Tucson Presidio Cannon Fire Marks City’s 237th Birthday

Last evening, Neighbor Roy & I attended the City’s 237th birthday celebration at the Presidio. The event was very well attended. Dignitaries spoke. Native Americans chanted prayers. Flags were raised. In short, a lot of pageantry as befits the Old Pueblo.

In this photograph you can see the gray smoke and orange sparks discharged from the old Spanish cannon. From my vantage point, I was showered with gunpowder & debris from the blast. But I had seen this demonstration before and knew to wear ear protection. In the confines of the old fort, the roar is deafening.

One of the most enjoyable things about publishing Southern Arizona Guide is I get to video some of the most interesting people and places in our region. Last year, I interviewed one of the Presidio’s Spanish soldiers in costume, in character. The time was 1776 and he was complaining that the Apaches didn’t fight fair. Click here to watch this little bit of our history.