TUCSON, AZ (KGUN) — Tucson Meet Yourself is back for its 53rd year, and the city showed up hungry. The annual festival filled the streets with the sights, sounds and smells of cultures spanning the globe — from Singapore to Ukraine, from Cuba to Puerto Rico — all in one place.
More than 50 vendors set up at the event, each bringing a piece of their culture to share with the Tucson community through food, drink and tradition.
For Boriken owner and chef Carlos Garcia, Tucson Meet Yourself is one of the most meaningful weekends of the year.
Garcia has been representing Puerto Rico at the festival for years, serving dishes rooted in family tradition with a contemporary edge.
"We are serving authentic Puerto Rican cuisine with a modern twist, same as the restaurant. We have been part of Tucson [Meet Yourself] for almost six years and representing Puerto Rico." Garcia said.
The recipes at the Boriken booth go back two generations. Garcia said the festival gives him a platform few other venues can offer.
"Tucson Meet Yourself puts me in a position where I can share my heritage, my grandma's recipe, my mom's recipe. It's something that I'm very proud of." Garcia said.
Boriken was one of the many vendors sharing delicious cuisine at the festival: Daveah Moore, owner of the Purple Tree Truck, has been crafting organic smoothies for Tucson for more than a decade. Moore said the work is personal.
"You know, I love culinary arts and I love preparing food. Everything is natural, it's organic, it's fresh. What you see is what you get." Moore said.
Moore has been running Purple Tree Truck in honor of it's founder, Andre Newman, who passed in 2020. She says keeping his business is a way to honor Tucson and his legacy.
"When people see the truck, they think of him and they always give love," Moore said. "So we try to keep the same vibe. If you believe in Tucson, Tucson believe in you."
Both Garcia and Moore said the festival is a welcome boost after a slow summer and a year of economic pressure that has tested small businesses across the city.
"It's very tough to be honest. I mean we ... have big bills like utility power and ... lower income, lower customer visiting the restaurant." Garcia said.
Moore said Tucson Meet Yourself has helped pick up the pace.
"Is it a little slower in comparison to other years? Yes, of course. But we, Tucson keeps us busy." Moore said.
Festival director Bryan Falcon says supporting local businesses in the communtiy is a part of Tucson Meet Yourself's main message.
We really want Tucson Meat Yourself to be a way to be able to help people with entrepreneurial spirit to be able to stand up and go and expand the community's awareness of what they have to offer," Falcon said.
The festival will be running throughout the weekend, ending on Sun, Oct 19th.
From kids dancing in the crowd to sizzling food filling the air, Tucson Meet Yourself once again proved that one of the city's longest-running traditions still draws people together in a way few events can.
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JJ McKinney joined KGUN 9 in July of 2025 as a multimedia journalist. He graduated from Colorado State University in May of 2025 with a degree in journalism and media communications and a minor in law. With a background in investigative reporting and documentary filmmaking, JJ is dedicated to giving a platform to the voices of his community. Share your story ideas and important issues with JJ by emailing jj.mckinney@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
