member Nomination info
UPDATE:
As all of you who follow weather are well aware, it looks like during our annual picnic scheduled for this Sunday we will get to experience a little bit of rain.
WHAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF RAIN?
THIS PICNIC IS A GO REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER.
Your intrepid picnic planners are securing awnings, fire pits and rain ponchos to make this a fun and cozy event. Warm food and beverages will be available (as well as cold beer and sodas). Potluck dishes to share are still encouraged.
As a friend from Seattle once said, “weather isn’t an issue if you have the right gear”.
So fellow West U neighbors, test your mettle, bundle up, dream up a fun dish and show up at Catalina Park, 1 pm Sunday January 15th!!
Along with food and fun will be the WUNA Board elections — hope to see everyone there (bring a chair).
Easter Brunch 2023
WUNA’s tradition of Easter Brunch continues this Sunday April 9th at 10am. Catalina Park along 2nd St.
Bunny interns are needed! Jim will be at the park at 9:15am and needs help with setting up and hiding eggs. Please come a bit early and help if you can.
Hope to see you Sunday. It’ll be a relaxed and happy day 🌼
WUNA Celebrates Anza Park with Dog Show
Dog Show and Neighborhood Party
Spring ’22 Events
FRI, SAT, SUN, APR 1-3
4th Avenue Street Fair
Please sign up for a shift to help out in the beer booth. Just add your name to the shift you plan to work. If you could separately email Jim that you have signed up, that will help him send out some informational material in advance of your shift.
🌿 🌼 🌷
WED, APR 6, 6pm
WUNA Art Walk
This under an hour tour will be led by board members Kat and Lisette who will highlight some of the murals and art in our neighborhood. Meet in front of the Rogue Theatre on University Blvd.
🌿 🌼 🌷
THU, APR 7, 6:30pm
WUNA Board Meeting
Attend via Zoom or come in person, Trinity Church, 400 E University, enter off Hoff Avenue on the east side of the building.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 845 8466 6599
🌿 🌼 🌷
SUN, APR 10
Made in Tucson and Neighborhood Clean Up
Although neither is sponsored by WUNA, we support both of these events and many of us will be there:
Made in Tucson Fair, 10am-dusk, 7th St and 4th Ave.
Neighborhood Clean Up, Vineyard Church, 10:30 am, 625 N 2nd Ave.
🌿 🌼 🌷
SAT, APR 16, 9am
EASTER EGG HUNT and BRUNCH at Catalina Park
Please spread the word and invite surrounding neighborhood friends & families!!
Annual Meeting and Neighborhood Gathering 2022
JANUARY 16, 2022, 1pm
Catalina Park
In addition to great food and conversation, we hold our elections for board members at our Annual Meeting Picnic.
The WUNA Board is Looking for New Members!
To nominate yourself or someone else, email us and include the person’s full name, their physical address, email address and phone number and what position they are running for. Henry Werchan, our election committee chair, will add the name to the slate. We will vote on the slate at our Annual Meeting Picnic, January 16 at Catalina Park.
»more info about Board of Directors Nominations
Upcoming Nov ’21 Events
Things are ramping up again everywhere, and WUNA is doing our share to get you out of the house and into the fresh air! First, mark your calendars for our November 4 board meeting at 6:30pm. We’re trying a new outdoor location. Vineyard Church, 625 N 2nd Ave, has generously offered to host us. We will be in the back playground area off their parking lot, which can be accessed from Bean Avenue. Please remember that we (loosely) follow Robert Rules of Order, which means non-board members are welcome to bring up items during our call to the audience at the beginning of the meeting, but officers can limit the discussion of agenda items to board members only. On that note, please feel ready and welcome to run for a board position come January. WUNA needs new board members!
On Friday, Nov 5 at 3pm, we will augment the water retention basins at Catalina Park with a new round of plants. While we do have some Zeta Psi kids potentially ready to dig holes, we’d love to see neighbors, especially those who helped with ‘Stage 1’ of the GSI grant last October.
On Sunday, Nov 14 at 11:30am, Vineyard Church will host a second neighborhood-wide clean up. If you think a certain area of the neighborhood needs attention, this is your chance to show up and take part.
On Saturday, Nov 20 3-5pm, Living Streets Alliance, in conjunction with the city, is planning a ‘Park Party’ at Catalina Park to get feedback on the bicycle routes and boulevards planned for our area.
Finally, Sunday, Nov 28, Made in Tucson, hosted by the Fourth Avenue Coalition, is on track to wrap up your Thanksgiving Weekend. It will take place on 7th Street in and around the Antigone’s parking lot.
Big Dumpster for Alley Cleanup This Weekend
WUNA has arranged with the City of Tucson for a huge roll-off dumpster to be made available for a neighborhood alley clean-up this weekend.
Lots of students are leaving, but they don’t realize the garbage stays. Brush and Bulky isn’t until the end of August.
The city will be delivering the roll-off dumpster to West University on 5th Street, right behind Roskruge (see map) on Friday, May 28. The dumpster will remain there until early morning Tuesday, June 1.
The dumpster is available to any and all folks in surrounding neighborhoods over the entire holiday weekend.
WUNA’s alley clean-up starts 7:30am Sunday. If you’ve got a truck and/or are willing to help haul, please show up!
Spread the word!
Spring 2021 Neighborhood Cleanup!
Sunday, March 7, we had a spring neighborhood cleanup sponsored by Vineyard Church. Over 40 people showed up to beautify our traffic circles, chicanes, and Catalina Park water harvesting basins. »more on Instagram
Planting Day at Catalina Park’s New Desert Gardens
Oct 25, 2020
Ford Burkhart
Photos by Lenor Glover
On a fallish October 25, a pleasant Sunday, with temps in the 80s, WUNA and friends planted our Catalina Park with everything from penstemon to mesquites, along with milkweed, dogweed, and deer grass.
About 30 volunteers from West University, along with Feldman’s and Dunbar Spring neighborhoods, gathered to help the experts from Tucson Clean and Beautiful plant the drainage swales dug to collect rain, when, and if, we ever get any. This was the culmination of a grant WUNA President Judy Sensibar wrote about a year ago applying for water harvesting project funding.
Jon Choi, the Stormwater Harvesting Project Manager at TCB, who led the team in drawing up the plans, including curb cuts for the south side of the park, gave credit to his group and to Parks and Recreation generally, all under the grant that supported seven city staff to lead the effort…
»Keep reading
Planting Day at Catalina Park
You might have noticed some digging in Catalina Park — our water harvesting grant is happening! Under the direction of Tucson Clean and Beautiful, we are bringing the north and south sides of the park to life.
Help us bring those barren curbs to life and be part of the fun!
🌱PLANTING DAY AT CATALINA PARK🌱
SUN, OCT 25, 9-11am
941 N. 4th
Wear a mask, closed-toed shoes, and bring your own water bottle. We’ll have some snacks.
See you Sunday!
Good News for Anza Park
Oct 19, 2020
You might have noticed Anza Park is looking very quiet and peaceful lately. TPD arrested a longtime drug dealer and his clientele have moved on.
Police have asked us to come up with ideas to be in the park. Volleyball has started many evenings again, and players appreciate us coming by to show our support.
Construction of the 🐾 dog park has begun! Let’s get in the habit of walking our dogs 🐾 to the park to see the progress! 🐕
»See the plan of what the full remodel will look like. Please note that the dog park, new restroom and some utility work are in the first phase and are planned for completion this year.
PARK HOURS
DE ANZA: 7am-10:30pm
CATALINA: Sunrise to Dark
Carolyn Niethammer Signing A DESERT FEAST at Mission Garden
SAT, OCT 17
9am to 1pm
Mission Garden
Grande and Mission Lane
(inside an adobe wall)
Please wear a mask.
Questions? Email Carolyn.
I’d like to invite all West University residents to a signing for my new book A Desert Feast on Saturday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mission Garden. The book covers thousands of years of Tucson food history from the invention of agriculture to how school gardens today are teaching children to grow food. It tells the story of why Tucson was named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. There will be farmers and artisan food makers scattered throughout the garden to tell their story. Archaeologist Alan Denoyer will show off a frame for a pithouse, the typical dwelling around here for thousands of years. Bring the family; kids will love it!
Mission Garden encompasses four acres and is inside an adobe wall. If everyone stays masked and properly distanced, we can have a fun and safe day celebrating Tucson’s history.
Carolyn Niethammer
Long-time West University resident
WUNA Plant Exchange 2020
Catalina Park
Sunday, October 4, 2020
9am-11am
Please wear a mask and be prepared to happily social distance.
This is a great opportunity to share cuttings of your favorite plants, indoor and out, including succulents, cacti or anything else you’re tired of looking at. If you don’t have plants to contribute, come anyway, there is always more than enough. Please wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines. Come enjoy some lovely Tucson spring weather and meet some new neighbors!
TEP Pole Route News
Sep 12, 2020. Four neighborhoods, with WU Board members at the helm, have worked hard to come to a consensus on how we should advocate for the best TEP Pole route for the Kino to DMP 138kV Transmission Line Project. We zoomed and talked on the phone and emailed until we managed to concisely outline our points to Mayor and Council in this letter.
TEP has extended the public commenting period – neighbors now have until September 20, 2020 to submit their responses.
Please use the facts and statements given in our letter or add your own to submit a comment!
The more responses TEP receives about how Campbell, not Euclid, is the better route, the better chance we have for TEP to bring this choice to the Arizona Corporation Commission in November.
Submit your comments by September 20, 2020 using one of these methods:
- Mail a letter with comments to:
Kino to DMP 138kV Transmission Line Project
P.O. Box 711
ATTN: Kino-DMP
Mail Stop RC131
Tucson, AZ 85701-0711 - Sending comments to KIN02DMP@tep.com
- Filling out an online comment form on the project website
- Calling 1-833-523-0887 and leaving a voicemail message
Get updates and more at the TEP website.
TEP recomienda a los residentes y propietarios a compartir sus opiniones sobre posibles rutas para lineas de transmisión. Por favor comparta sus ideas utilizando la información de contacto que se menciona arriba. Si tiene alguna pregunta, comunique se con nosotros al KIN02DMP@tep.com o 1-833-655-0399.
Gift Cards to Save 4th Avenue Business: Round 2!
Round 2 of the Fourth Avenue Gift Card Program goes live on May 4 at 6am!
Historic Fourth Avenue is the heartbeat of Tucson. Its character is defined by the many unique, locally owned businesses within the district. Preserving and supporting those businesses is fundamental to preserving the character of Fourth Avenue itself. The Fourth Avenue Merchants Association (FAMA) and an Anonymous Angel will add $10 to each card which goes directly to the merchant. Together we will be making a $35,000 investment in the future of our community’s small, locally owned businesses.
For $25 you receive a $35 gift card for use at the following participating Fourth Avenue Businesses:
Bison Witches Bar & Grill • BOCA Tacos y Tequila • Book Stop • Boss Shears • Brooklyn Pizza • Cafe Passe • Caruso’s Restaurant • Celestial Rites • Che’s Lounge • Chocolate Iguana • Crooked Tooth Brewing Company • The Drunken Chicken • Eastland Alley Design Co. • Flower Shop on 4th Avenue • Hippie Gypsy • How Sweet It Was Vintage • Hurricane Records • Lindy’s on 4th • Magpies Gourmet Pizza • Martin’s Comida Chingona • Medusas on 4th • Mr. Head’s Art Gallery and Bar • Pop Cycle Shop • Public Brewhouse • Razorz Edge • Rustic Candle • ShopUp Tucson • Silver Sea Jewelry • Surly Wench Pub • TallBoys• Tap & Bottle • Tiny Town Surplus • True Love Honey • Tucson Improv Movement • Tucson Thrift Shop • Tumerico on 4th Ave • ZUZI! Dance
Gift cards can be purchased beginning on Monday, May 4th at 6am.
Thank you for supporting the Merchants on Fourth Avenue! Gifts cards will be mailed out by USPS approximately 7-10 days from the end of the program.
For more information: contact Fred Ronstadt at (520) 624-5006.