Events

Join our tour to Oaxaca, Mexico in partnership with Ancestros Travel, the leading indigenously-operated travel program to come from Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca.
Border Community Alliance and Ancestros Travel invite you to explore the true heart of Mexico’s vibrant arts traditions with us in Oaxaca. Together we will meet the master artists who sustain and illuminate Oaxaca’s creative soul, touching on important issues of authenticity, ingenuity, and innovation. Each day will bring you closer to the creative people whose lives are devoted to mastering art forms that are appreciated around the world. Together, they are the soul of Oaxaca.

Oaxaca is a land of tradition, ancient arts, creativity, and change. The villages of the Central Valleys are deeply rooted in ancient Zapotec communities. You’re invited to explore the history, cultural significance, and creative vision with us on this unique week-long journey through Oaxaca

Tour price: $3,125 for members and $3,225 for non-members for double occupancy; $600 single occupancy supplement, plus airfare

Tour dates: October 3-11
Tour price: $3,125 for members and $3,225 for non-members for double occupancy; $600 single occupancy supplement, plus airfare

To reserve your spot, please submit a $500 hold fee when you register at www.bordercommunityalliance.org or call Suzy at (520) 398-3229. (This fee is refundable up until May 15, 2023, minus a $100 processing fee.)


All final payments will be due by August 15, 2023.

If you cancel after the deadlines, we will not be able to refund your money unless there is a waiting list and your place on the trip can be filled by someone else. In this case, there is a $100 administration cancellation fee. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE IN CASE YOU NEED TO CANCEL THIS TRIP.

BCA has the right to cancel the tour at any time based on safety or COVID concerns in the Oaxaca area. If the trip is canceled, a full refund will be made.

The price of the tour includes accommodations, group breakfasts and lunches, ground transportation, entrance fees, and multilingual guides for both city and villages. Airfare, tips, alcoholic beverages and discretionary personal purchases are not included. People arriving or departing outside of the trip dates will need to pay for their own airport transfers. While you can find other tours to Oaxaca that are cheaper, we believe the quality of this experience will be well worth it. Trust relationships and intimate knowledge of the local culture make this a very special offering.

Join our tour to Oaxaca, Mexico in partnership with Ancestros Travel, the leading indigenously-operated travel program to come from Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca.
Border Community Alliance and Ancestros Travel invite you to explore the true heart of Mexico’s vibrant arts traditions with us in Oaxaca. Together we will meet the master artists who sustain and illuminate Oaxaca’s creative soul, touching on important issues of authenticity, ingenuity, and innovation. Each day will bring you closer to the creative people whose lives are devoted to mastering art forms that are appreciated around the world. Together, they are the soul of Oaxaca.

Oaxaca is a land of tradition, ancient arts, creativity, and change. The villages of the Central Valleys are deeply rooted in ancient Zapotec communities. You’re invited to explore the history, cultural significance, and creative vision with us on this unique week-long journey through Oaxaca

Tour price: $3,125 for members and $3,225 for non-members for double occupancy; $600 single occupancy supplement, plus airfare

Tour dates: October 3-11
Tour price: $3,125 for members and $3,225 for non-members for double occupancy; $600 single occupancy supplement, plus airfare

To reserve your spot, please submit a $500 hold fee when you register at www.bordercommunityalliance.org or call Suzy at (520) 398-3229. (This fee is refundable up until May 15, 2023, minus a $100 processing fee.)

All final payments will be due by August 15, 2023.

If you cancel after the deadlines, we will not be able to refund your money unless there is a waiting list and your place on the trip can be filled by someone else. In this case, there is a $100 administration cancellation fee. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE IN CASE YOU NEED TO CANCEL THIS TRIP.

BCA has the right to cancel the tour at any time based on safety or COVID concerns in the Oaxaca area. If the trip is canceled, a full refund will be made.

The price of the tour includes accommodations, group breakfasts and lunches, ground transportation, entrance fees, and multilingual guides for both city and villages. Airfare, tips, alcoholic beverages and discretionary personal purchases are not included. People arriving or departing outside of the trip dates will need to pay for their own airport transfers. While you can find other tours to Oaxaca that are cheaper, we believe the quality of this experience will be well worth it. Trust relationships and intimate knowledge of the local culture make this a very special offering.

Join Zoom Meeting
FREE EVENT
BLFC Meets Second Wednesday of each month
Suggested Donation: $10/drop in or $100/year
Via Zoom. Register to receive zoom link.
BLFC members will receive zoom link automatically.

TOUR IS FULL. CONTACT 520-398-3229 IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITLIST
Cost of Tour $3315.00 to BCA members per person double occupancy plus air; $3,415 to non-members pers person double occupancy plus air;
$520.00 single supplement
Price includes: All tours and transfers from the Mexico City Airport, all lodging and taxes, all breakfasts, most lunches (except for free day), bilingual anthropologist tour escort, local guides
Not included: lunches on the airplane or free days, dinners, alcoholic beverages, international airfare, tips, personal expenses.
Deposit of $1,000.00 with the signed release form below to reserve your space. Remainder due 90 days prior to departure.
Refund Policy: 90 days or more in advance of departure - full refund less $500.00 and any deposits made to hotels that we cannot retrieve. Less than 90 days before departure, no refund can be issued. Trip cancellation and travel insurance is available and recommended at Allianz Travel. Please use accam number Z014617 at www.allianztravelinsurance.com. This way we will have a record of who has travel insurance.

Cost of Tour $3315.00 to BCA members per person double occupancy plus air; $3,415 to non-members pers person double occupancy plus air;
$520.00 single supplement
Price includes: All tours and transfers from the Mexico City Airport, all lodging and taxes, all breakfasts, most lunches (except for free day), bilingual anthropologist tour escort, local guides
Not included: lunches on the airplane or free days, dinners, alcoholic beverages, international airfare, tips, personal expenses.
Deposit of $1,000.00 with the signed release form below to reserve your space. Remainder due 90 days prior to departure.
Refund Policy: 90 days or more in advance of departure - full refund less $500.00 and any deposits made to hotels that we cannot retrieve. Less than 90 days before departure, no refund can be issued. Trip cancellation and travel insurance is available and recommended at Allianz Travel. Please use accam number Z014617 at www.allianztravelinsurance.com. This way we will have a record of who has travel insurance.

Oct. 18, 2023 Cross Border Tour- Nogales,Sonora
Educational and inspirational, these tours provide an orientation to the rising, nonprofit, economic and civil sector of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico led by both Mexican & US guides as well as a presentation by US Consulate staff.(depending on availability) Lunch & snack included. Transportation in Mexico is by van; only minimal walking is required.
CANCELLATION POLICY: TEN or more days- A full refund or re-booking for a future tour. Less than TEN days, a refund less a $25 cancellation fee OR re-booking for a future tour.(A $25.00 surcharge will apply).
We’ll meet at the BCA Office at 8:30am. One week before the tour, you’ll receive a detailed itinerary and other information you'll need for the tour.

Wed., October 18, 9-10am: Mission Garden Tour, Tucson, AZ. Mission Garden is a living agricultural museum of Sonoran Desert-adapted heritage fruit trees, traditional local heirloom crops and edible native plants. Mission Garden is located at the foot of Sentinel Peak, at the site of the Native American village of S-cuk Son, a place sacred to the Tohono O’odham. Current garden plots include: Native Plants, Early Agriculture, Hohokam, O’odham Before European Contact, O’odham After European Contact, Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, Yoeme, Africa in the Americas, Medicinal, and Youth. Areas in development include the Grassland, Territorial, Statehood and Tomorrow’s gardens, as well as the Trail of Ndé (Apache) Plants. Tour price: Free. Location: Mission Garden, Tucson, AZ

October 20, 7-10am: Riparian Birds of the Borderlands birding walk with Conservation Biologist, Jennie McFarland, Tucson Audubon. Starting location: Ron Morriss Park, Tubac. Tour price: FREE. Registration Required.

October 23, 9-11am: Tucson Public Arts & Murals Walking Tour, Tucson, AZ. Recent years have seen an explosion of public art throughout Tucson. This tour, led by tour guide Dorothy Yanez, begins at the Presidio Museum and proceeds into the downtown area, stopping at numerous public art pieces and murals. At each stop you will learn about the artist and the artwork. Several new murals have been added to the tour route since Dorothy began giving these tours about a year ago. The tour is approximately 2 miles long. Tour price: $15. Location: Meet at Tucson Presidio.

October 30, 5:30pm: “Seeking Refuge at Our Ports of Entry: The Right to Asylum”. A Borderlands Forum with Alba Jaramillio, Co-Executive Director of the Immigration Law & Justice Network (formerly Justice for our Neighbors). Location: St. Francis in the Foothills Church, 4625 E. River Road, Tucson.

Saturday, November 4, 2023
5:00pm Reception, 6:00pm Dinner & Program
Desert Diamond Casino, Sahuarita, AZ
$100
-Join BCA in celebration of 10 years' education and service in the Borderlands, bringing friends and supporters together to recall their many special moments, events and accomplishments with BCA.
Ticket price includes a light appetizer reception, choice of dinner, two alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and dessert/ coffee.
Please select from 3 entree options:
-Picatta Chicken Breast-Pan Seared, Lemon Caper Veloute, Wild Rice Pilaf, Seasonal Vegetables.
-Grilled Strip New York (8 oz)Wild Mushroom Bordelaise, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables
-Vegetarian option: Oven roasted pepper stuffed with a saúte of quinoa, brown rice, mushrooms, black bean, queso fresco, roasted corn. Topped with avocado slices and chipotle crema, served with broccoli risotto
All meals include garden salad and crème brulee dessert, coffee, tea, water (cash bar will be available during the reception and dinner - two drink tickets included)
BCA will make every effort to meet seating requests for groups on a first-come, first-served basis; each table will seat 8 guests. 
Purchase of 8 tickets guarantees you a table -- while seats last. 

November 9, 2pm:  "How Did Our Beloved Sonoran Desert Become a Vast Open Graveyard?" Borderlands Forum with Rev. John Fife. The Rev. John Fife is a retired Presbyterian minister, human rights advocate and a founder of the Sanctuary Movement. Between 1982-92, some 15,000 Central Americans came through his church, Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Ariz., seeking safe harbor or assistance after fleeing civil war and death squads in their home countries. He is also a co-founder of the humanitarian aid organization No More Deaths. He will speak about the over 4,000 migrants that have died in the Arizona desert over the past two decades.  Free event.  Location:  United Methodist Church of Green Valley, 300 W. Esperanza Blvd, Green Valley.

Nov 15, 2023 Cross Border Tour- Nogales,Sonora
Educational and inspirational, these tours provide an orientation to the rising, nonprofit, economic and civil sector of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico led by both Mexican & US guides as well as a presentation by US Consulate staff.(depending on availability) Lunch & snack included. Transportation in Mexico is by van; only minimal walking is required.
CANCELLATION POLICY: TEN or more days- A full refund or re-booking for a future tour. Less than TEN days, a refund less a $25 cancellation fee OR re-booking for a future tour.(A $25.00 surcharge will apply).
We’ll meet at the BCA Office at 8:30am. One week before the tour, you’ll receive a detailed itinerary and other information you'll need for the tour.

Wednesday, Nov 29, 2023 Cross Border Tour- Nogales,Sonora
Educational and inspirational, these tours provide an orientation to the rising, nonprofit, economic and civil sector of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico led by both Mexican & US guides as well as a presentation by US Consulate staff.(depending on availability) Lunch & snack included. Transportation in Mexico is by van; only minimal walking is required.
CANCELLATION POLICY: TEN or more days- A full refund or re-booking for a future tour. Less than TEN days, a refund less a $25 cancellation fee OR re-booking for a future tour.(A $25.00 surcharge will apply).
We’ll meet at the BCA Office at 8:30am. One week before the tour, you’ll receive a detailed itinerary and other information you'll need for the tour.

Dec. 3, 2023: Tubac Art & History Walking Tour1:30-3:30p,: Tubac, AZ - Where Art & History Meet - new tour of Tubac, AZ, voted USA Today's "Best Small Town Art Scene" Winner in 2022. Brimming with art galleries, the historic Tubac Presidio, and wonderful restaurants, Tubac is a borderlands locale not to be missed. Tubac native and historian, Nancy Valentine, will take you on a tour visiting local historical sites, artisan workshops and galleries, and local landmarks, including the historic El Presidito gallery building.
A Special 75th Anniversary of Tubac Art Colony Tour! Join Nancy Valentine, daughter of early Tubac artists, for an insider’s guided walking tour through the historic Borderlands village of Tubac. Learn the who, what and why stories of the colorful lives of the early art colonists—artists and celebrities alike— while visiting some of their former historic homes and studios and creative spaces of working artists of today.
Location: Meet at Tubac Presidio State Historic Park Visitors Center.
Tour fee: $15 (Financial assistance available)

Join our tour to Oaxaca, Mexico in partnership with Ancestros Travel, the leading indigenously-operated travel program to come from Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca.
Border Community Alliance and Ancestros Travel invite you to explore the true heart of Mexico’s vibrant arts traditions with us in Oaxaca. Together we will meet the master artists who sustain and illuminate Oaxaca’s creative soul, touching on important issues of authenticity, ingenuity, and innovation. Each day will bring you closer to the creative people whose lives are devoted to mastering art forms that are appreciated around the world. Together, they are the soul of Oaxaca.

Oaxaca is a land of tradition, ancient arts, creativity, and change. The villages of the Central Valleys are deeply rooted in ancient Zapotec communities. You’re invited to explore the history, cultural significance, and creative vision with us on this unique week-long journey through Oaxaca

Tour price: $3,125 for members and $3,225 for non-members for double occupancy; $600 single occupancy supplement, plus airfare

Tour dates: December 6-December 14
Tour price: $3,125 for members and $3,225 for non-members for double occupancy; $600 single occupancy supplement, plus airfare


To reserve your spot, please submit a $500 hold fee when you register at www.bordercommunityalliance.org or call Suzy at (520) 398-3229. (This fee is refundable up until July 15, 2023, minus a $100 processing fee.)

An additional $1,500 deposit will be required by September 1, 2023.

All final payments will be due by October 1, 2023.

If you cancel after the deadlines, we will not be able to refund your money unless there is a waiting list and your place on the trip can be filled by someone else. In this case, there is a $100 administration cancellation fee. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE IN CASE YOU NEED TO CANCEL THIS TRIP.

BCA has the right to cancel the tour at any time based on safety or COVID concerns in the Oaxaca area. If the trip is canceled, a full refund will be made.

The price of the tour includes accommodations, group breakfasts and lunches, ground transportation, entrance fees, and multilingual guides for both city and villages. Airfare, tips, alcoholic beverages and discretionary personal purchases are not included. People arriving or departing outside of the trip dates will need to pay for their own airport transfers. While you can find other tours to Oaxaca that are cheaper, we believe the quality of this experience will be well worth it. Trust relationships and intimate knowledge of the local culture make this a very special offering.

Designed for intermediate to advanced students who wish to engage in more extensive conversation. Each week, students will read several well-known stories from Mexican history or folklore, and discuss these stories with a facilitator. In order to make the conversation as useful as possible, each class will be limited to four students. NOTE: Students will need to purchase the book Historias de México 3rd. Ed. by Barlow and Stivers. It is available from Amazon in paperback or Kindle.

Designed for advanced students who wish to engage in more extensive conversation. Each week, students will read several well-known stories from Latin American history or folklore, and discuss these stories with a facilitator. In order to make the conversation as useful as possible, each class will be limited to four students. NOTE: Students will need to purchase the book Historias de Latinoamérica 3rd. Ed. by Barlow. It is available from Amazon in paperback or Kindle.

Designed for students who have taken Conversation 1 or are familiar with the Spanish present tense. This class will expand on the previous class by focusing on important ways to talk about the past and the future. Using these additional tenses, you will learn how to 1) describe past events, 2) recall past remembrances, and 3) make plans for the future.
Fee: $100/Member $120/NonMember

Designed for students with some previous experience with Spanish, even if a little rusty. This class will focus on tested conversation techniques that will help you engage in real conversation. Using mostly the present tense, you will learn how to 1) describe people, places and things, 2) express wants and needs, and 3) ask and respond to questions.

Designed for students with little or no previous experience with Spanish. This class will help you get a head start in learning Spanish by focusing on important everyday activities such as introducing yourself, making reservations, asking for directions, etc. The class also will include music, games, and listening exercises to strengthen the learning experience.
$100/Member $120/NonMember